CHAPTER III
MONTALVO WINS A TRICK
Turning up the Bree Straat, then as now perhaps the finest in the townof Leyden, Montalvo halted his horse before a substantial house frontedwith three round-headed gables, of which the largest--that over theentrance in the middle--was shaped into two windows with balconies. Thiswas Lysbeth's house which had been left to her by her father, where,until such time as she should please to marry, she dwelt with her aunt,Clara van Ziel. The soldier whom he had summoned having run to thehorse's head, Montalvo leapt from his driver's seat to assist the ladyto alight. At the moment Lysbeth was occupied with wild ideas of swiftescape, but even if she could make up her mind to try it there was anobstacle which her thoughtful cavalier had foreseen.
"Jufvrouw van Hout," he said as he pulled up, "do you remember that youare still wearing skates?"
It was true, though in her agitation she had forgotten all about them,and the fact put sudden flight out of the question. She could notstruggle into her own house walking on the sides of her feet like thetame seal which old fisherman Hans had brought from northern seas. Itwould be too ridiculous, and the servants would certainly tell the storyall about the town. Better for a while longer to put up with the companyof this odious Spaniard than to become a laughing stock in an attempt tofly. Besides, even if she found herself on the other side of it, couldshe shut the door in his face? Would her promise let her, and would heconsent?
"Yes," she answered briefly, "I will call my servant."
Then for the first time the Count became complimentary in a dignifiedSpanish manner.
"Let no base-born menial hold the foot which it is an honour for anhidalgo of Spain to touch. I am your servant," he said, and resting oneknee on the snow-covered step he waited.
Again there was nothing to be done, so Lysbeth must needs thrust out herfoot from which very delicately and carefully he unstrapped the skate.
"What Jack can bear Jill must put up with," muttered Lysbeth to herselfas she advanced the other foot. Just at that moment, however, the doorbehind them began to open.
"She who buys," murmured Montalvo as he commenced on the second set ofstraps. Then the door swung wide, and the voice of Dirk van Goorl washeard saying in a tone of relief:
"Yes, sure enough it is she, Tante Clara, and some one is taking off herboots."
"Skates, Senor, skates," interrupted Montalvo, glancing backward overhis shoulder, then added in a whisper as he bent once more to his task,"ahem--_pays_. You will introduce me, is it not so? I think it will beless awkward for you."
So, as flight was impossible, for he held her by the foot, and aninstinct told her that, especially to the man she loved, the only thingto do was to make light of the affair, Lysbeth said--
"Dirk, Cousin Dirk, I think you know--this is--the Honourable Captainthe Count Juan de Montalvo."
"Ah! it is the Senor van Goorl," said Montalvo, pulling off the skateand rising from his knee, which, from his excess of courtesy, was nowwet through. "Senor, allow me to return to you, safe and sound, the fairlady of whom I have robbed you for a while."
"For a while, captain," blurted Dirk; "why, from first to last, shehas been gone nearly four hours, and a fine state we have been in abouther."
"That will all be explained presently, Senor--at supper, to which theJufvrouw has been so courteous as to ask me," then, aside and below hisbreath, again the ominous word of reminder--"_pays_." "Most happily,your cousin's presence was the means of saving a fellow-creature's life.But, as I have said, the tale is long. Senor--permit," and in anothersecond Lysbeth found herself walking down her own hall upon the arm ofthe Spaniard, while Dirk, her aunt, and some guests followed obedientlybehind.
Now Montalvo knew that his difficulties were over for that evening atany rate, since he had crossed the threshold and was a guest.
Half unconsciously Lysbeth guided him to the balconied _sit-kamer_ onthe first floor, which in our day would answer to the drawing-room. Hereseveral other of her friends were gathered, for it had been arrangedthat the ice-festival should end with a supper as rich as the housecould give. To these, too, she must introduce her cavalier, who bowedcourteously to each in turn. Then she escaped, but, as she passed him,distinctly, she could swear, did she see his lips shape themselves tothe hateful word--"_pays_."
