of the men who had brought her hither from Haarlem.

"They spent half the night eating and drinking at the tavern,
mejuffrouw," said the Jew blandly.

"Ah!" rejoined Gilda quietly, "methought one of them had found
hospitality under your roof."

"So he had, mejuffrouw. But this morning when I called him--for I had
some business to transact with him--I found his room already empty. No
doubt he had gone to join his companions at the tavern. But the rascal's
movements need not disturb the jongejuffrouw for one moment. After
to-day she need never set eyes on him again."

"Save when he is hanging on a gibbet in the Groote Markt," broke in
Maria viciously. "I for one never go to see such sights, but when that
rascal hangs it shall be a holiday for me to go and get a last look at
him."

* * * * *

Later on in the day, Ben Isaje, more affable and obsequious than he had
ever been, came to announce to the jongejuffrouw that her sledge was
awaiting her at the top of the street.

Silently and resignedly as had been her wont these past two days Gilda
Beresteyn, wrapping her cloak and hood closely round her, followed
Mynheer Ben Isaje out of the house. Maria walked immediately behind her,
muttering imprecations against brigands, and threatening dire
punishments against every Jew.

Though it was only three o'clock in the afternoon, it was already quite
dark in this narrow street, where tall gables almost touched one another
at the top: only from the tiny latticed windows feeble patches of yellow
light glimmered weirdly through the fog.

The sledge was waiting at the top of the street, as Mynheer Ben Isaje
had said. Gilda shuddered as soon as she caught sight of it again; it
represented so much that was vivid and tangible of her present anxiety
and sorrow. It stood upon an open market-place, with the driver sitting
up at his post and three horses harnessed thereto. The small tavern was
at the corner on the left, and as Gilda walked rapidly up to the sledge,
she saw two of the men who had been escorting her hitherto, the thin man
with the abnormally long legs, and the fat one with the red nose and
round eyes: but of the third tall, splendid figure she did not catch one
glimpse.

The two men nudged one another as she passed, and whispered excitedly to
one another, but she could not hear what they said, and the next moment
she found herself being handed into the vehicle by Ben Isaje, who
thereup