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第9章

the black tulip-第9章

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

moving heads like a floating island。 But in another instant 

it came to a dead stop。 A blacksmith had with his hammer 

struck down one of the horses; which fell in the traces。 



At this moment; the shutter of a window opened; and 

disclosed the sallow face and the dark eyes of the young 

man; who with intense interest watched the scene which was 

preparing。 Behind him appeared the head of the officer; 

almost as pale as himself。 



〃Good heavens; Monseigneur; what is going on there?〃 

whispered the officer。 



〃Something very terrible; to a certainty;〃 replied the 

other。 



〃Don't you see; Monseigneur; they are dragging the Grand 

Pensionary from the carriage; they strike him; they tear him 

to pieces!〃 



〃Indeed; these people must certainly be prompted by a most 

violent indignation;〃 said the young marl; with the same 

impassible tone which he had preserved all along。 



〃And here is Cornelius; whom they now likewise drag out of 

the carriage;  Cornelius; who is already quite broken and 

mangled by the torture。 Only look; look!〃 



〃Indeed; it is Cornelius; and no mistake。〃 



The officer uttered a feeble cry; and turned his head away; 

the brother of the Grand Pensionary; before having set foot 

on the ground; whilst still on the bottom step of the 

carriage; was struck down with an iron bar which broke his 

skull。 He rose once more; but immediately fell again。 



Some fellows then seized him by the feet; and dragged him 

into the crowd; into the middle of which one might have 

followed his bloody track; and he was soon closed in among 

the savage yells of malignant exultation。 



The young man  a thing which would have been thought 

impossible  grew even paler than before; and his eyes were 

for a moment veiled behind the lids。 



The officer saw this sign of compassion; and; wishing to 

avail himself of this softened tone of his feelings; 

continued;  



〃Come; come; Monseigneur; for here they are also going to 

murder the Grand Pensionary。〃 



But the young man had already opened his eyes again。 



〃To be sure;〃 he said。 〃These people are really implacable。 

It does no one good to offend them。〃 



〃Monseigneur;〃 said the officer; 〃may not one save this poor 

man; who has been your Highness's instructor? If there be 

any means; name it; and if I should perish in the attempt 

 〃 



William of Orange  for he it was  knit his brows in a 

very forbidding manner; restrained the glance of gloomy 

malice which glistened in his half…closed eye; and answered; 

 



〃Captain Van Deken; I request you to go and look after my 

troops; that they may be armed for any emergency。〃 



〃But am I to leave your Highness here; alone; in the 

presence of all these murderers?〃 



〃Go; and don't you trouble yourself about me more than I do 

myself;〃 the Prince gruffly replied。 



The officer started off with a speed which was much less 

owing to his sense of military obedience than to his 

pleasure at being relieved from the necessity of witnessing 

the shocking spectacle of the murder of the other brother。 



He had scarcely left the room; when John  who; with an 

almost superhuman effort; had reached the stone steps of a 

house nearly opposite that where his former pupil concealed 

himself  began to stagger under the blows which were 

inflicted on him from all sides; calling out;  



〃My brother! where is my brother?〃 



One of the ruffians knocked off his hat with a blow of his 

clenched fist。 



Another showed to him his bloody hands; for this fellow had 

ripped open Cornelius and disembowelled him; and was now 

hastening to the spot in order not to lose the opportunity 

of serving the Grand Pensionary in the same manner; whilst 

they were dragging the dead body of Cornelius to the gibbet。 



John uttered a cry of agony and grief; and put one of his 

hands before his eyes。 



〃Oh; you close your eyes; do you?〃 said one of the soldiers 

of the burgher guard; 〃well; I shall open them for you。〃 



And saying this he stabbed him with his pike in the face; 

and the blood spurted forth。 



〃My brother!〃 cried John de Witt; trying to see through the 

stream of blood which blinded him; what had become of 

Cornelius; 〃my brother; my brother!〃 



〃Go and run after him!〃 bellowed another murderer; putting 

his musket to his temples and pulling the trigger。 



But the gun did not go off。 



The fellow then turned his musket round; and; taking it by 

the barrel with both hands; struck John de Witt down with 

the butt…end。 John staggered and fell down at his feet; but; 

raising himself with a last effort; he once more called out; 

 



〃My brother!〃 with a voice so full of anguish that the young 

man opposite closed the shutter。 



There remained little more to see; a third murderer fired a 

pistol with the muzzle to his face; and this time the shot 

took effect; blowing out his brains。 John de Witt fell to 

rise no more。 



On this; every one of the miscreants; emboldened by his 

fall; wanted to fire his gun at him; or strike him with 

blows of the sledge…hammer; or stab him with a knife or 

swords; every one wanted to draw a drop of blood from the 

fallen hero; and tear off a shred from his garments。 



And after having mangled; and torn; and completely stripped 

the two brothers; the mob dragged their naked and bloody 

bodies to an extemporised gibbet; where amateur executioners 

hung them up by the feet。 



Then came the most dastardly scoundrels of all; who not 

having dared to strike the living flesh; cut the dead in 

pieces; and then went about the town selling small slices of 

the bodies of John and Cornelius at ten sous a piece。 



We cannot take upon ourselves to say whether; through the 

almost imperceptible chink of the shutter; the young man 

witnessed the conclusion of this shocking scene; but at the 

very moment when they were hanging the two martyrs on the 

gibbet he passed through the terrible mob; which was too 

much absorbed in the task; so grateful to its taste; to take 

any notice of him; and thus he reached unobserved the 

Tol…Hek; which was still closed。 



〃Ah! sir;〃 said the gatekeeper; 〃do you bring me the key?〃 



〃Yes; my man; here it is。〃 



〃It is most unfortunate that you did not bring me that key 

only one quarter of an hour sooner;〃 said the gatekeeper; 

with a sigh。 



〃And why that?〃 asked the other。 



〃Because I might have opened the gate to Mynheers de Witt; 

whereas; finding the gate locked; they were obliged to 

retrace their steps。〃 



〃Gate! gate!〃 cried a voice which seemed to be that of a man 

in a hurry。 



The Prince; turning round; observed Captain Van Deken。 



〃Is that you; Captain?〃 he said。 〃You are not yet out of the 

Hague? This is executing my orders very slowly。〃 



〃Monseigneur;〃 replied the Captain; 〃this is the third gate 

at which I have presented myself; the other two were 

closed。〃 



〃Well; this good man will open this one for you; do it; my 

friend。〃 



The last words were addressed to the gatekeeper; who stood 

quite thunderstruck on hearing Captain Van Deken addressing 

by the title of Monseigneur this pale young man; to whom he 

himself had spoken in such a familiar way。 



As it were to make up for his fault; he hastened to open the 

gate; which swung creaking on its hinges。 



〃Will Monseigneur avail himself of my horse?〃 asked the 

Captain。 



〃I thank you; Captain; I shall use my own steed; which is 

waiting for me close at hand。〃 



And taking from his pocket a golden whistle; such as was 

generally used at that time for summoning the servants; he 

sounded it with a shrill and prolonged call; on which an 

equerry on horseback speedily made his appearance; leading 

another horse by the bri

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