the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第7章

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〃Well；　and　how　then？〃　

〃I　have　foreseen　his　refusal；　and　just　now　whilst　he　was　
talking　from　the　window　of　the　porter's　lodge　with　a　
dragoon；　I　took　away　the　key　from　his　bunch。〃　

〃And　you　have　got　it？〃　

〃Here　it　is；　Mynheer　John。〃　

〃My　child；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃I　have　nothing　to　give　you　in　
exchange　for　the　service　you　are　rendering　us　but　the　Bible　
which　you　will　find　in　my　room；　it　is　the　last　gift　of　an　
honest　man；　I　hope　it　will　bring　you　good　luck。〃　

〃I　thank　you；　Master　Cornelius；　it　shall　never　leave　me；〃　
replied　Rosa。　

And　then；　with　a　sigh；　she　said　to　herself；　〃What　a　pity　
that　I　do　not　know　how　to　read！〃　

〃The　shouts　and　cries　are　growing　louder　and　louder；〃　said　
John；　〃there　is　not　a　moment　to　be　lost。〃　

〃Come　along；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　girl；　who　now　led　the　two　
brothers　through　an　inner　lobby　to　the　back　of　the　prison。　
Guided　by　her；　they　descended　a　staircase　of　about　a　dozen　
steps；　traversed　a　small　courtyard；　which　was　surrounded　by　
castellated　walls；　and；　the　arched　door　having　been　opened　
for　them　by　Rosa；　they　emerged　into　a　lonely　street　where　
their　carriage　was　ready　to　receive　them。　

〃Quick；　quick；　my　masters！　do　you　hear　them？〃　cried　the　
coachman；　in　a　deadly　fright。　

Yet；　after　having　made　Cornelius　get　into　the　carriage　
first；　the　Grand　Pensionary　turned　round　towards　the　girl；　
to　whom　he　said；　　

〃Good…bye；　my　child！　words　could　never　express　our　
gratitude。　God　will　reward　you　for　having　saved　the　lives　of　
two　men。〃　

Rosa　took　the　hand　which　John　de　Witt　proffered　to　her；　and　
kissed　it　with　every　show　of　respect。　

〃Go！　for　Heaven's　sake；　go！〃　she　said；　〃it　seems　they　are　
going　to　force　the　gate。〃　

John　de　Witt　hastily　got　in；　sat　himself　down　by　the　side　of　
his　brother；　and；　fastening　the　apron　of　the　carriage；　
called　out　to　the　coachman；　　

〃To　the　Tol…Hek！〃　

The　Tol…Hek　was　the　iron　gate　leading　to　the　harbor　of　
Schevening；　in　which　a　small　vessel　was　waiting　for　the　two　
brothers。　

The　carriage　drove　off　with　the　fugitives　at　the　full　speed　
of　a　pair　of　spirited　Flemish　horses。　Rosa　followed　them　
with　her　eyes　until　they　turned　the　corner　of　the　street；　
upon　which；　closing　the　door　after　her；　she　went　back　and　
threw　the　key　into　a　cell。　

The　noise　which　had　made　Rosa　suppose　that　the　people　were　
forcing　the　prison　door　was　indeed　owing　to　the　mob　
battering　against　it　after　the　square　had　been　left　by　the　
military。　

Solid　as　the　gate　was；　and　although　Gryphus；　to　do　him　
justice；　stoutly　enough　refused　to　open　it；　yet　evidently　it　
could　not　resist　much　longer；　and　the　jailer；　growing　very　
pale；　put　to　himself　the　question　whether　it　would　not　be　
better　to　open　the　door　than　to　allow　it　to　be　forced；　when　
he　felt　some　one　gently　pulling　his　coat。　

He　turned　round　and　saw　Rosa。　

〃Do　you　hear　these　madmen？〃　he　said。　

〃I　hear　them　so　well；　my　father；　that　in　your　place　　〃　

〃You　would　open　the　door？〃　

〃No；　I　should　allow　it　to　be　forced。〃　

〃But　they　will　kill　me！〃　

〃Yes；　if　they　see　you。〃　

〃How　shall　they　not　see　me？〃　

〃Hide　yourself。〃　

〃Where？〃　

〃In　the　secret　dungeon。〃　

〃But　you；　my　child？〃　

〃I　shall　get　into　it　with　you。　We　shall　lock　the　door　and　
when　they　have　left　the　prison；　we　shall　again　come　forth　
from　our　hiding　place。〃　

〃Zounds；　you　are　right；　there！〃　cried　Gryphus；　〃it's　
surprising　how　much　sense　there　is　in　such　a　little　head！〃　

Then；　as　the　gate　began　to　give　way　amidst　the　triumphant　
shouts　of　the　mob；　she　opened　a　little　trap…door；　and　said；　
　

〃Come　along；　come　along；　father。〃　

〃But　our　prisoners？〃　

〃God　will　watch　over　them；　and　I　shall　watch　over　you。〃　

Gryphus　followed　his　daughter；　and　the　trap…door　closed　over　
his　head；　just　as　the　broken　gate　gave　admittance　to　the　
populace。　

The　dungeon　where　Rosa　had　induced　her　father　to　hide　
himself；　and　where　for　the　present　we　must　leave　the　two；　
offered　to　them　a　perfectly　safe　retreat；　being　known　only　
to　those　in　power；　who　used　to　place　there　important　
prisoners　of　state；　to　guard　against　a　rescue　or　a　revolt。　