When she reached her chamber, so great was Lysbeth's wrath andindignation that almost she choked with it, till again reason came toher aid, and with reason a desire to carry the thing off as well asmight be. So she told her maid Greta to robe her in her best garment,and to hang about her neck the famous collar of pearls which her fatherhad brought from the East, that was the talk and envy of half the womenin Leyden. On her head, too, she placed the cap of lovely lace which hadbeen a wedding gift to her mother by her grandmother, the old dame whowove it. Then she added such golden ornaments as it was customary forwomen of her class of wear, and descended to the gathering room.
Meanwhile Montalvo had not been idle. Taking Dirk aside, and pleadinghis travel-worn condition, he had prayed him to lead him to some roomwhere he might order his dress and person. Dirk complied, though withan ill grace, but so pleasant did Montalvo make himself during those fewminutes, that before he ushered him back to the company in some way Dirkfound himself convinced that this particular Spaniard was not, as thesaying went, "as black as his mustachios." He felt almost sure too,although he had not yet found time to tell him the details of it, thatthere was some excellent reason to account for his having carried offthe adorable Lysbeth during an entire afternoon and evening.
It is true that there still remained the strange circumstance of theattempted foul of his cousin Van de Werff's sledge in the great race,but, after all, why should there not be some explanation of this also?It had happened, if it did happen, at quite a distance from the winningpost, when there were few people to see what passed. Indeed, now thathe came to think of it, the only real evidence on the matter was thatof his cousin, the little girl passenger, since Van de Werff himself hadbrought no actual accusation against his opponent.
Shortly after they returned to the company it was announced that supperhad been served, whereon ensued a pause. It was broken by Montalvo, who,stepping forward, offered his hand to Lysbeth, saying in a voice thatall could hear:
"Lady, my companion of the race, permit the humblest representative ofthe greatest monarch in the world to have an honour which doubtless thatmonarch would be glad to claim."
That settled the matter, for as the acting commandant of the Spanishgarrison of Leyden had chosen to refer to his official position, it wasimpossible to question his right of precedence over a number of folk,who, although prominent in their way, were but unennobled Netherlanderburghers.
Lysbeth, indeed, did find courage to point to a rather flurried andspasmodic lady with grey hair who was fanning herself as though theseason were July, and wondering whether the cook would come up to thegrand Spaniard's expectations, and to murmur "My aunt." But she got nofurther, for the Count instantly added in a low voice--
"Doubtless comes next in the direct line, but unless my education hasbeen neglected, the heiress of the house who is of age goes before thecollateral--however aged."
By this time they were through the door, so it was useless to argue thepoint further, and again Lysbeth felt herself overmatched and submitted.In another minute they had passed down the stairs, entered the dininghall, and were seated side by side at the head of the long table, ofwhich the foot was occupied presently by Dirk van Goorl and her aunt,who was also his cousin, the widow Clara van Ziel.
There was a silence while the domestics began their service, of whichMontalvo took opportunity to study the room, the table and the guests.It was a fine room panelled with German oak, and lighted sufficiently,if not brilliantly, by two hanging brass chandeliers of the famousFlemish workmanship, in each of which were fixed eighteen of the bestcandles, while on the sideboards were branch candlesticks, also ofworked brass. The light thus provided was supplemented by tha
t fromthe great fire of peat and old ships' timber which burned in awide blue-tiled fire-place, half way down the chamber, throwing itsreflections upon many a flagon and bowl of cunningly hammered silverthat adorned the table and the sideboards.
The company was of the same character as the furniture, handsome andsolid; people of means, every man and woman of them, accumulatedby themselves or their fathers, in the exercise of the honest andprofitable trade whereof at this time the Netherlands had a practicalmonopoly.
