dropped　a　curtesy　to　him。　Chucking　her　under　the　chin；　he
  said　to　her；
  〃Good　morning；　my　good　and　fair　Rosa；　how　is　my　brother？〃
  〃Oh；　Mynheer　John！〃　the　young　girl　replied；　〃I　am　not　afraid
  of　the　harm　which　has　been　done　to　him。　That's　all　over
  now。〃
  〃But　what　is　it　you　are　afraid　of？〃
  〃I　am　afraid　of　the　harm　which　they　are　going　to　do　to　him。〃
  〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　De　Witt；　〃you　mean　to　speak　of　the　people
  down　below；　don't　you？〃
  〃Do　you　hear　them？〃
  〃They　are　indeed　in　a　state　of　great　excitement；　but　when
  they　see　us　perhaps　they　will　grow　calmer；　as　we　have　never
  done　them　anything　but　good。〃
  〃That's　unfortunately　no　reason；　except　for　the　contrary；〃
  muttered　the　girl；　as；　on　an　imperative　sign　from　her
  father；　she　withdrew。
  〃Indeed；　child；　what　you　say　is　only　too　true。〃
  Then；　in　pursuing　his　way；　he　said　to　himself；
  〃Here　is　a　damsel　who　very　likely　does　not　know　how　to　read；
  who　consequently　has　never　read　anything；　and　yet　with　one
  word　she　has　just　told　the　whole　history　of　the　world。〃
  And　with　the　same　calm　mien；　but　more　melancholy　than　he　had
  been　on　entering　the　prison；　the　Grand　Pensionary　proceeded
  towards　the　cell　of　his　brother。
  Chapter　2
  The　Two　Brothers
  As　the　fair　Rosa；　with　foreboding　doubt；　had　foretold；　so　it
  happened。　Whilst　John　de　Witt　was　climbing　the　narrow
  winding　stairs　which　led　to　the　prison　of　his　brother
  Cornelius；　the　burghers　did　their　best　to　have　the　troop　of
  Tilly；　which　was　in　their　way；　removed。
  Seeing　this　disposition；　King　Mob；　who　fully　appreciated　the
  laudable　intentions　of　his　own　beloved　militia；　shouted　most
  lustily；
  〃Hurrah　for　the　burghers！〃
  As　to　Count　Tilly；　who　was　as　prudent　as　he　was　firm；　he
  began　to　parley　with　the　burghers；　under　the　protection　of
  the　cocked　pistols　of　his　dragoons；　explaining　to　the
  valiant　townsmen；　that　his　order　from　the　States　commanded
  him　to　guard　the　prison　and　its　approaches　with　three
  companies。
  〃Wherefore　such　an　order？　Why　guard　the　prison？〃　cried　the
  Orangists。
  〃Stop；〃　replied　the　Count；　〃there　you　at　once　ask　me　more
  than　I　can　tell　you。　I　was　told；　'Guard　the　prison；'　and　I
  guard　it。　You；　gentlemen；　who　are　almost　military　men
  yourselves；　you　are　aware　that　an　order　must　never　be
  gainsaid。〃
  〃But　this　order　has　been　given　to　you　that　the　traitors　may
  be　enabled　to　leave　the　town。〃
  〃Very　possibly；　as　the　traitors　are　condemned　to　exile；〃
  replied　Tilly。
  〃But　who　has　given　this　order？〃
  〃The　States；　to　be　sure！〃
  〃The　States　are　traitors。〃
  〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that！〃
  〃And　you　are　a　traitor　yourself！〃
  〃I？〃
  〃Yes；　you。〃
  〃Well；　as　to　that；　let　us　understand　each　other　gentlemen。
  Whom　should　I　betray？　The　States？　Why；　I　cannot　betray　them；
  whilst；　being　in　their　pay；　I　faithfully　obey　their　orders。〃
  As　the　Count　was　so　indisputably　in　the　right　that　it　was
