the black tulip-第4章

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〃Through　whom？〃　



〃Through　my　servant　Craeke；　who　was　to　have　accompanied　us　

on　horseback；　and　who　has　entered　the　prison　with　me；　to　

assist　you　downstairs。〃　



〃Consider　well　before　having　those　precious　documents　burnt；　

John！〃　



〃I　consider；　above　all　things；　that　the　brothers　De　Witt　

must　necessarily　save　their　lives；　to　be　able　to　save　their　

character。　If　we　are　dead；　who　will　defend　us？　Who　will　have　

fully　understood　our　intentions？〃　



〃You　expect；　then；　that　they　would　kill　us　if　those　papers　

were　found？〃　



John；　without　answering；　pointed　with　his　hand　to　the　

square；　whence；　at　that　very　moment；　fierce　shouts　and　

savage　yells　made　themselves　heard。　



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃I　hear　these　shouts　very　

plainly；　but　what　is　their　meaning？〃　



John　opened　the　window。　



〃Death　to　the　traitors！〃　howled　the　populace。　



〃Do　you　hear　now；　Cornelius？〃　



〃To　the　traitors！　that　means　us！〃　said　the　prisoner；　raising　

his　eyes　to　heaven　and　shrugging　his　shoulders。　



〃Yes；　it　means　us；〃　repeated　John。　



〃Where　is　Craeke？〃　



〃At　the　door　of　your　cell；　I　suppose。〃　



〃Let　him　enter　then。〃　



John　opened　the　door；　the　faithful　servant　was　waiting　on　

the　threshold。　



〃Come　in；　Craeke；　and　mind　well　what　my　brother　will　tell　

you。〃　



〃No；　John；　it　will　not　suffice　to　send　a　verbal　message；　

unfortunately；　I　shall　be　obliged　to　write。〃　



〃And　why　that？〃　



〃Because　Van　Baerle　will　neither　give　up　the　parcel　nor　burn　

it　without　a　special　command　to　do　so。〃　



〃But　will　you　be　able　to　write；　poor　old　fellow？〃　John　

asked；　with　a　look　on　the　scorched　and　bruised　hands　of　the　

unfortunate　sufferer。　



〃If　I　had　pen　and　ink　you　would　soon　see；〃　said　Cornelius。　



〃Here　is　a　pencil；　at　any　rate。〃　



〃Have　you　any　paper？　for　they　have　left　me　nothing。〃　



〃Here；　take　this　Bible；　and　tear　out　the　fly…leaf。〃　



〃Very　well；　that　will　do。〃　



〃But　your　writing　will　be　illegible。〃　



〃Just　leave　me　alone　for　that；〃　said　Cornelius。　〃The　

executioners　have　indeed　pinched　me　badly　enough；　but　my　

hand　will　not　tremble　once　in　tracing　the　few　lines　which　

are　requisite。〃　



And　really　Cornelius　took　the　pencil　and　began　to　write；　

when　through　the　white　linen　bandages　drops　of　blood　oozed　

out　which　the　pressure　of　the　fingers　against　the　pencil　

squeezed　from　the　raw　flesh。　



A　cold　sweat　stood　on　the　brow　of　the　Grand　Pensionary。　



Cornelius　wrote：　　



〃My　dear　Godson；　　



〃Burn　the　parcel　which　I　have　intrusted　to　you。　Burn　it　

without　looking　at　it；　and　without　opening　it；　so　that　its　

contents　may　for　ever　remain　unknown　to　yourself。　Secrets　of　

this　description　are　death　to　those　with　whom　they　are　

deposited。　Burn　it；　and　you　will　have　saved　John　and　

Cornelius　de　Witt。　



〃Farewell；　and　love　me。　



〃Cornelius　de　Witt　



〃August　20th；　1672。〃　



John；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　wiped　off　a　drop　of　the　noble　

