the black tulip-第3章

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advancing　for；　and　what　do　you　wish？〃　



The　burghers　shook　their　muskets；　repeating　their　cry；　　



〃Hurrah　for　Orange！　Death　to　the　traitors！〃　



〃'Hurrah　for　Orange！'　all　well　and　good！〃　replied　Tilly；　

〃although　I　certainly　am　more　partial　to　happy　faces　than　to　

gloomy　ones。　'Death　to　the　traitors！'　as　much　of　it　as　you　

like；　as　long　as　you　show　your　wishes　only　by　cries。　But；　as　

to　putting　them　to　death　in　good　earnest；　I　am　here　to　

prevent　that；　and　I　shall　prevent　it。〃　



Then；　turning　round　to　his　men；　he　gave　the　word　of　command；　

　



〃Soldiers；　ready！〃　



The　troopers　obeyed　orders　with　a　precision　which　

immediately　caused　the　burgher　guard　and　the　people　to　fall　

back；　in　a　degree　of　confusion　which　excited　the　smile　of　

the　cavalry　officer。　



〃Holloa！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　that　bantering　tone　which　is　

peculiar　to　men　of　his　profession；　〃be　easy；　gentlemen；　my　

soldiers　will　not　fire　a　shot；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　you　

will　not　advance　by　one　step　towards　the　prison。〃　



〃And　do　you　know；　sir；　that　we　have　muskets？〃　roared　the　

commandant　of　the　burghers。　



〃I　must　know　it；　by　Jove；　you　have　made　them　glitter　enough　

before　my　eyes；　but　I　beg　you　to　observe　also　that　we　on　our　

side　have　pistols；　that　the　pistol　carries　admirably　to　a　

distance　of　fifty　yards；　and　that　you　are　only　twenty…five　

from　us。〃　



〃Death　to　the　traitors！〃　cried　the　exasperated　burghers。　



〃Go　along　with　you；〃　growled　the　officer；　〃you　always　cry　

the　same　thing　over　again。　It　is　very　tiresome。〃　



With　this；　he　took　his　post　at　the　head　of　his　troops；　

whilst　the　tumult　grew　fiercer　and　fiercer　about　the　

Buytenhof。　



And　yet　the　fuming　crowd　did　not　know　that；　at　that　very　

moment　when　they　were　tracking　the　scent　of　one　of　their　

victims；　the　other；　as　if　hurrying　to　meet　his　fate；　passed；　

at　a　distance　of　not　more　than　a　hundred　yards；　behind　the　

groups　of　people　and　the　dragoons；　to　betake　himself　to　the　

Buytenhof。　



John　de　Witt；　indeed；　had　alighted　from　his　coach　with　his　

servant；　and　quietly　walked　across　the　courtyard　of　the　

prison。　



Mentioning　his　name　to　the　turnkey；　who　however　knew　him；　he　

said；　　



〃Good　morning；　Gryphus；　I　am　coming　to　take　away　my　brother；　

who；　as　you　know；　is　condemned　to　exile；　and　to　carry　him　

out　of　the　town。〃　



Whereupon　the　jailer；　a　sort　of　bear；　trained　to　lock　and　

unlock　the　gates　of　the　prison；　had　greeted　him　and　admitted　

him　into　the　building；　the　doors　of　which　were　immediately　

closed　again。　



Ten　yards　farther　on；　John　de　Witt　met　a　lovely　young　girl；　

of　about　seventeen　or　eighteen；　dressed　in　the　national　

costume　of　the　Frisian　women；　who；　with　pretty　demureness；　

dropped　a　curtesy　to　him。　Chucking　her　under　the　chin；　he　

said　to　her；　　



〃Good　morning；　my　good　and　fair　Rosa；　how　is　my　brother？〃　



〃Oh；　Mynheer　John！〃　the　young　girl　replied；　〃I　am　not　afraid　

of　the　harm　which　has　been　done　to　him。　That's　all　over　

now。〃　



〃But　what　is　it　you　are　afraid　of？〃　



〃I　am　afraid　of　the　harm　which　they　are　going　to　do　to　him。〃　



〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　De　Witt；　〃you　mean　to　speak　of　the　people　