  impossible　to　argue　against　him；　the　mob　answered　only　by
  redoubled　clamour　and　horrible　threats；　to　which　the　Count
  opposed　the　most　perfect　urbanity。
  〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃uncock　your　muskets；　one　of　them　may
  go　off　by　accident；　and　if　the　shot　chanced　to　wound　one　of
  my　men；　we　should　knock　over　a　couple　of　hundreds　of　yours；
  for　which　we　should；　indeed；　be　very　sorry；　but　you　even
  more　so；　especially　as　such　a　thing　is　neither　contemplated
  by　you　nor　by　myself。〃
  〃If　you　did　that；〃　cried　the　burghers；　〃we　should　have　a　pop
  at　you；　too。〃
  〃Of　course　you　would；　but　suppose　you　killed　every　man　Jack
  of　us；　those　whom　we　should　have　killed　would　not；　for　all
  that；　be　less　dead。〃
  〃Then　leave　the　place　to　us；　and　you　will　perform　the　part
  of　a　good　citizen。〃
  〃First　of　all；〃　said　the　Count；　〃I　am　not　a　citizen；　but　an
  officer；　which　is　a　very　different　thing；　and　secondly；　I　am
  not　a　Hollander；　but　a　Frenchman；　which　is　more　different
  still。　I　have　to　do　with　no　one　but　the　States；　by　whom　I　am
  paid；　let　me　see　an　order　from　them　to　leave　the　place　to
  you；　and　I　shall　only　be　too　glad　to　wheel　off　in　an
  instant；　as　I　am　confoundedly　bored　here。〃
  〃Yes；　yes！〃　cried　a　hundred　voices；　the　din　of　which　was
  immediately　swelled　by　five　hundred　others；　〃let　us　march　to
  the　Town…hall；　let　us　go　and　see　the　deputies！　Come　along！
  come　along！〃
  〃That's　it；〃　Tilly　muttered　between　his　teeth；　as　he　saw　the
  most　violent　among　the　crowd　turning　away；　〃go　and　ask　for　a
  meanness　at　the　Town…hall；　and　you　will　see　whether　they
  will　grant　it；　go；　my　fine　fellows；　go！〃
  The　worthy　officer　relied　on　the　honour　of　the　magistrates；
  who；　on　their　side；　relied　on　his　honour　as　a　soldier。
  〃I　say；　Captain；〃　the　first　lieutenant　whispered　into　the
  ear　of　the　Count；　〃I　hope　the　deputies　will　give　these
  madmen　a　flat　refusal；　but；　after　all；　it　would　do　no　harm
  if　they　would　send　us　some　reinforcement。〃
  In　the　meanwhile；　John　de　Witt；　whom　we　left　climbing　the
  stairs；　after　the　conversation　with　the　jailer　Gryphus　and
  his　daughter　Rosa；　had　reached　the　door　of　the　cell；　where
  on　a　mattress　his　brother　Cornelius　was　resting；　after
  having　undergone　the　preparatory　degrees　of　the　torture。　The
  sentence　of　banishment　having　been　pronounced；　there　was　no
  occasion　for　inflicting　the　torture　extraordinary。
  Cornelius　was　stretched　on　his　couch；　with　broken　wrists　and
  crushed　fingers。　He　had　not　confessed　a　crime　of　which　he
  was　not　guilty；　and　now；　after　three　days　of　agony；　he　once
  more　breathed　freely；　on　being　informed　that　the　judges；
  from　whom　he　had　expected　death；　were　only　condemning　him　to
  exile。
  Endowed　with　an　iron　frame　and　a　stout　heart；　how　would　he
  have　disappointed　his　enemies　if　they　could　only　have　seen；
  in　the　dark　cell　of　the　Buytenhof；　his　pale　face　lit　up　by
  the　smile　of　the　martyr；　who　forgets　the　dross　of　this　earth
