CHAPTER XXV
AN ARRANT KNAVE
In the street below, not far from the house which he had just quitted,Stoutenburg came on Nicolaes and Jan ensconced in the dark against awall. Beresteyn quickly explained to his friend the reason of hispresence here.
"I came with Jan," he said, "because I wished to speak with you withoutdelay."
"Come as far as the cathedral then," said Stoutenburg curtly. "I feelthat in this vervloekte street the walls and windows are full of earsand prying eyes. Jan," he added, turning to the other man, "you mustremain here and on no account lose sight of that rascal when he leavesthis house. Follow him in and out of Haarlem, and if you do not see meagain to-night, join me at Ryswyk as soon as you can, and come thereprepared with full knowledge of his plans."
Leaving Jan in observation the two men made their way now in thedirection of the Groote Markt. It was still very cold, even though therewas a slight suspicion in the air of a coming change in the weather: ascent as of the south wind blowing from over the estuaries, while thesnow beneath the feet had lost something of its crispness and purity.The thaw had not yet set in, but it was coquetting with the frost,challenging it to a passage of arms, wherein either combatant mightcompletely succumb.
As Stoutenburg had surmised the porch of the cathedral was lonely anddeserted, even the beggars had all gone home for the night. A tiny lampfixed into the panelling of the wall flickered dimly in the draught.Stoutenburg sat down on the wooden bench--dark and polished with age,which ran alongside one of the walls, and with a brusque and febrilegesture drew his friend down beside him.
"Well?" he asked in that nervous, jerky way of his, "What is it?"
"Something that wilt horrify you, just as it did me," replied Beresteyn,who spoke breathlessly as if under stress of grave excitement. "When Iparted from you awhile ago, I did what you asked me to do. I posted Janoutside the door of the tapperij after I had pointed out our rogue tohim through the glass door. Imagine my astonishment when I saw that atthat moment our rascal was in close conversation with my father."
"With your father?"
"With my father," reiterated Beresteyn. "That fool, Hals, was with him,and there were another half dozen busy-bodies sitting round the table.Our man was evidently the centre of interest; I could not then hear whatwas said, but at one moment I saw that my father shook him cordially bythe hand."
"Vervloekte Keerl!" exclaimed Stoutenburg.
"I didn't know at first what to do. I didn't want to go into thetapperij and to show myself just then, but at all costs I wished to knowwhat my father and that arrant rascal had to say to one another. So,bidding Jan on no account to lose sight of the man, I made my way roundto the service door behind the bar, and there bribed one of the wenchesto let me stand under the lintel and to remain on the watch. It wasquite dark where I stood and I had a good view of the tapperij withoutfear of being seen, and as my father and that cursed adventurer werespeaking loudly enough I could hear all that they said."
"Well?" queried Stoutenburg impatiently.
"Well, my friend," quoth Beresteyn with slow emphasis, "that vervloektescoundrel was making a promise to my father to bring Gilda safely backto Haarlem, and my father was promising him a fortune as his reward."
"I am not surprised," remarked Stoutenburg calmly.
"But...."
"That man, my friend, is the most astute blackguard I have ever comeacross in the whole course of my life. His English blood I imagine hathmade him into a thorough-going rogue. He has played you false--alwaysdid mean to play you false if it suited his purpose! By God, Nicolaes!what fools we were to trust one of these foreign adventurers. They'll doanything for money, and this man instead of being--as we thought--anexception to the rule, is a worse scoundrel than any of his compeers. Hehas simply taken Gilda a little way out of Haarlem, and then came backhere to see what bargain he could strike with your father for herreturn."
"Gilda is some way out of Haarlem," rejoined Beresteyn thoughtfully."Jan and I heard that knave talking to his friend Hals later on. Halswas asking him to sup and sleep at his house. But he declined theproffered bed, though he accepted the supper: 'I have a journey beforeme this night,' he said, 'and must leave the city at moonrise.' Itseemed to me that he meant to travel far."
"She may be still at Bennebrock, or mayhap at Leyden--he could not havetaken her further than that in the time. Anyhow it would be quite easyfor him to go back to her during the night, and bring her into Haarlemto-morrow. Friend!" he added earnestly, "the situation isintolerable--unthinkable! After all that we have done, the risks whichwe have taken, Gilda's return now--a certain denunciation from her--andfailure and death once more stare us in the face, and this time moreinsistently."
