Chapter 10. The Jailer's Daughter
On the same evening Gryphus, as he brought the prisoner his mess,slipped on the damp flags whilst opening the door of the cell, and fell,in the attempt to steady himself, on his hand; but as it was turned thewrong way, he broke his arm just above the wrist.
Cornelius rushed forward towards the jailer, but Gryphus, who was notyet aware of the serious nature of his injury, called out to him,--
"It is nothing: don't you stir."
He then tried to support himself on his arm, but the bone gave way; thenonly he felt the pain, and uttered a cry.
When he became aware that his arm was broken, this man, so harsh toothers, fell swooning on the threshold, where he remained motionless andcold, as if dead.
During all this time the door of the cell stood open and Cornelius foundhimself almost free. But the thought never entered his mind of profitingby this accident; he had seen from the manner in which the arm was bent,and from the noise it made in bending, that the bone was fractured, andthat the patient must be in great pain; and now he thought of nothingelse but of administering relief to the sufferer, however littlebenevolent the man had shown himself during their short interview.
At the noise of Gryphus's fall, and at the cry which escaped him, ahasty step was heard on the staircase, and immediately after a lovelyapparition presented itself to the eyes of Cornelius.
It was the beautiful young Frisian, who, seeing her father stretched onthe ground, and the prisoner bending over him, uttered a faint cry, asin the first fright she thought Gryphus, whose brutality she well knew,had fallen in consequence of a struggle between him and the prisoner.
Cornelius understood what was passing in the mind of the girl, at thevery moment when the suspicion arose in her heart.
But one moment told her the true state of the case and, ashamed of herfirst thoughts, she cast her beautiful eyes, wet with tears, on theyoung man, and said to him,--
"I beg your pardon, and thank you, sir; the first for what I havethought, and the second for what you are doing."
Cornelius blushed, and said, "I am but doing my duty as a Christian inhelping my neighbour."
"Yes, and affording him your help this evening, you have forgotten theabuse which he heaped on you this morning. Oh, sir! this is more thanhumanity,--this is indeed Christian charity."
Cornelius cast his eyes on the beautiful girl, quite astonished to hearfrom the mouth of one so humble such a noble and feeling speech.
But he had no time to express his surprise. Gryphus recovered from hisswoon, opened his eyes, and as his brutality was returning with hissenses, he growled "That's it, a fellow is in a hurry to bring to aprisoner his supper, and falls and breaks his arm, and is left lying onthe ground."
"Hush, my father," said Rosa, "you are unjust to this gentleman, whom Ifound endeavouring to give you his aid."
"His aid?" Gryphus replied, with a doubtful air.
"It is quite true, master! I am quite ready to help you still more."
"You!" said Gryphus, "are you a medical man?"
"It was formerly my profession."
"And so you would be able to set my arm?"
"Perfectly."
"And what would you need to do it? let us hear."
"Two splinters of wood, and some linen for a bandage."
"Do you hear, Rosa?" said Gryphus, "the prisoner is going to set my arm,that's a saving; come, assist me to get up, I feel as heavy as lead."
Rosa lent the sufferer her shoulder; he put his unhurt arm around herneck, and making an effort, got on his legs, whilst Cornelius, to savehim a walk, pushed a chair towards him.
Gryphus sat down; then, turning towards his daughter, he said,--
"Well, didn't you hear? go and fetch what is wanted."
Rosa went down, and immediately after returned with two staves of asmall barrel and a large roll of linen bandage.
Cornelius had made use of the intervening moments to take off the man'scoat, and to tuck up his shirt sleeve.
"Is this what you require, sir?" asked Rosa.
"Yes, mademoiselle," answered Cornelius, looking at the things she hadbrought,--"yes, that's right. Now push this table, whilst I support thearm of your father."
Rosa pushed the table, Cornelius placed the broken arm on it so asto make it flat, and with perfect skill set the bone, adjusted thesplinters, and fastened the bandages.
At the last touch, the jailer fainted a second time.
"Go and fetch vinegar, mademoiselle," said Cornelius; "we will bathe histemples, and he will recover."
But, instead of acting up to the doctor's prescription, Rosa, afterhaving satisfied herself that her father was still unconscious,approached Cornelius and said,--
"Service for service, sir."
"What do you mean, my pretty child?" said Cornelius.
"I mean to say, sir, that the judge who is to examine you to-morrow hasinquired to-day for the room in which you are confined, and, on beingtold that you are occupying the cell of Mynheer Cornelius de Witt,laughed in a very strange and very disagreeable manner, which makes mefear that no good awaits you."
"But," asked Cornelius, "what harm can they do to me?"
"Look at that gibbet."
"But I am not guilty," said Cornelius.
"Were they guilty whom you see down there gibbeted, mangled, and torn topieces?"
"That's true," said Cornelius, gravely.
"And besides," continued Rosa, "the people want to find you guilty. Butwhether innocent or guilty, your trial begins to-morrow, and the dayafter you will be condemned. Matters are settled very quickly in thesetimes."
"Well, and what do you conclude from all this?"
"I conclude that I am alone, that I am weak, that my father is lying ina swoon, that the dog is muzzled, and that consequently there is nothingto prevent your making your escape. Fly, then; that's what I mean."
"What do you say?"
"I say that I was not able to save Mynheer Cornelius or Mynheer Johnde Witt, and that I should like to save you. Only be quick; there, myfather is regaining his breath, one minute more, and he will open hiseyes, and it will be too late. Do you hesitate?"
In fact, Cornelius stood immovable, looking at Rosa, yet looking at heras if he did not hear her.
"Don't you understand me?" said the young girl, with some impatience.
"Yes, I do," said Cornelius, "but----"
"But?"
"I will not, they would accuse you."
"Never mind," said Rosa, blushing, "never mind that."
"You are very good, my dear child," replied Cornelius, "but I stay."
"You stay, oh, sir! oh, sir! don't you understand that you will becondemned to death, executed on the scaffold, perhaps assassinatedand torn to pieces, just like Mynheer John and Mynheer Cornelius. Forheaven's sake, don't think of me, but fly from this place, Take care, itbears ill luck to the De Witts!"
"Halloa!" cried the jailer, recovering his senses, "who is talking ofthose rogues, those wretches, those villains, the De Witts?"
"Don't be angry, my good man," said Cornelius, with his good-temperedsmile, "the worst thing for a fracture is excitement, by which the bloodis heated."
Thereupon, he said in an undertone to Rosa--
"My child, I am innocent, and I shall await my trial with tranquillityand an easy mind."
"Hush," said Rosa.
"Why hush?"
"My father must not suppose that we have been talking to each other."
"What harm would that do?"
"What harm? He would never allow me to come here any more," said Rosa.
Cornelius received this innocent confidence with a smile; he felt as ifa ray of good fortune were shining on his path.
"Now, then, what are you chattering there together about?" said Gryphus,rising and supporting his right arm with his left.
"Nothing," said Rosa; "the doctor is explaining to me what diet you areto keep."
"Diet, diet for me? Well, my fi
ne girl, I shall put you on diet too."
"On what diet, my father?"
"Never to go to the cells of the prisoners, and, if ever you shouldhappen to go, to leave them as soon as possible. Come, off with me, leadthe way, and be quick."
Rosa and Cornelius exchanged glances.
That of Rosa tried to express,--
"There, you see?"
That of Cornelius said,--
"Let it be as the Lord wills."