"I have made no mistake," thought Montalvo to himself, as he surveyedthe room and its occupants. "My little neighbour's necklace alone isworth more cash than ever I had the handling of, and the plate would addup handsomely. Well, before very long I hope to be in a position to makeits inventory." Then, having first crossed himself devoutly, he fell toupon a supper that was well worth his attention, even in a land notedfor the luxury of its food and wines and the superb appetites of thosewho consumed them.
It must not be supposed, however, that the gallant captain allowedeating to strangle conversation. On the contrary, finding that hishostess was in no talkative mood, he addressed himself to his fellowguests, chatting with them pleasantly upon every convenient subject.Among these guests was none other than Pieter van de Werff, hisconqueror in that afternoon's conquest, upon whose watchful andsuspicious reserve he brought all his batteries to bear.
First he congratulated Pieter and lamented his own ill-luck, and thiswith great earnestness, for as a matter of fact he had lost much moremoney on the event than he could afford to pay. Then he praised thegrey horse and asked if he was for sale, offering his own black in partexchange.
"A good nag," he said, "but one that I do not wish to conceal has hisfaults, which must be taken into consideration if it comes to the pointof putting a price upon him. For instance, Mynheer van de Werff, you mayhave noticed the dreadful position in which the brute put me towards theend of the race. There are certain things that this horse always shiesat, and one of them is a red cloak. Now I don't know if you saw thata girl in a red cloak suddenly appeared on the bank. In an instant thebeast was round and you may imagine what my feelings were, being incharge of your fair kinswoman, for I thought to a certainty that weshould be over. What is more, it quite spoilt my chance of the race,for after he has shied like that, the black turns sulky, and won't lethimself go."
When Lysbeth heard this amazing explanation, remembering the facts, shegasped. And yet now that she came to think of it, a girl in a red cloakdid appear near them at the moment, and the horse _did_ whip round asthough it had shied violently. Was it possible, she wondered, that thecaptain had not really intended to foul the Badger sledge?
Meanwhile Van de Werff was answering in his slow voice. Apparently heaccepted Montalvo's explanation; at least he said that he, too, sawthe red-cloaked girl, and was glad that nothing serious had come of themischance. As regarded the proposed deal, he should be most happy togo into it upon the lines mentioned, as the grey, although a very goodhorse, was aged, and he thought the barb one of the most beautifulanimals that he had ever seen. At this point, as he had not theslightest intention of parting with his valuable charger, at any rate onsuch terms, Montalvo changed the subject.
At length, when men, and, for the matter of that, women, too, had welleaten, and the beautiful tall Flemish glasses not for the first timewere replenished with the best Rhenish or Spanish wines, Montalvo,taking advantage of a pause in the conversation, rose and said that hewished to claim the privilege of a stranger among them and propose atoast, namely, the health of his late adversary, Pieter van de Werff.
At this the audience applauded, for they were all very proud of theyoung man's success, and some of them had won money over him. Stillmore did they applaud, being great judges of culinary matters, whenthe Spaniard began his speech by an elegant tribute to the surpassingexcellence of the supper. Rarely, he assured them, and especially did heassure the honourable widow Van Ziel (who blushed all over with pleasureat his compliments, and fanned herself with such vigour that she upsetDirk's wine over his new tunic, cut in the Brussels style), the fame ofwhose skill in such matters had travelled so far as The Hague, for hehad heard of it there himself--rarely even in the Courts of Kings andEmperors, or at the tables of Popes and Archbishops, had he eaten foodso exquisitely cooked, or drunk wines of a better vintage.
Then, passing on to the subject of his speech, Van de Werff, he toastedhim and his horse and his little sister and his sledge, in reallywell-chosen and appropriate terms, not by any means overdoing it, forhe confessed frankly that his defeat was a bitter disappointment to him,especially as every solder in the camp had expected him to winand--he was afraid--backed him for more than they could afford. Also,incidentally, so that every one might be well acquainted with it, heretold the story of the girl with the red cloak. Next, suddenly droppinghis voice and adopting a quieter manner, he addressed himself to theAunt Clara and the "well-beloved Heer Dirk," saying that he owed themboth an apology, which he must take this opportunity to make, forhaving detained the lady at his right during so unreasonable a time thatafternoon. When, however, they had heard the facts they would, he wassure, blame him no longer, especially if he told them that this breachof good manners had been the means of saving a human life.
