sadvantage before you. Yet believe me I would not be
outdone by you in generosity; were it not for my allegiance to the Lord
Stoutenburg I would go straight to my sister now and confess my guilt to
her.... You believe me I trust," he added, seeing that Diogenes' merry
eyes were fixed mockingly upon him, "did fate allow it I would gladly
change places with you even now."

"I am about to hang, sir," quoth Diogenes lightly.

"Alas!"

"And you are forced, you say, to play a craven's part; believe me, sir,
I would not change places with you for a kingdom."

"I do believe you, sir," rejoined Beresteyn earnestly, "yet I would have
you think of me as something less of a coward than I seem. Were I to
make full confession to my sister now, I should break her heart--but it
would not save your neck from the gallows."

"And a rogue's neck, sir, is of such infinitely less value than a good
woman's heart. So I pray you say no more about it. Death and I are old
acquaintances, oft hath he nodded to me en passant, we are about to
become closer friends, that is all."

"Some day my sister shall know, sir, all that you have done for her and
for me."

The ghost of a shadow passed over the Laughing Cavalier's face.

"That, sir, I think had best remain 'twixt you and me for all times. But
this I would have you know, that when I accepted the ignoble bargain
which you proposed to me in my friend Hals' studio, I did so because I
thought that the jongejuffrouw would be safer in my charge then than in
yours!"

Beresteyn was about to retort more hotly when Jan, closely followed by
half a dozen men, came with swift, firm footsteps up to the prisoner. He
saluted Beresteyn deferentially as was his wont.

"Your pardon, mynheer," he said, "my lord hath ordered that the prisoner
be forthwith led to execution."

Nicolaes' pale face became the colour of lead.

"One moment, Jan," he said, "one moment. I must speak with my
lord ... I...."

"My lord is with the jongejuffrouw," said Jan curtly, "shall I send to
tell him that you desire to speak with him?"

"No--no--that is I ... I ..." stammered Nicolaes who, indeed, was
fighting a cruel battle with his own weakness, his own cowardice now. It
was that weakness which had brought him to the abject pass in which he
now stood, face to face with the man he had affected to despise, and who
was about to die, laden with the crimes which he Nicolaes had been the
first to commit.

Stoutenburg's infl