blood　which　had　soiled　the　leaf；　and；　after　having　handed　

the　despatch　to　Craeke　with　a　last　direction；　returned　to　

Cornelius；　who　seemed　overcome　by　intense　pain；　and　near　

fainting。　



〃Now；〃　said　he；　〃when　honest　Craeke　sounds　his　coxswain's　

whistle；　it　will　be　a　signal　of　his　being　clear　of　the　

crowd；　and　of　his　having　reached　the　other　side　of　the　pond。　

And　then　it　will　be　our　turn　to　depart。〃　



Five　minutes　had　not　elapsed；　before　a　long　and　shrill　

whistle　was　heard　through　the　din　and　noise　of　the　square　of　

the　Buytenhof。　



John　gratefully　raised　his　eyes　to　heaven。　



〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃let　us　off；　Cornelius。〃　









Chapter　3



The　Pupil　of　John　de　Witt





Whilst　the　clamour　of　the　crowd　in　the　square　of　Buytenhof；　

which　grew　more　and　more　menacing　against　the　two　brothers；　

determined　John　de　Witt　to　hasten　the　departure　of　his　

brother　Cornelius；　a　deputation　of　burghers　had　gone　to　the　

Town…hall　to　demand　the　withdrawal　of　Tilly's　horse。　



It　was　not　far　from　the　Buytenhof　to　Hoogstraet　（High　

Street）；　and　a　stranger；　who　since　the　beginning　of　this　

scene　had　watched　all　its　incidents　with　intense　interest；　

was　seen　to　wend　his　way　with；　or　rather　in　the　wake　of；　the　

others　towards　the　Town…hall；　to　hear　as　soon　as　possible　

the　current　news　of　the　hour。　



This　stranger　was　a　very　young　man；　of　scarcely　twenty…two　

or　three；　with　nothing　about　him　that　bespoke　any　great　

energy。　He　evidently　had　his　good　reasons　for　not　making　

himself　known；　as　he　hid　his　face　in　a　handkerchief　of　fine　

Frisian　linen；　with　which　he　incessantly　wiped　his　brow　or　

his　burning　lips。　



With　an　eye　keen　as　that　of　a　bird　of　prey；　　with　a　long　

aquiline　nose；　a　finely　cut　mouth；　which　he　generally　kept　

open；　or　rather　which　was　gaping　like　the　edges　of　a　wound；　

　this　man　would　have　presented　to　Lavater；　if　Lavater　had　

lived　at　that　time；　a　subject　for　physiognomical　

observations　which　at　the　first　blush　would　not　have　been　

very　favourable　to　the　person　in　question。　



〃What　difference　is　there　between　the　figure　of　the　

conqueror　and　that　of　the　pirate？〃　said　the　ancients。　The　

difference　only　between　the　eagle　and　the　vulture；　　

serenity　or　restlessness。　



And　indeed　the　sallow　physiognomy；　the　thin　and　sickly　body；　

and　the　prowling　ways　of　the　stranger；　were　the　very　type　of　

a　suspecting　master；　or　an　unquiet　thief；　and　a　police　

officer　would　certainly　have　decided　in　favour　of　the　latter　

supposition；　on　account　of　the　great　care　which　the　

mysterious　person　evidently　took　to　hide　himself。　



He　was　plainly　dressed；　and　apparently　unarmed；　his　arm　was　

lean　but　wiry；　and　his　hands　dry；　but　of　an　aristocratic　

whiteness　and　delicacy；　and　he　leaned　on　the　shoulder　of　an　

officer；　who；　with　his　hand　on　his　sword；　had　watched　the　

scenes　in　the　Buytenhof　with　eager　curiosity；　very　natural　

in　a　military　man；　until　his　companion　drew　him　away　with　

him。　



On　arriving　at　the　square　of　the　Hoogstraet；　the　man　with　

the　sallow　face　pushed　the　other　behind　an　open　shutter；　

from　which　corner　he　himself　began　to　survey　the　balcony　of　

the　Town…hall。　



At　the　savage　yells　of　the　mob；　the　window　of　the　Town…hall　

opened；　and　a　man　came　forth　to　address　the　people。　



〃Who　is　that　on　the　balcony？〃　asked　the　young　man；　glancing　

at　the　orator。　



〃It　is　the　Deputy　Bowelt；〃　replied　the　officer。　



〃What　sort　of　a　man　is　he？　Do　you　know　anything　of　him？〃　



〃An　honest　man；　at　least　I　believe　so；　Monseigneur。〃　



Hearing　this　character　given　of　Bowelt；　the　young　man　showed　

signs　of　such　a　strange　disappointment　and　evident　

dissatisfaction　that　the　officer　could　not　but　remark　it；　

and　therefore　added；　　



〃At　least　people　say　so；　Monseigneur。　I　cannot　say　anything　

about　it　myself；　as　I　have　no　personal　acquaintance　with　

Mynheer　Bowelt。〃　