The　people　rushed　into　the　prison；　with　the　cry　　

〃Death　to　the　traitors！　To　the　gallows　with　Cornelius　de　
Witt！　Death！　death！〃　




Chapter　4

The　Murderers


The　young　man　with　his　hat　slouched　over　his　eyes；　still　
leaning　on　the　arm　of　the　officer；　and　still　wiping　from　
time　to　time　his　brow　with　his　handkerchief；　was　watching　in　
a　corner　of　the　Buytenhof；　in　the　shade　of　the　overhanging　
weather…board　of　a　closed　shop；　the　doings　of　the　infuriated　
mob；　a　spectacle　which　seemed　to　draw　near　its　catastrophe。　

〃Indeed；〃　said　he　to　the　officer；　〃indeed；　I　think　you　were　
right；　Van　Deken；　the　order　which　the　deputies　have　signed　
is　truly　the　death…warrant　of　Master　Cornelius。　Do　you　hear　
these　people？　They　certainly　bear　a　sad　grudge　to　the　two　De　
Witts。〃　

〃In　truth；〃　replied　the　officer；　〃I　never　heard　such　
shouts。〃　

〃They　seem　to　have　found　out　the　cell　of　the　man。　Look；　
look！　is　not　that　the　window　of　the　cell　where　Cornelius　was　
locked　up？〃　

A　man　had　seized　with　both　hands　and　was　shaking　the　iron　
bars　of　the　window　in　the　room　which　Cornelius　had　left　only　
ten　minutes　before。　

〃Halloa；　halloa！〃　the　man　called　out；　〃he　is　gone。〃　

〃How　is　that？　gone？〃　asked　those　of　the　mob　who　had　not　been　
able　to　get　into　the　prison；　crowded　as　it　was　with　the　mass　
of　intruders。　

〃Gone；　gone；〃　repeated　the　man　in　a　rage；　〃the　bird　has　
flown。〃　

〃What　does　this　man　say？〃　asked　his　Highness；　growing　quite　
pale。　

〃Oh；　Monseigneur；　he　says　a　thing　which　would　be　very　
fortunate　if　it　should　turn　out　true！〃　

〃Certainly　it　would　be　fortunate　if　it　were　true；〃　said　the　
young　man；　〃unfortunately　it　cannot　be　true。〃　

〃However；　look！〃　said　the　officer。　

And　indeed；　some　more　faces；　furious　and　contorted　with　
rage；　showed　themselves　at　the　windows；　crying；　　

〃Escaped；　gone；　they　have　helped　them　off！〃　

And　the　people　in　the　street　repeated；　with　fearful　
imprecations；　　

〃Escaped　gone！　After　them；　and　catch　them！〃　

〃Monseigneur；　it　seems　that　Mynheer　Cornelius　has　really　
escaped；〃　said　the　officer。　

〃Yes；　from　prison；　perhaps；　but　not　from　the　town；　you　will　
see；　Van　Deken；　that　the　poor　fellow　will　find　the　gate　
closed　against　him　which　he　hoped　to　find　open。〃　

〃Has　an　order　been　given　to　close　the　town　gates；　
Monseigneur？〃　

〃No；　　at　least　I　do　not　think　so；　who　could　have　given　
such　an　order？〃　

〃Indeed；　but　what　makes　your　Highness　suppose？〃　

〃There　are　fatalities；〃　Monseigneur　replied；　in　an　offhand　
manner；　〃and　the　greatest　men　have　sometimes　fallen　victims　
to　such　fatalities。〃　

At　these　words　the　officer　felt　his　blood　run　cold；　as　
somehow　or　other　he　was　convinced　that　the　prisoner　was　
lost。　

At　this　moment　the　roar　of　the　multitude　broke　forth　like　
thunder；　for　it　was　now　quite　certain　that　Cornelius　de　Witt　
was　no　longer　in　the　prison。　



Cornelius　and　John；　after　driving　along　the　pond；　had　taken
the　main　street；　which　leads　to　the　Tol…Hek；　giving　
directions　to　the　coachman　to　slacken　his　pace；　in　order　not　
to　excite　any　suspicion。　

But　when；　on　having　proceeded　half…way　down　that　street；　the　
man　felt　that　he　had　left　the　prison　and　death　behind；　and　
before　him　there　was　life　and　liberty；　he　neglected　every　
precaution；　and　set　his　horses　off　at　a　gallop。　

All　at　once　he　stopped。　

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　John；　putting　his　head　out　of　
the　coach　window。　

〃Oh；　my　masters！〃　cried　the　coachman；　〃it　is　　〃　

Terror　choked　the　voice　of　the　honest　fellow。　

〃Well；　say　what　you　have　to　say！〃　urged　the　Grand　
Pensionary。　

〃The　gate　is　closed；　that's　what　it　is。〃　

〃How　is　this？　It　is　not　usual　to　close　the　gate　by　day。〃　

〃Just　look！〃　

John　de　Witt　leaned　out　of　the　window；　and　indeed　saw　that　
the　man　was　right。　

〃Never　mind；　but　drive　on；〃　said　John；　〃I　have　with　me　the　
order　for　the　commutation　of　the　punishment；　the　gate…keeper　
will　let　us　through。〃　

The　carriage　moved　along；　but　it　was　evident　that　the　driver　
was　no　longer　urging　his　horses　with