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presently come up。〃
〃The instructions of the Governor？〃
〃Listen to me； I'll try to tell you all in a few words。 The
Stadtholder has a country…house； one league distant from
Leyden； properly speaking a kind of large dairy； and my
aunt； who was his nurse； has the management of it。 As soon
as I received your letter； which； alas！ I could not read
myself； but which your housekeeper read to me； I hastened to
my aunt； there I remained until the Prince should come to
the dairy； and when he came； I asked him as a favour to
allow my father to exchange his post at the prison of the
Hague with the jailer of the fortress of Loewestein。 The
Prince could not have suspected my object； had he known it；
he would have refused my request； but as it is he granted
it。〃
〃And so you are here？〃
〃As you see。〃
〃And thus I shall see you every day？〃
〃As often as I can manage it。〃
〃Oh； Rosa； my beautiful Rosa； do you love me a little？〃
〃A little？〃 she said； 〃you make no great pretensions；
Mynheer Cornelius。〃
Cornelius tenderly stretched out his hands towards her； but
they were only able to touch each other with the tips of
their fingers through the wire grating。
〃Here is my father；〃 said she。
Rosa then abruptly drew back from the door； and ran to meet
old Gryphus； who made his appearance at the top of the
staircase。
Chapter 15
The Little Grated Window
Gryphus was followed by the mastiff。
The turnkey took the animal round the jail； so that； if
needs be； he might recognize the prisoners。
〃Father；〃 said Rosa； 〃here is the famous prison from which
Mynheer Grotius escaped。 You know Mynheer Grotius？〃
〃Oh； yes； that rogue Grotius； a friend of that villain
Barneveldt； whom I saw executed when I was a child。 Ah！ so
Grotius； and that's the chamber from which he escaped。 Well；
I'll answer for it that no one shall escape after him in my
time。〃
And thus opening the door； he began in the dark to talk to
the prisoner。
The dog； on his part； went up to the prisoner； and；
growling； smelled about his legs just as though to ask him
what right he had still to be alive； after having left the
prison in the company of the Recorder and the executioner。
But the fair Rosa called him to her side。
〃Well； my master；〃 said Gryphus； holding up his lantern to
throw a little light around； 〃you see in me your new jailer。
I am head turnkey； and have all the cells under my care。 I
am not vicious； but I'm not to be trifled with； as far as
discipline goes。〃
〃My good Master Gryphus； I know you perfectly well；〃 said
the prisoner； approaching within the circle of light cast
around by the lantern。
〃Halloa！ that's you； Mynheer van Baerle；〃 said Gryphus。
〃That's you； well； I declare； it's astonishing how people do
meet。〃
〃Oh； yes； and it's really a great pleasure to me； good
Master Gryphus； to see that your arm is doing well； as you
are able to hold your lantern with it。〃
Gryphus knitted his brow。 〃Now； that's just it；〃 he said；
〃people always make blunders in politics。 His Highness has
granted you your life； I'm sure I should never have done
so。〃
〃Don't say so；〃 replied Cornelius； 〃why not？〃
〃Because you are the very man to conspire again。 You learned
people have dealings with the devil。〃
〃Nonsense； Master Gryphus。 Are you dissatisfied with the
manner in which I have set your arm； or with the price that
I asked you？〃 said Cornelius； laughing。
〃On the contrary；〃 growled the jailer； 〃you have set it only
too well。 There is some witchcraft in this。 After six weeks；
I was able to use it as if nothing had happened； so much so；
that the doctor of the Buytenhof； who knows his trade well；
wanted to break it again； to set it in the regular way； and
promised me that I should have my blessed three months for
my money before I should be able to move it。〃
〃And you did not want that？〃
〃I said； 'Nay； as long as I can make the sign of the cross
with that arm' （Gryphus was a Roman Catholic）； 'I laugh at
the devil。'〃
〃But if you laugh at the devil； Master Gryphus； you ought
with so much more reason to laugh at learned people。〃
〃Ah； learned people； learned people！ Why； I would rather
have to guard ten soldiers than one scholar。 The soldiers
