the black tulip-第8章

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〃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　the　same　degree　of　

confidence。　



Moreover；　as　John　de　Witt　put　his　head　out　of　the　carriage　

window；　he　was　seen　and　recognized　by　a　brewer；　who；　being　

behind　his　companions；　was　just　shutting　his　door　in　all　

haste　to　join　them　at　the　Buytenhof。　He　uttered　a　cry　of　

surprise；　and　ran　after　two　other　men　before　him；　whom　he　

overtook　about　a　hundred　yards　farther　on；　and　told　them　

what　he　had　seen。　The　three　men　then　stopped；　looking　after　

the　carriage；　being　however　not　yet　quite　sure　as　to　whom　it　

contained。　



The　carriage　in　the　meanwhile　arrived　at　the　Tol…Hek。　



〃Open！〃　cried　the　coachman。　



〃Open！〃　echoed　the　gatekeeper；　from　the　threshold　of　his　

lodge；　〃it's　all　very　well　to　say　'Open！'　but　what　am　I　to　

do　it　with？〃　



〃With　the　key；　to　be　sure！〃　said　the　coachman。　



〃With　the　key！　Oh；　yes！　but　if　you　have　not　got　it？〃　



〃How　is　that？　Have　not　you　got　the　key？〃　asked　the　coachman。　



〃No；　I　haven't。〃　



〃What　has　become　of　it？〃　



〃Well；　they　have　taken　it　from　me。〃　



〃Who？〃　



〃Some　one；　I　dare　say；　who　had　a　mind　that　no　one　should　

leave　the　town。〃　



〃My　good　man；〃　said　the　Grand　Pensionary；　putting　out　his　

head　from　the　window；　and　risking　all　for　gaining　all；　〃my　

good　man；　it　is　for　me；　John　de　Witt；　and　for　my　brother　

Cornelius；　who　I　am　taking　away　into　exile。〃　



〃Oh；　Mynheer　de　Witt！　I　am　indeed　very　much　grieved；〃　said　

the　gatekeeper；　rushing　towards　the　carriage；　〃but；　upon　my　

sacred　word；　the　key　has　been　taken　from　me。〃　



〃When？〃　



〃This　morning。〃　



〃By　whom？〃　



〃By　a　pale　and　thin　young　man；　of　about　twenty…two。〃　



〃And　wherefore　did　you　give　it　up　to　him？〃　



〃Because　he　showed　me　an　order；　signed　and　sealed。〃　



〃By　whom？〃　



〃By　the　gentlemen　of　the　Town…hall。〃　



〃Well；　then；〃　said　Cornelius　calmly；　〃our　doom　seems　to　be　

fixed。〃　



〃Do　you　know　whether　the　same　precaution　has　been　taken　at　

the　other　gates？〃　



〃I　do　not。〃　



〃Now　then；〃　said　John　to　the　coachman；　〃God　commands　man　to　

do　all　that　is　in　his　power　to　preserve　his　life；　go；　and　

drive　to　another　gate。〃　



And　whilst　the　servant　was　turning　round　the　vehicle　the　

Grand　Pensionary　said　to　the　gatekeeper；　　



〃Take　our　thanks　for　your　good　intentions；　the　will　must　

count　for　the　deed；　you　had　the　will　to　save　us；　and　that；　

in　the　eyes　of　the　Lord；　is　as　if　you　had　succeeded　in　doing　

so。〃　



〃Alas！〃　said　the　gatekeeper；　〃do　you　see　down　there？〃　



〃Drive　at　a　gallop　through　that　group；〃　John　called　out　to　

the　coachman；　〃and　take　the　street　on　the　left；　it　is　our　

only　chance。〃　



The　group　which　John　alluded　to　had；　for　its　nucleus；　those　

three　men　whom　we　left　looking　after　the　carriage；　and　who；　

in　the　meanwhile；　had　been　joined　by　seven　or　eight　others。　



These　new…comers　evidently　meant　mischief　with　regard　to　the　

carriage。　



When　they　saw　the　horses　galloping　down　upon　them；　they　

placed　themselves　across　the　street；　brandishing　cudgels　in　

their　hands；　and　calling　out；　　



〃Stop！　stop！〃　



The　coachman；　on　his　side；　lashed　his　horses　into　increased　

speed；　until　the　coach　and　the　men　encountered。　



The　brothers　De　Witt；　enclosed　within　the　body　of　the　

carriage；　were　not　able　to　see　anything；　but　they　felt　a　

severe　shock；　occasioned　by　the　rearing　of　the　horses。　The　

whole　vehicle　for　a　moment　shook　and　stopped；　but　

immediately　after；　passing　over　something　round　and　elastic；　

which　seemed　to　be　the　body　of　a　prostrate　man　set　off　again　

amidst　a　volley　of　the　fiercest　oaths。　



〃Alas！〃　said　Cornelius；　〃I　am　afraid　we　have　hurt　some　one。〃　



〃Gallop！　gallop！〃　called　John。　



But；　notwithstanding　this　order；　the　coachman　suddenly　came　

to　a　stop。　



〃Now；　then；　what　is　the　matter　again？〃　asked　John。　



〃Look　there！〃　said　the　coachman。　



John　looked。　The　whole　mass　of　the　populace　from　the　

Buytenhof　appeared　at　the　extremity　of　the　street　along　

which　the　carriage　was　to　proceed；　and　its　stream　moved　

roaring　and　rapid；　as　if　lashed　on　by　a　hurricane。　



〃Stop　and　get　off；〃　said　John　to　the　coachman；　〃it　is　

useless　to　go　any　farther；　we　are　lost！〃　



〃Here　they　are！　here　they　are！〃　five　hundred　voices　were　

crying　at　the　same　time。　



〃Yes；　here　they　are；　the　traitors；　the　murderers；　the　

assassins！〃　answered　the　men　who　were　running　after　the　

carriage　to　the　people　who　were　coming　to　meet　it。　The　

former　carried　in　their　arms　the　bruised　body　of　one　of　

their　companions；　who；　trying　to　seize　the　reins　of　the　

horses；　had　been　trodden　down　by　them。　



This　was　the　object　over　which　the　two　brothers　had　felt　

their　carriage　pass。　



The　coachman　stopped；　but；　however　strongly　his　master　urged　

him；　he　refused　to　get　off　and　save　himself。　



In　an　instant　the　carriage　was　hemmed　in　between　those　who　

followed　and　those　who　met　it。　It　rose　above　the　mass　of　

moving　heads　like　a　floating　is