ate, his sons would never have dreamed of parleying with the knaves,
and if--which God forbid!--one of them had dared then to lay hands on
any member of the High Advocate's family, hanging would certainly have
been the inevitable punishment of such insolence.

Something of that old haughtiness and pride of caste crept into the
attitude of the Lord of Stoutenburg now, and prudence also suggested
that he should feign to ignore the rough usage which he had received at
the hands of this contemptible rascal. Though he was by no means
unarmed--for he never went abroad these days without a poniard in his
belt--he had, of a truth, no mind to engage in a brawl with this young
Hercules whose profession was that of arms and who might consequently
get easily the better of him.

He made every effort therefore to remain calm and to look as dignified
as his disordered toilet would allow.

"You heard what I said to this girl?" he queried, speaking carelessly.

"You screamed loudly enough," replied Diogenes lightly. "I heard you
through the closed door. I confess that I listened for quite a long
while: your conversation greatly interested me. I only interfered when I
thought it necessary."

"So then I need not repeat what I said," quoth the other lightly.
"Hanging for you, my man, unless you tell me where you have hidden
Jongejuffrouw Beresteyn."

"I? What have I to do with that noble lady, pray?"

"It is futile to bandy words with me. I know every circumstance of the
disappearance of the lady, and could denounce you to the authorities
within half an hour, and see you hanged for the outrage before sunrise."

"Then I do wonder," said Diogenes suavely, "that your Magnificence doth
not do this, for of a truth you must hate me fairly thoroughly by now."

"Hate you, man? I'd gladly see you hang, or better still broken on the
wheel. But I must know from you first where you have hidden the
jongejuffrouw."

"If I am to hang anyway, sir, why should I trouble to tell you?"

"The lady is my affianced wife," said Stoutenburg haughtily, "I have
every right to demand an explanation from you, why you are here when by
the terms of your contract with my friend Nicolaes Beresteyn you should
at this moment be on your way to Rotterdam, escorting the jongejuffrouw
to the house of Ben Isaje, the banker.... You see that I am well
informed," he added impatiently, seeing that Diogenes had become
suddenly silent, and that a curious shadow had spread