much absorbed in the task, so grateful to its taste,
to take any notice of him, and thus he reached unobserved the Tol-Hek,
which was still closed.

"Ah! sir," said the gatekeeper, "do you bring me the key?"

"Yes, my man, here it is."

"It is most unfortunate that you did not bring me that key only one
quarter of an hour sooner," said the gatekeeper, with a sigh.

"And why that?" asked the other.

"Because I might have opened the gate to Mynheers de Witt; whereas,
finding the gate locked, they were obliged to retrace their steps."

"Gate! gate!" cried a voice which seemed to be that of a man in a hurry.

The Prince, turning round, observed Captain Van Deken.

"Is that you, Captain?" he said. "You are not yet out of the Hague? This
is executing my orders very slowly."

"Monseigneur," replied the Captain, "this is the third gate at which I
have presented myself; the other two were closed."

"Well, this good man will open this one for you; do it, my friend."

The last words were addressed to the gatekeeper, who stood quite
thunderstruck on hearing Captain Van Deken addressing by the title of
Monseigneur this pale young man, to whom he himself had spoken in such a
familiar way.

As it were to make up for his fault, he hastened to open the gate, which
swung creaking on its hinges.

"Will Monseigneur avail himself of my horse?" asked the Captain.

"I thank you, Captain, I shall use my own steed, which is waiting for me
close at hand."

And taking from his pocket a golden whistle, such as was generally used
at that time for summoning the servants, he sounded it with a shrill
and prolonged call, on which an equerry on horseback speedily made his
appearance, leading another horse by the bridle.

William, without touching the stirrup, vaulted into the saddle of the
led horse, and, setting his spurs into its flanks, started off for the
Leyden road. Having reached it, he turned round and beckoned to the
Captain who was far behind, to ride by his side.

"Do you know," he then said, without stopping, "that those rascals have
killed John de Witt as well as his brother?"

"Alas! Monseigneur," the Captain answered sadly, "I should like it much
better if these two difficulties were still in your Highness's way of
becoming de facto Stadtholder of Holland."

"Certainly, it would have been better," said William, "if what did
happen had not happened. But it cannot be helped now, and we have had
nothing to do with it.