smoke； guzzle； and get drunk； they are gentle as lambs if
you only give them brandy or Moselle； but scholars； and
drink； smoke； and fuddle ah； yes； that's altogether
different。 They keep sober； spend nothing； and have their
heads always clear to make conspiracies。 But I tell you； at
the very outset； it won't be such an easy matter for you to
conspire。 First of all； you will have no books； no paper；
and no conjuring book。 It's books that helped Mynheer
Grotius to get off。〃
〃I assure you； Master Gryphus；〃 replied Van Baerle； 〃that if
I have entertained the idea of escaping； I most decidedly
have it no longer。〃
〃Well； well；〃 said Gryphus； 〃just look sharp： that's what I
shall do also。 But； for all that； I say his Highness has
made a great mistake。〃
〃Not to have cut off my head？ thank you； Master Gryphus。〃
〃Just so； look whether the Mynheer de Witt don't keep very
quiet now。〃
〃That's very shocking what you say now； Master Gryphus；〃
cried Van Baerle； turning away his head to conceal his
disgust。 〃You forget that one of those unfortunate gentlemen
was my friend； and the other my second father。〃
〃Yes； but I also remember that the one； as well as the
other； was a conspirator。 And； moreover； I am speaking from
Christian charity。〃
〃Oh； indeed！ explain that a little to me； my good Master
Gryphus。 I do not quite understand it。〃
〃Well； then； if you had remained on the block of Master
Harbruck 〃
〃What？〃
〃You would not suffer any longer； whereas； I will not
disguise it from you； I shall lead you a sad life of it。〃
〃Thank you for the promise； Master Gryphus。〃
And whilst the prisoner smiled ironically at the old jailer；
Rosa； from the outside； answered by a bright smile； which
carried sweet consolation to the heart of Van Baerle。
Gryphus stepped towards the window。
It was still light enough to see； although indistinctly；
through the gray haze of the evening； the vast expanse of
the horizon。
〃What view has one from here？〃 asked Gryphus。
〃Why； a very fine and pleasant one；〃 said Cornelius； looking
at Rosa。
〃Yes； yes； too much of a view； too much。〃
And at this moment the two pigeons； scared by the sight and
especially by the voice of the stranger； left their nest；
and disappeared； quite frightened in the evening mist。
〃Halloa！ what's this？〃 cried Gryphus。
〃My pigeons；〃 answered Cornelius。
〃Your pigeons；〃 cried the jailer； 〃your pigeons！ has a
prisoner anything of his own？〃
〃Why； then；〃 said Cornelius； 〃the pigeons which a merciful
Father in Heaven has lent to me。〃
〃So； here we have a breach of the rules already；〃 replied
Gryphus。 〃Pigeons！ ah； young man； young man！ I'll tell you
one thing； that before to…morrow is over； your pigeons will
boil in my pot。〃
〃First of all you should catch them； Master Gryphus。 You
won't allow these pigeons to be mine！ Well； I vow they are
even less yours than mine。〃
〃Omittance is no acquittance；〃 growled the jailer； 〃and I
shall certainly wring their necks before twenty…four hours
are over： you may be sure of that。〃
Whilst giving utterance to this ill…natured promise； Gryphus
put his head out of the window to examine the nest。 This
gave Van Baerle time to run to the door； and squeeze the
hand of Rosa； who whispered to him；
〃At nine o'clock this evening。〃
Gryphus； quite taken up with the desire of catching the
pigeons next day； as he had promised he would do； saw and
heard nothing of this short interlude； and； after having
closed the window； he took the arm of his daughter； left the
cell； turned the key twice； drew the bolts； and went off to
make the same kind promise to the other prisoners。
He had scarcely withdrawn； when Cornelius went to the door
to listen to the sound of his footsteps； and； as soon as
they had died away； he ran to the window； and completely
demolished the nest of the pigeons。
Rather than expose them to the tender mercies of his
bullying jailer； he drove away for ever those gentle
messengers to whom he owed the happiness of having seen Rosa
again。
This visit of the jailer； his brutal threats； and the gloomy
prospect of the harshness with which； as he had before
experienced； Gryphus watched his prisoners； all this was
unable to extinguish in Cornelius the sweet thoughts； and
especially the sweet hope； which the prese