Immediately after the race, he explained, one of his sergeants had foundhim out to tell him that a woman, suspected of certain crimes againstlife and property and believed to be a notorious escaped witch orheretic, had been captured, asking for reasons which he need not troublethem with, that he would deal with the case at once. This woman also,so said the man, had been heard that every afternoon to make use of themost horrible, the most traitorous and blaspheming language to a ladyof Leyden, the Jufvrouw Lysbeth van Hout, indeed; as was deposed by acertain spy named Black Meg, who had overheard the conversation.
Now, went on Montalvo, as he knew well, every man and woman in that roomwould share his horror of traitorous and blasphemous heretics--here mostof the company crossed themselves, especially those who were alreadysecret adherents of the New Religion. Still, even heretics had a rightto a fair trial; at least he, who although a soldier by profession, wasa man who honestly detested unnecessary bloodshed, held that opinion.Also long experience taught him great mistrust of the evidence ofinformers, who had a money interest in the conviction of the accused.Lastly, it did not seem well to him that the name of a young and noblelady should be mixed up in such a business. As they knew under therecent edicts, his powers in these cases were absolute; indeed, in hisofficial capacity he was ordered at once to consign any suspected ofAnabaptism or other forms of heresy to be dealt with by the appointedcourts, and in the case of people who had escaped, to cause them, onsatisfactory proof of their identity, to be executed instantly withoutfurther trial. Under these circumstances, fearing that did the lady knewhis purpose she might take fright, he had, he confessed, resorted toartifice, as he was very anxious both for her sake and in the interestof justice that she should bear testimony in the matter. So he askedher to accompany him on a short drive while he attended to a businessaffair; a request to which she had graciously assented.
"Friends," he went on in a still more solemn voice, "the rest of mystory is short. Indeed I do congratulate myself on the decision thatI took, for when confronted with the prisoner our young and honourablehostess was able upon oath to refute the story of the spy with theresult that I in my turn was to save an unfortunate, and, as I believe,a half-crazed creature from an immediate and a cruel death. Is it notso, lady?" and helpless in the net of circumstance, not knowing indeedwhat else to do, Lysbeth bowed her head in assent.
"I think," concluded Montalvo, "that after this explanation, what mayhave appeared to be a breach of manners will be forgiven. I have onlyone other word to add. My position is peculiar; I am an official here,and I speak boldly among friends taking the risk that any of you presentwill use what I say against me, which for my part I do not believe.Although there is no better Catholic and no truer Spaniard in theN
etherlands, I have been accused of showing too great a sympathy withyour people, and of dealing too leniently with those who have incurredthe displeasure of our Holy Church. In the cause of right and justice Iam willing to bear such aspersions; still this is a slanderous world, aworld in which truth does not always prevail. Therefore, although I havetold you nothing but the bare facts, I do suggest in the interests ofyour hostess--in my own humble interest who might be misrepresented, andI may add in the interest of every one present at this board--that itwill perhaps be well that the details of the story which I have had thehonour of telling you should not be spread about--that they should infact find a grave within these walls? Friends, do you agree?"
Then moved by a common impulse, and by a common if a secret fear, withthe single exception of Lysbeth, every person present, yes, even thecautious and far-seeing young Van de Werff, echoed "We agree."
"Friends," said Montalvo, "those simple words carry to my mindconviction deep as any vow however solemn; deep, if that were possible,as did the oath of your hostess, upon the faith of which I felt myselfjustified in acquitting the poor creature who was alleged to be anescaped heretic." Then with a courteous and all-embracing bow Montalvosat down.