"It is unthinkable, as you say," cried Beresteyn vehemently, "but thesituation is not so hopeless as you seem to think. I can go at once tomy father and denounce the rogue to him. I can tell him that I havereason to believe that the man to whom he has just promised a fortunefor the return of Gilda is the very man who hath abducted her."
"Impossible," said Stoutenburg calmly.
"Why?"
"Your father would have the man arrested, he would be searched, andpapers and letters writ by you to Ben Isaje of Rotterdam will be foundin his possession. These papers would proclaim you the prime mover inthe outrage against your sister."
"True! I had not thought of that. But, instead of going to my father, Icould denounce the rascal to the city magistrate on suspicion of havingabducted my sister. Van der Meer would give me the command of the townguard sent out to arrest him, I could search him myself and takepossession of all his papers ere I bring him before the magistrate."
"Bah! the magistracy of Haarlem moves with ponderous slowness. Whilethat oaf, Van der Meer, makes preparations for sending out the townguard, our rogue will slip through our fingers, and mayhap be back inHaarlem with Gilda ere we find him again."
"Let me have Jan and one or two of Heemskerk's mercenaries," urgedBeresteyn, "we could seize him and his papers to-night as soon as heleaves the city gates."
"Then, out of revenge," said Stoutenburg, "he will refuse to tell uswhat he hath done with Gilda."
"Bah!" retorted Beresteyn cynically, "here in Haarlem we can alwaysapply torture."
"Then, if he speaks, Gilda can be back here in time to denounce us all.No, no, my friend," continued Stoutenburg firmly, "let us own at oncethat by trusting that scoundrel we have run our heads into a noose outof which only our wits can extricate us. We must meet cunning withcunning, treachery if need be with treachery. Gilda--of course--mustnot remain at the mercy of brigands, but she must not be given herfreedom to do us the harm which she hath already threatened. Rememberthis, Nicolaes," he added, placing his hand upon his friend's shoulderand forcing him to look straight into his own feverishly glowing eyes,"remember that, when all these troubles are over, Gilda will become mywife. The devotion of my entire life shall then compensate her for theslight wrong which fate compels us to do her at this moment. Will youremember that, my friend?"
"I do remember it," replied the other, "but...."
"And will you try and trust me as you would yourself?"
"I do trust you, Willem, as I would trust myself; only tell me what youwant to do."
"I want to bring that knave to the gallows without compromising you andthe success of our cause," said Stoutenburg firmly.
"But how can you do it?"
"That I do not know yet; I have only vague thoughts in my mind. Buthate, remember, is a hard and very efficient task-master, and I hatethat man, Nicolaes, almost as much as I hate the Prince of Orange. But'tis the Prince's death which I want first; because of this my hatred ofthe rascal must lie dormant just a few days. But it shall lose nothingby waiting, and already I see before me visions of an exemplary revengewhich shall satisfy you and gratify my hate."
"Can I help you in any way?"
"Not at present; I have no definite plans just now. All I know is thatwe must possess ourselves of th
e rascal's person as well as of Gildawithout the risk of compromising ourselves. In this, of course, we havenow Jan's valuable help; he is a splendid leader and entirelytrustworthy where the cause of his own hatred against the Prince isserved."
"And, of course, you have the thirty or forty men--mercenaries andlouts--whom Heemskerk, van Does and the others have been recruiting foryou."
"Exactly. I can easily detail half a dozen of them to follow Jan. Thatis our first move, my good Beresteyn," he added emphatically, "to gainpossession of Gilda, and to capture the rascal. Only tell me this, whatare the papers now in that knave's possession which might compromise youif they were found?"
"I had to write a letter to Ben Isaje, telling him to convince himselfthat Gilda was safe and in good health, ere he paid the rascal a sum of3,000 guilders. This letter is writ in mine own hand and signed with myname. Then there is a formal order to Ben Isaje to pay over the money,but that was writ in the usual way by the public scrivener and is signedwith the cypher which I always use in all monetary transactions with theJew. He keeps these formal documents in his archives and all his clientsuse a cypher in the same way."
"How is that formal order worded?"
"As far as I remember it runs thus: 'In consideration of valuableservices rendered to me by the bearer of this note, I desire you to payhim the sum of 3,000 guilders out of my monies which lie with you atinterest.' The cypher signature consists of the words 'Schwarzer Kato'surmounted by a triangle."
"And is that cypher known to anyone save to Ben Isaje?"
"Alas! it is known to my father. We both use it for private businesstransactions."
"But to Gilda?" insisted Stoutenburg. "Would Gilda know it if she sawit?"
