ny of this land and the welfare
of its faith?

Bah! the very thought was monstrous and impossible. Was the life of the
Prince of Orange to be sacrificed because a rascal would not help her to
give him that word of warning which might save him even now at the
eleventh hour?

No! Gilda Beresteyn refused to believe that God--who had helped the
armies of the Netherlands throughout their struggle against the might of
Spain--would allow a rogue to have so much power. After all, she was
not going to be shut up in prison! she was going to the house of
ordinary, respectable burghers; true, they were of alien and of despised
faith, but they were well-to-do, had a family, serving women and men.

Surely among these there would be one who--amenable to cajoleries or to
promises--would prove to be the instrument sent by God to save the
Stadtholder from an assassin's dagger!

Gilda Beresteyn, wrapped in this new train of thought, lost count of
time, of distance and of cold: she lived during one whole hour in the
happiness of this newly-risen hope, making plans, conjecturing,
rehearsing over in her mind what she would say, how she would probe the
loyalty, the kindness of those who would be around her to-night.

Delft was so near! and after all even Maria might be bribed to forget
her fears and her grievances and to become that priceless instrument of
salvation of which Gilda dreamed as the sledge flew swiftly along
through the night.

It was Maria who roused her suddenly out of these happy fancies. Maria
who said plaintively:

"Shall we never get to that verdommte house. The Jew said that it was
only situate half a league from Rotterdam."

"We must be close to it," murmured Gilda.

"Close to it!" retorted Maria, "we seem to be burning the ground under
the horses' hoofs--we have left Rotterdam behind us this hour
past.... It is the longest half league that I have ever known."

"Peep out under the hood, Maria. Cannot you see where we are?"

Maria peeped out as she was bid.

"I can see the lights of a city far away on our right," she said. "From
the direction in which we have been going and the ground which we have
covered I should guess that city to be Delft."

"Delft!" exclaimed Gilda, smothering a louder scream.

The driver had just pulled up his horses, allowing them to go at a walk
so as to restore their wind and ease them for awhile. Gilda tried her
best to peer through the darkness. All that she could see were those