n her left shoulder. But let him not be
misled by look or dress unless she speaks the words.

"If he reaches England or Leyden safely with the stuff let him hide it
for the present, friend, till your heart tells you it is needed. I care
not where, nor do I wish to know, for if I knew, flesh and blood are
weak, and I might give up the secret when they stretch me on the rack.

"Already you have my will sent to you three months ago, and enclosed
in it a list of goods. Open it now and you will find that under it my
possessions pass to you and your heirs absolutely as my executors, for
such especial trusts and purposes as are set out therein. Elsa has
been ailing, and it is known that the leech has ordered her a change.
Therefore her journey to Leyden will excite no wonder, neither, or so I
hope, will even Ramiro guess that I should enclose a letter such as this
in so frail a casket. Still, there is danger, for spies are many, but
having no choice, and my need being urgent, I must take the risks. If
the paper is seized they cannot read it, for they will never make out
the cypher, since, even did they know of them, no copies of our books
can be found in Holland. Moreover, were this writing all plain Dutch
or Spanish, it tells nothing of the whereabouts of the treasure, of its
destination, or of the purpose to which it is dedicate. Lastly, should
any Spaniard chance to find that wealth, it will vanish, and, mayhap, he
with it."

"What can he mean by that?" interrupted Foy.

"I know not," answered Dirk. "My cousin Brant is not a person who speaks
at random, so perhaps we have misinterpreted the passage." Then he went
on reading:

"Now I have done with the pelf, which must take its chance. Only, I pray
you--I trust it to your honour and to your love of an old friend to bury
it, burn it, cast it to the four winds of heaven before you suffer a
Spaniard to touch a gem or a piece of gold.

"I send to you to-day Elsa, my only child. You will know my reason. She
will be safer with you in Leyden than here at The Hague, since if they
take me they might take her also. The priests and their tools do not
spare the young, especially if their rights stand between them and
money. Also she knows little of my desperate strait; she is ignorant
even of the contents of this letter, and I do not wish that she should
share these troubles. I am a doomed man, and she loves me, poor child.
One day she will hear that it is over, and that will