threatened. Remember
this, Nicolaes," he added, placing his hand upon his friend's shoulder
and forcing him to look straight into his own feverishly glowing eyes,
"remember that, when all these troubles are over, Gilda will become my
wife. The devotion of my entire life shall then compensate her for the
slight wrong which fate compels us to do her at this moment. Will you
remember that, my friend?"

"I do remember it," replied the other, "but...."

"And will you try and trust me as you would yourself?"

"I do trust you, Willem, as I would trust myself; only tell me what you
want to do."

"I want to bring that knave to the gallows without compromising you and
the success of our cause," said Stoutenburg firmly.

"But how can you do it?"

"That I do not know yet; I have only vague thoughts in my mind. But
hate, remember, is a hard and very efficient task-master, and I hate
that man, Nicolaes, almost as much as I hate the Prince of Orange. But
'tis the Prince's death which I want first; because of this my hatred of
the rascal must lie dormant just a few days. But it shall lose nothing
by waiting, and already I see before me visions of an exemplary revenge
which shall satisfy you and gratify my hate."

"Can I help you in any way?"

"Not at present; I have no definite plans just now. All I know is that
we must possess ourselves of the rascal's person as well as of Gilda
without the risk of compromising ourselves. In this, of course, we have
now Jan's valuable help; he is a splendid leader and entirely
trustworthy where the cause of his own hatred against the Prince is
served."

"And, of course, you have the thirty or forty men--mercenaries and
louts--whom Heemskerk, van Does and the others have been recruiting for
you."

"Exactly. I can easily detail half a dozen of them to follow Jan. That
is our first move, my good Beresteyn," he added emphatically, "to gain
possession of Gilda, and to capture the rascal. Only tell me this, what
are the papers now in that knave's possession which might compromise you
if they were found?"

"I had to write a letter to Ben Isaje, telling him to convince himself
that Gilda was safe and in good health, ere he paid the rascal a sum of
3,000 guilders. This letter is writ in mine own hand and signed with my
name. Then there is a formal order to Ben Isaje to pay over the money,
but that was writ in the usual way by the public scrivener and is signed
with the cypher which I always use