y have
decided in favour of the latter supposition, on account of the great
care which the mysterious person evidently took to hide himself.

He was plainly dressed, and apparently unarmed; his arm was lean but
wiry, and his hands dry, but of an aristocratic whiteness and delicacy,
and he leaned on the shoulder of an officer, who, with his hand on his
sword, had watched the scenes in the Buytenhof with eager curiosity,
very natural in a military man, until his companion drew him away with
him.

On arriving at the square of the Hoogstraet, the man with the sallow
face pushed the other behind an open shutter, from which corner he
himself began to survey the balcony of the Town-hall.

At the savage yells of the mob, the window of the Town-hall opened, and
a man came forth to address the people.

"Who is that on the balcony?" asked the young man, glancing at the
orator.

"It is the Deputy Bowelt," replied the officer.

"What sort of a man is he? Do you know anything of him?"

"An honest man; at least I believe so, Monseigneur."

Hearing this character given of Bowelt, the young man showed signs
of such a strange disappointment and evident dissatisfaction that the
officer could not but remark it, and therefore added,--

"At least people say so, Monseigneur. I cannot say anything about it
myself, as I have no personal acquaintance with Mynheer Bowelt."

"An honest man," repeated he who was addressed as Monseigneur; "do
you mean to say that he is an honest man (brave homme), or a brave one
(homme brave)?"

"Ah, Monseigneur must excuse me; I would not presume to draw such a fine
distinction in the case of a man whom, I assure your Highness once more,
I know only by sight."

"If this Bowelt is an honest man," his Highness continued, "he will give
to the demand of these furibund petitioners a very queer reception."

The nervous quiver of his hand, which moved on the shoulder of his
companion as the fingers of a player on the keys of a harpsichord,
betrayed his burning impatience, so ill concealed at certain times, and
particularly at that moment, under the icy and sombre expression of his
face.

The chief of the deputation of the burghers was then heard addressing
an interpellation to Mynheer Bowelt, whom he requested to let them know
where the other deputies, his colleagues, were.

"Gentlemen," Bowelt repeated for the second time, "I assure you that in
this moment I am here alone with Mynheer d'Asperen, and I