"She could not be certain of it ... though, of course, she might guess.'Schwarzer Kato' is the name of a tulip raised by my father, and thetriangle is a sign used sometimes by our house in business. But it wouldbe mere conjecture on her part."
"Then everything will still be for the best, never fear, my goodBeresteyn," exclaimed Stoutenburg, whose hard, cruel face was glowingwith excitement. "Chance indeed has been on our side throughout thisbusiness. An you will trust me to finish it now; you'll have no causefor anxiety or regrets. Come! let us find Jan at once! I have a feworders to give him, and then mean to be on my way to Ryswyk to-night."
He rose to his feet and now the glitter in his hollow eyes appearedalmost inhuman. He was a man whose whole soul fed upon hatred, uponvengeance planned and accomplished, upon desire for supreme power; andat this moment his scheme for murdering the Stadtholder was backed byone for obtaining possession of the woman he loved, and being revengedon the man who had insulted and jeered at him.
Beresteyn, always ready to accept the leadership of his friend, followedhim in silence down the street. After awhile they once more came uponJan, who apparently had never moved all this while from his post ofobservation.
"Well?" asked Stoutenburg in a scarce audible whisper, "has he not goneyet?"
"Not yet," replied Jan.
Stoutenburg cast a quick, almost furtive glance in the direction of thehouse where he had experienced such dire humiliation a brief half hourago. A curious whistling sound escaped through his clenched teeth, asound such as many a wild beast makes when expectant of prey. Then hedrew Jan further away from the house, fearful lest his words were waftedtoward it on the wind.
"Keep him in sight, Jan," he commanded, "until he goes to the house ofMynheer Hals in the Peuselaarsteg, whither he means to go for supper.There you may safely leave him for an hour, and go directly to thehouse of my Lord of Heemskerk whom you know. Ask him for half a dozen ofhis foreign mercenaries; tell him they are for my immediate service.These men will then help you to keep our knave in sight. He will leaveHaarlem at moonrise, and you must never lose his track for a moment.Presently he should be escorting a lady in the direction of Rotterdam.If he does this--if he travel south toward that city, do not molest him,only keep him in sight, and the moment he arrives at Rotterdam come andreport to me at Ryswyk. But," he added more emphatically, "if at anytime it appears to you that he is turning back with the lady towardHaarlem come upon him at once with your men and seize him together withany companions he may have with him. You understand?"
"Perfectly, my lord. While he travels southwards with the lady, we areonly to keep him in sight; when he and the lady arrive at Rotterdam wemust report to you at Ryswyk, but the moment he turns back towardHaarlem we are to fall on him and seize him and his companions."
"The lady you will treat with the utmost respect," resumed Stoutenburgwith an approving nod, "the rascal and his companions you may mishandleas much as you like, without, however, doing them mortal injury. But,having taken the whole party prisoner, you will forthwith convey them tothe molens at Ryswyk, where you will find me. Now is all that clear?"
"Nothing could be clearer, my lord," repeated Jan firmly. "We follow himwhile he travels south, but seize him with his company and the lady ifhe turn back toward Haarlem. Nothing could be easier."
"You will not let him slip through your fingers, Jan?" said Stoutenburgearnestly.
Jan laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
"You said that this work would help to forward our cause," he saidsimply. "I ask no questions. I believe you and obey."
"That's brave! And you will take great care of the lady, when she fallsinto your hands?"
"I understand that she is my lord's future lady," rejoined Jan, with thesame calm simplicity which makes the perfect soldier and the perfectservant, and which promised obedience without murmur and withoutquestion.
"Yes, Jan. The lady is my future wife," said Stoutenburg. "Treat her assuch. As for the man ... I want him alive ... do not kill him, Jan, evenif he provoke you. And he will do that by his insolence, I know."
"My lord shall have his enemy alive," said Jan, "a helplessprisoner ... but alive."
"Then good luck to you, Jan," concluded Stoutenburg with a sigh ofsatisfaction. "I am well pleased with you. In the near future I shall behappy to remember that the high offices of State and those around myperson must be filled by those who have well deserved of them."
He put out his thin, nervy hand and Jan fell on one knee in order tokiss it with fervour and respect. The son of John of Barneveld couldstill count on the loyalty of a few who believed in him, and who lookedon his crimes as a necessary means to a glorious end.
A few moments later Beresteyn and Stoutenburg had disappeared in thedarkness of the narrow street, and Jan remained alone at his post ofobservation.