umfounded at the
imputation.

"Now don't look astonished, if you please."

"I vow to you, Master van Spennen," Cornelius replied, "that I am
completely at a loss to understand what you want."

"Then I shall put you in the way, Doctor," said the judge; "give up to
us the papers which the traitor Cornelius de Witt deposited with you in
the month of January last."

A sudden light came into the mind of Cornelius.

"Halloa!" said Van Spennen, "you begin now to remember, don't you?"

"Indeed I do, but you spoke of seditious papers, and I have none of that
sort."

"You deny it then?"

"Certainly I do."

The magistrate turned round and took a rapid survey of the whole
cabinet.

"Where is the apartment you call your dry-room?" he asked.

"The very same where you now are, Master van Spennen."

The magistrate cast a glance at a small note at the top of his papers.

"All right," he said, like a man who is sure of his ground.

Then, turning round towards Cornelius, he continued, "Will you give up
those papers to me?"

"But I cannot, Master van Spennen; those papers do not belong to me;
they have been deposited with me as a trust, and a trust is sacred."

"Dr. Cornelius," said the judge, "in the name of the States, I order you
to open this drawer, and to give up to me the papers which it contains."

Saying this, the judge pointed with his finger to the third drawer of
the press, near the fireplace.

In this very drawer, indeed the papers deposited by the Warden of the
Dikes with his godson were lying; a proof that the police had received
very exact information.

"Ah! you will not," said Van Spennen, when he saw Cornelius standing
immovable and bewildered, "then I shall open the drawer myself."

And, pulling out the drawer to its full length, the magistrate at first
alighted on about twenty bulbs, carefully arranged and ticketed, and
then on the paper parcel, which had remained in exactly the same state
as it was when delivered by the unfortunate Cornelius de Witt to his
godson.

The magistrate broke the seals, tore off the envelope, cast an eager
glance on the first leaves which met his eye and then exclaimed, in a
terrible voice,--

"Well, justice has been rightly informed after all!"

"How," said Cornelius, "how is this?"

"Don't pretend to be ignorant, Mynheer van Baerle," answered the
magistrate. "Follow me."

"How's that! follow you?" cried the Doctor.

"Yes, sir, for in the name of the States