In which Van Baerle, before leaving Loewestein,Settles Accounts with Gryphus

    The two remained silent for some minutes, Gryphus on theoffensive, and Van Baerle on the defensive.

　　Then, as the situation might be prolonged to an indefinitelength, Cornelius, anxious to know something more of thecauses which had so fiercely exasperated his jailer, spokefirst by putting the question, --"Well, what do you want, after all?""I'll tell you what I want," answered Gryphus; "I want you torestore to me my daughter Rosa.""Your daughter?" cried Van Baerle.

　　"Yes, my daughter Rosa, whom you have taken from me by yourdevilish magic. Now, will you tell me where she is?"And the attitude of Gryphus became more and morethreatening.

　　"Rosa is not at Loewestein?" cried Cornelius.

　　"You know well she is not. Once more, will you restore herto me?""I see," said Cornelius, "this is a trap you are laying forme.""Now, for the last time, will you tell me where my daughteris?""Guess it, you rogue, if you don't know it.""Only wait, only wait," growled Gryphus, white with rage,and with quivering lips, as his brain began to turn. "Ah,you will not tell me anything? Well, I'll unlock yourteeth!"He advanced a step towards Cornelius, and said, showing himthe weapon which he held in his hands, --"Do you see this knife? Well, I have killed more than fiftyblack cocks with it, and I vow I'll kill their master, thedevil, as well as them.""But, you blockhead," said Cornelius, "will you really killme?""I shall open your heart to see in it the place where youhide my daughter."Saying this, Gryphus in his frenzy rushed towards Cornelius,who had barely time to retreat behind his table to avoid thefirst thrust; but as Gryphus continued, with horrid threats,to brandish his huge knife, and as, although out of thereach of his weapon, yet, as long as it remained in themadman's hand, the ruffian might fling it at him, Corneliuslost no time, and availing himself of the stick, which heheld tight under his arm, dealt the jailer a vigorous blowon the wrist of that hand which held the knife.

　　The knife fell to the ground, and Cornelius put his foot onit.

　　Then, as Gryphus seemed bent upon engaging in a strugglewhich the pain in his wrist, and shame for having allowedhimself to be disarmed, would have made desperate, Corneliustook a decisive step, belaboring his jailer with the mostheroic self-possession, and selecting the exact spot forevery blow of the terrible cudgel.

　　It was not long before Gryphus begged for mercy. But beforebegging for mercy, he had lustily roared for help, and hiscries had roused all the functionaries of the prison. Twoturnkeys, an inspector, and three or four guards, made theirappearance all at once, and found Cornelius still using thestick, with the knife under his foot.

　　At the sight of these witnesses, who could not know all thecircumstances which had provoked and might justify hisoffence, Cornelius felt that he was irretrievably lost.

　　In fact, appearances were sadly against him.

　　In one moment Cornelius was disarmed, and Gryphus raised andsupported; and, bellowing with rage and pain, he was able tocount on his back and shoulders the bruises which werebeginning to swell like the hills dotting the slopes of amountain ridge.

　　A protocol of the violence practiced by the prisoner againsthis jailer was immediately drawn up, and as it was made onthe depositions of Gryphus, it certainly could not be saidto be too tame; the prisoner being charged with neither morenor less than with an attempt to murder, for a long timepremeditated, with open rebellion.

　　Whilst the charge was made out against Cornelius, Gryphus,whose presence was no longer necessary after having made hisdepositions, was taken down by his turnkeys to his lodge,groaning and covered with bruises.

　　During this time, the guards who had seized Cornelius busiedthemselves in charitably informing their prisoner of theusages and customs of Loewestein, which however he knew aswell as they did. The regulations had been read to him atthe moment of his entering the prison, and certain articlesin them remained fixed in his memory.

　　Among other things they told him that this regulation hadbeen carried out to its full extent in the case of aprisoner named Mathias, who in 1668, that is to say, fiveyears before, had committed a much less violent act ofrebellion than that of which Cornelius was guilty. He hadfound his soup too hot, and thrown it at the head of thechief turnkey, who in consequence of this ablution had beenput to the inconvenience of having his skin come off as hewiped his face.

　　Mathias was taken within twelve hours from his cell, thenled to the jailer's lodge, where he was registered asleaving Loewestein, then taken to the Esplanade, from whichthere is a very fine prospect over a wide expanse ofcountry. There they fettered his hands, bandaged his eyes,and let him say his prayers.

　　Hereupon he was invited to go down on his knees, and theguards of Loewestein, twelve in number, at a sign from asergeant, very cleverly lodged a musket-ball each in hisbody.

　　In consequence of this proceeding, Mathias incontinently didthen and there die.

　　Cornelius listened with the greatest attention to thisdelightful recital, and then said, --"Ah! ah! within twelve hours, you say?""Yes, the twelfth hour had not even struck, if I rememberright," said the guard who had told him the story.

　　"Thank you," said Cornelius.

　　The guard still had the smile on his face with which heaccompanied and as it were accentuated his tale, whenfootsteps and a jingling of spurs were heard ascending thestair-case.

　　The guards fell back to allow an officer to pass, whoentered the cell of Cornelius at the moment when the clerkof Loewestein was still making out his report.

　　"Is this No. 11?" he asked.

　　"Yes, Captain," answered a non-commissioned officer.

　　"Then this is the cell of the prisoner Cornelius vanBaerle?""Exactly............