on his leader and
friend, and all the anxiety which he felt was for that one man.

"You must not delay, Nicolaes," said Stoutenburg curtly, "go, warn the
others and tell them to make for Scheveningen. But do you wait for
me--we'll follow anon in the sledge and, of course, Gilda comes with
us."

And Beresteyn said firmly:

"Of course, Gilda comes with us."

She was not afraid, even when he said this, even when his fierce glance
rested upon her, and she was too proud to make an appeal to him. It was
her turn now to avert her glance from him; to the bottom of her soul she
loathed his cowardice, and the contempt with which she regarded him now
was almost cruel in its intensity.

He went out of the room followed by Lucas of Sparendam, and now she was
once more alone with the Lord of Stoutenburg.

"Gilda," he cried with a fierce oath, "when did you do this?"

"It was not I, my lord," she replied calmly, "you and Nicolaes did all
that lay in your power to render me helpless in this. God knows I would
not have betrayed you ... it is His hand that hath pointed the way to
one who was more brave than I."

"'Tis false," he exclaimed violently, "no one knew of our plans save
those who now must flee because like us they have been betrayed. No sane
man would wilfully put his head in the halter; and there are no
informers amongst us."

"You need not believe me, my lord," she rejoined coldly, "an you do not
wish. But remember that I have never learnt the art of lying, nor could
I be the Judas to betray my own brother. Therefore do I pledge you my
word that I had no share in this decree of God."

"If not yourself," he retorted, "you spoke of it to some one ... who
went to the Stadtholder ... and warned him! to some one ... some one
who.... Ah!" he cried suddenly with a loud and ghoulish scream wherein
rage, horror and fear and a kind of savage triumph too rang out, "I see
that I have guessed aright. You did speak of what you knew ... to the
miserable knave whom Nicolaes paid to outrage you ... and you offered
him money to betray your own brother."

"It is false!"

"It is true--I can read it in your face. That man went to Delft
yesterday--he was captured by Jan on his way back to Rotterdam. He had
fulfilled your errand and warned the Prince of Orange and delivered me
and all my friends into hands that never have known mercy."

He was blind with passion now and looked on her with bloodshot eyes
that threatened to kill. B