"What a good man! What a delightful man!" murmured Aunt Clara to Dirk inthe buzz of conversation which ensued.
"Yes, yes, cousin, but----"
"And what discrimination he has, what taste! Did you notice what he saidabout the cooking?"
"I heard something, but----"
"It is true that folk have told me that my capon stewed in milk, suchas we had to-night--Why, lad, what is the matter with your doublet? Youfidget me by continually rubbing at it."
"You have upset the red wine over it, that is all," answered Dirk,sulkily. "It is spoiled."
"And little loss either; to tell you the truth, Dirk, I never saw a coatworse cut. You young men should learn in the matter of clothes fromthe Spanish gentlemen. Look at his Excellency, the Count Montalvo, forinstance----"
"See here, aunt," broke in Dirk with suppressed fury, "I think I haveheard enough about Spaniards and the Captain Montalvo for one night.First of all he spirits off Lysbeth and is absent with her for fourhours; then he invites himself to supper and places himself at the headof the table with her, setting me down to the dullest meal I ever ate atthe other end----"
"Cousin Dirk," said Aunt Clara with dignity, "your temper has got thebetter of your manners. Certainly you might learn courtesy as well asdress, even from so humble a person as a Spanish hidalgo and commander."Then she rose from the table, adding--"Come, Lysbeth, if you are ready,let us leave these gentlemen to their wine."
After the ladies had gone the supper went on merrily. In those days,nearly everybody drank too much liquor, at any rate at feasts, and thiscompany was no exception. Even Montalvo, his game being won and thestrain on his nerves relaxed, partook pretty freely, and began to talkin proportion to his potations. Still, so clever was the man that in hiscups he yet showed a method, for his conversation revealed a sympathywith Netherlander grievances and a tolerance of view in religiousmatters rarely displayed by a Spaniard.
From such questions they drifted into a military discussion, andMontalvo, challenged by Van de Werff, who, as it happened, had notdrunk too much wine, explained how, were he officer in command, he woulddefend Leyden from attack by an overwhelming force. Very soon Van deWerff saw that he was a capable soldier who had studied his profession,and being himself a capable civilian with a thirst for knowledge pressedthe argument from point to point.
"And suppose," he asked at length, "that the city were starving andstill untaken, so that its inhabitants must either fall into the handsof the enemy or burn the place over their heads, what would you dothen?"
"Then, Mynheer, if I were a small man I should yield to the clamour ofthe starving folk and surrender----"
"And if you were a big man, captain?"
"If I were a big man--ah! if I were a big man, why then--I should cutthe dykes and let the sea beat once more against the walls of Leyden. Anarmy cannot live in salt water, Mynheer."
"That would drown out the farmers and ruin the land for twenty years."
"Quite so, Mynheer, but when the corn has to be saved, who thinks ofspoiling the straw?"
"I follow you, Senor, your proverb is good, although I have never heardit."
"Many good things come from Spain, Mynheer, including this red wine. Onemore glass with you, for, if you will allow me to say it, you are a manworth meeting over a beaker--or a blade."
"I hope that you will always retain the same opinion of me," answeredVan de Werff as he drank, "at the trencher or in the trenches."
Then Pieter went home, and before he slept that night made careful notesof all the Spaniard's suggested military dispositions, both of attackersand attacked, writing underneath them the proverb about the corn and thestraw. There existed no real reason why he should have done so, as hewas only a civilian engaged in business, but Pieter van de Werff chancedto be a provident young man who knew many things might happen whichcould not precisely be foreseen. As it fell out in after years, a timecame when he was able to put Montalvo's advice to good use. All readersof the history of the Netherlands know how the Burgomaster Pieter van deWerff saved Leyden from the Spanish.
As for Dirk van Goorl, he sought his lodging rather tipsy, andarm-in-arm with none other than Captain the Count Don Juan de Montalvo.