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in such a state。〃 



〃And; indeed; I have thought more of you than of myself; and 

whilst they were torturing me; I never thought of uttering a 

complaint; except once; to say; 'Poor brother!' But now that 

you are here; let us forget all。 You are coming to take me 

away; are you not?〃 



〃I am。〃 



〃I am quite healed; help me to get up; and you shall see how 

I can walk。〃 



〃You will not have to walk far; as I have my coach near the 

pond; behind Tilly's dragoons。〃 



〃Tilly's dragoons! What are they near the pond for?〃 



〃Well;〃 said the Grand Pensionary with a melancholy smile 

which was habitual to him; 〃the gentlemen at the Town…hall 

expect that the people at the Hague would like to see you 

depart; and there is some apprehension of a tumult。〃 



〃Of a tumult?〃 replied Cornelius; fixing his eyes on his 

perplexed brother; 〃a tumult?〃 



〃Yes; Cornelius。〃 



〃Oh! that's what I heard just now;〃 said the prisoner; as if 

speaking to himself。 Then; turning to his brother; he 

continued;  



〃Are there many persons down before the prison。〃 



〃Yes; my brother; there are。〃 



〃But then; to come here to me  〃 



〃Well?〃 



〃How is it that they have allowed you to pass?〃 



〃You know well that we are not very popular; Cornelius;〃 

said the Grand Pensionary; with gloomy bitterness。 〃I have 

made my way through all sorts of bystreets and alleys。〃 



〃You hid yourself; John?〃 



〃I wished to reach you without loss of time; and I did what 

people will do in politics; or on the sea when the wind is 

against them;  I tacked。〃 



At this moment the noise in the square below was heard to 

roar with increasing fury。 Tilly was parleying with the 

burghers。 



〃Well; well;〃 said Cornelius; 〃you are a very skilful pilot; 

John; but I doubt whether you will as safely guide your 

brother out of the Buytenhof in the midst of this gale; and 

through the raging surf of popular hatred; as you did the 

fleet of Van Tromp past the shoals of the Scheldt to 

Antwerp。〃 



〃With the help of God; Cornelius; we'll at least try;〃 

answered John; 〃but; first of all; a word with you。〃 



〃Speak!〃 



The shouts began anew。 



〃Hark; hark!〃 continued Cornelius; 〃how angry those people 

are! Is it against you; or against me?〃 



〃I should say it is against us both; Cornelius。 I told you; 

my dear brother; that the Orange party; while assailing us 

with their absurd calumnies; have also made it a reproach 

against us that we have negotiated with France。〃 



〃What blockheads they are!〃 



〃But; indeed; they reproach us with it。〃 



〃And yet; if these negotiations had been successful; they 

would have prevented the defeats of Rees; Orsay; Wesel; and 

Rheinberg; the Rhine would not have been crossed; and 

Holland might still consider herself invincible in the midst 

of her marshes and canals。〃 



〃All this is quite true; my dear Cornelius; but still more 

certain it is; that if at this moment our correspondence 

with the Marquis de Louvois were discovered; skilful pilot 

as I am; I should not be able to save the frail barque which 

is to carry the brothers De Witt and their fortunes out of 

Holland。 That correspondence; which might prove to honest 

people how dearly I love my country; and what sacrifices I 

have offered to make for its liberty and glory; would be 

ruin to us if it fell into the hands of the Orange party。 I 

hope you have burned the letters before you left Dort to 

join me at the Hague。〃 



〃My dear brother;〃 Cornelius answered; 〃your correspondence 

with M。 de Louvois affords ample proof of your having been 

of late the greatest; most generous; and most able citizen 

of the Seven United Provinces。 I rejoice in the glory of my 

country; and particularly do I rejoice in your glory; John。 

I have taken good care not to burn that correspondence。〃 



〃Then we are lost; as far as this life is concerned;〃 

quietly said the Grand Pensionary; approaching the window。 



〃No; on the contrary; John; we shall at the same time save 

our lives and regain our popularity。〃 



〃But what have you done with these letters?〃 



〃I have intrusted them to the care of Cornelius van Baerle; 

my godson; whom you know; and who lives at Dort。〃 



〃Poor honest Van Baerle! who knows so much; and yet thinks 

of nothing but of flowers and of God who made them。 You have 

intrusted him with this fatal secret; it will be his ruin; 

poor soul!〃 



〃His ruin?〃 



〃Yes; for he will either be strong or he will be weak。 If he 

is strong; he will; when he hears of what has happened to 

us; boast of our acquaintance; if he is weak; he will be 

afraid on account of his connection with us: if he is 

strong; he will betray the secret by his boldness; if he is 

weak; he will allow it to be forced from him。 In either case 

he is lost; and so are we。 Let us; therefore; fly; fly; as 

long as there is still time。〃 



Cornelius de Witt; raising himself on his couch; and 

grasping the hand of his brother; who shuddered at the touch 

of his linen bandages; replied;  



〃Do not I know my godson? have not I been enabled to read 

every thought in Van Baerle's mind; and every sentiment in 

his heart? You ask whether he is strong or weak。 He is 

neither the one nor the other; but that is not now the 

question。 The principal point is; that he is sure not to 

divulge the secret; for the very good reason that he does 

not know it himself。〃 



John turned round in surprise。 



〃You must know; my dear brother; that I have been trained in 

the school of that distinguished politician John de Witt; 

and I repeat to you; that Van Baerle is not aware of the 

nature and importance of the deposit which I have intrusted 

to him。〃 



〃Quick then;〃 cried John; 〃as there is still time; let us 

convey to him directions to burn the parcel。〃 



〃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

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