d Elsa's heart with a
wild hope, for it was reported that Hendrik Brant had disappeared, and
was believed to have escaped from The Hague. Nothing more was heard of
him, however, which is scarcely strange, for the doomed man had
gone down the path of rich heretics into the silent vaults of the
Inquisition. The net had closed at last, and through the net fell the
sword.

But if Elsa thought seldom of Adrian, except in gusts of spasmodic
dislike, Adrian thought of Elsa, and little besides. So earnestly did
he lash his romantic temperament, and so deeply did her beauty and charm
appeal to him, that very soon he was truly in love with her. Nor did the
fact that, as he believed, she was, potentially, the greatest heiress
in the Netherlands, cool Adrian's amorous devotion. What could suit him
better in his condition, than to marry this rich and lovely lady?

So Adrian made up his mind that he would marry her, for, in his vanity,
it never occurred to him that she might object. Indeed, the only thought
that gave him trouble was the difficulty of reducing her wealth into
possession. Foy and Martin had buried it somewhere in the Haarlemer
Meer. But they said, for this he had ascertained by repeated inquiries,
although the information was given grudgingly enough, that the map of
the hiding-place had been destroyed in the explosion on the _Swallow_.
Adrian did not believe this story for a moment. He was convinced that
they were keeping the truth from him, and as the prospective master of
that treasure he resented this reticence bitterly. Still, it had to be
overcome, and so soon as he was engaged to Elsa he intended to speak
very clearly upon this point. Meanwhile, the first thing was to find a
suitable opportunity to make his declaration in due form, which done he
would be prepared to deal with Foy and Martin.

Towards evening it was Elsa's custom to walk abroad. As at that hour Foy
left the foundry, naturally he accompanied her in these walks, Martin
following at a little distance in case he should be wanted. Soon those
excursions became delightful to both of them. To Elsa, especially, it
was pleasant to escape from the hot house into the cool evening air,
and still more pleasant to exchange the laboured tendernesses and
highly coloured compliments of Adrian for the cheerful honesty of Foy's
conversation.

Foy admired his cousin as much as did his half-brother, but his attitude
towards her was very different. He never said swe