〃An　honest　man；〃　repeated　he　who　was　addressed　as　

Monseigneur；　〃do　you　mean　to　say　that　he　is　an　honest　man　

（brave　homme）；　or　a　brave　one　（homme　brave）？〃　



〃Ah；　Monseigneur　must　excuse　me；　I　would　not　presume　to　draw　

such　a　fine　distinction　in　the　case　of　a　man　whom；　I　assure　

your　Highness　once　more；　I　know　only　by　sight。〃　



〃If　this　Bowelt　is　an　honest　man；〃　his　Highness　continued；　

〃he　will　give　to　the　demand　of　these　furibund　petitioners　a　

very　queer　reception。〃　



The　nervous　quiver　of　his　hand；　which　moved　on　the　shoulder　

of　his　companion　as　the　fingers　of　a　player　on　the　keys　of　a　

harpsichord；　betrayed　his　burning　impatience；　so　ill　

concealed　at　certain　times；　and　particularly　at　that　moment；　

under　the　icy　and　sombre　expression　of　his　face。　



The　chief　of　the　deputation　of　the　burghers　was　then　heard　

addressing　an　interpellation　to　Mynheer　Bowelt；　whom　he　

requested　to　let　them　know　where　the　other　deputies；　his　

colleagues；　were。　



〃Gentlemen；〃　Bowelt　repeated　for　the　second　time；　〃I　assure　

you　that　in　this　moment　I　am　here　alone　with　Mynheer　

d'Asperen；　and　I　cannot　take　any　resolution　on　my　own　

responsibility。〃　



〃The　order！　we　want　the　order！〃　cried　several　thousand　

voices。　



Mynheer　Bowelt　wished　to　speak；　but　his　words　were　not　

heard；　and　he　was　only　seen　moving　his　arms　in　all　sorts　of　

gestures；　which　plainly　showed　that　he　felt　his　position　to　

be　desperate。　When；　at　last；　he　saw　that　he　could　not　make　

himself　heard；　he　turned　round　towards　the　open　window；　and　

called　Mynheer　d'Asperen。　



The　latter　gentleman　now　made　his　appearance　on　the　balcony；　

where　he　was　saluted　with　shouts　even　more　energetic　than　

those　with　which；　ten　minutes　before；　his　colleague　had　been　

received。　



This　did　not　prevent　him　from　undertaking　the　difficult　task　

of　haranguing　the　mob；　but　the　mob　preferred　forcing　the　

guard　of　the　States　　which；　however；　offered　no　resistance　

to　the　sovereign　people　　to　listening　to　the　speech　of　

Mynheer　d'Asperen。　



〃Now；　then；〃　the　young　man　coolly　remarked；　whilst　the　crowd　

was　rushing　into　the　principal　gate　of　the　Town…hall；　〃it　

seems　the　question　will　be　discussed　indoors；　Captain。　Come　

along；　and　let　us　hear　the　debate。〃　



〃Oh；　Monseigneur！　Monseigneur！　take　care！〃　



〃Of　what？〃　



〃Among　these　deputies　there　are　many　who　have　had　dealings　

with　you；　and　it　would　be　sufficient；　that　one　of　them　

should　recognize　your　Highness。〃　



〃Yes；　that　I　might　be　charged　with　having　been　the　

instigator　of　all　this　work；　indeed；　you　are　right；〃　said　

the　young　man；　blushing　for　a　moment　from　regret　of　having　

betrayed　so　much　eagerness。　〃From　this　place　we　shall　see　

them　return　with　or　without　the　order　for　the　withdrawal　of　

the　dragoons；　then　we　may　judge　which　is　greater；　Mynheer　

Bowelt's　honesty　or　his　courage。〃　



〃But；〃　replied　the　officer；　looking　with　astonishment　at　the　

personage　whom　he　addressed　as　Monseigneur；　〃but　your　

Highness　surely　does　not　suppose　for　one　instant　that　the　

deputies　will　order　Tilly's　horse　to　quit　their　post？〃　



〃Why　not？〃　the　young　man　quietly　retorted。　



〃Because　doing　so　would　simply　be　signing　the　death　warrant　

of　Cornelius　and　John　de　Witt。〃　



〃We　shall　see；〃　his　Highness　replied；　with　the　most　perfect　

coolness；　〃God　alone　knows　what　is　going　on　within　the　

hearts　of　men。〃　



The　officer　looked　askance　at　the　impassible　figure　of　his　

companion；　and　grew　pale：　he　was　an　honest　man　as　well　as　a　

brave　one。　



From　the　spot　where　they　stood；　his　Highness　and　his　

attendant　heard　the　tumult　and　the　heavy　tramp　of　the　crowd　

on　the　staircase　of　the　Town…hall。　The　noise　thereupon　

sounded　through　the　windows　of　the　hall；　on　the　balcony　of　

which　Mynheers　Bowelt　and　D'Asperen　had　presented　

themselves。　These　two　gentlemen　had　retired　into　the　

building；　very　likely　from　fear　of　being　forced　over　the