down　below；　don't　you？〃　



〃Do　you　hear　them？〃　



〃They　are　indeed　in　a　state　of　great　excitement；　but　when　

they　see　us　perhaps　they　will　grow　calmer；　as　we　have　never　

done　them　anything　but　good。〃　



〃That's　unfortunately　no　reason；　except　for　the　contrary；〃　

muttered　the　girl；　as；　on　an　imperative　sign　from　her　

father；　she　withdrew。　



〃Indeed；　child；　what　you　say　is　only　too　true。〃　



Then；　in　pursuing　his　way；　he　said　to　himself；　　



〃Here　is　a　damsel　who　very　likely　does　not　know　how　to　read；　

who　consequently　has　never　read　anything；　and　yet　with　one　

word　she　has　just　told　the　whole　history　of　the　world。〃　



And　with　the　same　calm　mien；　but　more　melancholy　than　he　had　

been　on　entering　the　prison；　the　Grand　Pensionary　proceeded　

towards　the　cell　of　his　brother。　









Chapter　2



The　Two　Brothers





As　the　fair　Rosa；　with　foreboding　doubt；　had　foretold；　so　it　

happened。　Whilst　John　de　Witt　was　climbing　the　narrow　

winding　stairs　which　led　to　the　prison　of　his　brother　

Cornelius；　the　burghers　did　their　best　to　have　the　troop　of　

Tilly；　which　was　in　their　way；　removed。　



Seeing　this　disposition；　King　Mob；　who　fully　appreciated　the　

laudable　intentions　of　his　own　beloved　militia；　shouted　most　

lustily；　　



〃Hurrah　for　the　burghers！〃　



As　to　Count　Tilly；　who　was　as　prudent　as　he　was　firm；　he　

began　to　parley　with　the　burghers；　under　the　protection　of　

the　cocked　pistols　of　his　dragoons；　explaining　to　the　

valiant　townsmen；　that　his　order　from　the　States　commanded　

him　to　guard　the　prison　and　its　approaches　with　three　

companies。　



〃Wherefore　such　an　order？　Why　guard　the　prison？〃　cried　the　

Orangists。　



〃Stop；〃　replied　the　Count；　〃there　you　at　once　ask　me　more　

than　I　can　tell　you。　I　was　told；　'Guard　the　prison；'　and　I　

guard　it。　You；　gentlemen；　who　are　almost　military　men　

yourselves；　you　are　aware　that　an　order　must　never　be　

gainsaid。〃　



〃But　this　order　has　been　given　to　you　that　the　traitors　may　

be　enabled　to　leave　the　town。〃　



〃Very　possibly；　as　the　traitors　are　condemned　to　exile；〃　

replied　Tilly。　



〃But　who　has　given　this　order？〃　



〃The　States；　to　be　sure！〃　



〃The　States　are　traitors。〃　



〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that！〃　



〃And　you　are　a　traitor　yourself！〃　



〃I？〃　



〃Yes；　you。〃　



〃Well；　as　to　that；　let　us　understand　each　other　gentlemen。　

Whom　should　I　betray？　The　States？　Why；　I　cannot　betray　them；　

whilst；　being　in　their　pay；　I　faithfully　obey　their　orders。〃　



As　the　Count　was　so　indisputably　in　the　right　that　it　was　

impossible　to　argue　against　him；　the　mob　answered　only　by　

redoubled　clamour　and　horrible　threats；　to　which　the　Count　

opposed　the　most　perfect　urbanity。　



〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃uncock　your　muskets；　one　of　them　may　

go　off　by　accident；　and　if　the　shot　chanced　to　wound　one　of　

my　men；　we　should　knock　over　a　couple　of　hundreds　of　yours；　

for　which　we　should；　indeed；　be　very　sorry；　but　you　even　

more　so；　especially　as　such　a　thing　is　neither　contemplated　

by　you　nor　by　myself。〃　



〃If　you　did　that；〃　cried　the　burghers；　〃we　should　have　a　pop　

at　you；　too。〃　



〃Of　course　you　would；　but　suppose　you　killed　every　man　Jack　

of　us；　those　whom　we　should　have　killed　would　not；　for　all　

that；　be　less　dead。〃　



〃Then　leave　the　place　to　us；　and　you　will　perform　the　part　

of　a　good　citizen。〃　



〃First　of　all；〃　said　the　Count；　〃I　am　not　a　citizen；　but　an　

officer；　which　is　a　very　different　thing；　and　secondly；　I　am　

not　a　Hollander；　but　a　Frenchman；　which　is　more　different　

still。　I　have　to　do　with　no　one　but　the　States；　by　whom　I　am　

paid；　let　me　see　an　order　from　them　to　leave　the　place　to　

you；　and　I　shall　only　be　too　glad　to　wheel　off　in　an　

instant；　as　I　am　confoundedly　bored　here。〃　



〃Yes；　yes！〃　cried　a　hundred　voices；　the　din　of　which　was　

immediately　swelled　by　five　hundred　others；　〃let　us　march　to　

the　Town…hall；　let　us　go　and　see　the　deputies！　Come　along！　

come　along！〃　



〃That's　it；〃　Tilly　muttered　between　his　teeth；　as　he　saw　the　

most　violent　among　the　crowd　turning　away；　〃go　and　ask　for　a　

meanness　at　the　Town…hall；　and　you　will　see　whether　they　

will　grant　it；　go；　my　fine　fellows；　go！〃　



The　worthy　officer　relied　on　the　honour　of　the　magistrates；　

who；　on　their　side；　relied　on　his　honour　as　a　soldier。　



〃I　say；　Captain；〃　the　first　lieutenant　whispered　into　the　

ear　of　the　Count；　〃I　hope　the　deputies　will　give　these　

madmen　a　flat　refusal；　but；　after　all；　it　would　do　no　harm　

if　they　would　send　us　some　reinforcement。〃　



In　the　meanwhile；　John　de　Witt；　whom　we　left　climbing　the　

stairs；　after　the　conversation　with　the　jailer　Gryphus　and　

his　daughter　Rosa；　had