  after　having　obtained　a　glimpse　of　the　bright　glory　of
  heaven。
  The　warden；　indeed；　had　already　recovered　his　full　strength；
  much　more　owing　to　the　force　of　his　own　strong　will　than　to
  actual　aid；　and　he　was　calculating　how　long　the　formalities
  of　the　law　would　still　detain　him　in　prison。
  This　was　just　at　the　very　moment　when　the　mingled　shouts　of
  the　burgher　guard　and　of　the　mob　were　raging　against　the　two
  brothers；　and　threatening　Captain　Tilly；　who　served　as　a
  rampart　to　them。　This　noise；　which　roared　outside　of　the
  walls　of　the　prison；　as　the　surf　dashing　against　the　rocks；
  now　reached　the　ears　of　the　prisoner。
  But；　threatening　as　it　sounded；　Cornelius　appeared　not　to
  dream　it　worth　his　while　to　inquire　after　its　cause；　nor　did
  he　get　up　to　look　out　of　the　narrow　grated　window；　which
  gave　access　to　the　light　and　to　the　noise　of　the　world
  without。
  He　was　so　absorbed　in　his　never…ceasing　pain　that　it　had
  almost　become　a　habit　with　him。　He　felt　with　such　delight
  the　bonds　which　connected　his　immortal　being　with　his
  perishable　frame　gradually　loosening；　that　it　seemed　to　him
  as　if　his　spirit；　freed　from　the　trammels　of　the　body；　were
  hovering　above　it；　like　the　expiring　flame　which　rises　from
  the　half…extinguished　embers。
  He　also　thought　of　his　brother；　and　whilst　the　latter　was
  thus　vividly　present　to　his　mind　the　door　opened；　and　John
  entered；　hurrying　to　the　bedside　of　the　prisoner；　who
  stretched　out　his　broken　limbs　and　his　hands　tied　up　in
  bandages　towards　that　glorious　brother；　whom　he　now
  excelled；　not　in　services　rendered　to　the　country；　but　in
  the　hatred　which　the　Dutch　bore　him。
  John　tenderly　kissed　his　brother　on　the　forehead；　and　put
  his　sore　hands　gently　back　on　the　mattress。
  〃Cornelius；　my　poor　brother；　you　are　suffering　great　pain；
  are　you　not？〃
  〃I　am　suffering　no　longer；　since　I　see　you；　my　brother。〃
  〃Oh；　my　poor　dear　Cornelius！　I　feel　most　wretched　to　see　you
  in　such　a　state。〃
  〃And；　indeed；　I　have　thought　more　of　you　than　of　myself；　and
  whilst　they　were　torturing　me；　I　never　thought　of　uttering　a
  complaint；　except　once；　to　say；　'Poor　brother！'　But　now　that
  you　are　here；　let　us　forget　all。　You　are　coming　to　take　me
  away；　are　you　not？〃
  〃I　am。〃
  〃I　am　quite　healed；　help　me　to　get　up；　and　you　shall　see　how
  I　can　walk。〃
  〃You　will　not　have　to　walk　far；　as　I　have　my　coach　near　the
  pond；　behind　Tilly's　dragoons。〃
  〃Tilly's　dragoons！　What　are　they　near　the　pond　for？〃
  〃Well；〃　said　the　Grand　Pensionary　with　a　melancholy　smile
  which　was　habitual　to　him；　〃the　gentlemen　at　the　Town…hall
  expect　that　the　people　at　the　Hague　would　like　to　see　you
  depart；　and　there　is　some　apprehension　of　a　tumult。〃
  〃Of　a　tumult？〃　replied　Cornelius；　fixing　his　eyes　on　his
  perplexed　brother；　〃a　tumult？〃
  〃Yes；　Cornelius。〃
  〃Oh！　that's　what　I　heard　just　now；〃　said　the　prisoner；　as　if
  speaking　to　himself。　Then；　turning　to　his　brother；　he
  continued；
  〃Are　there　many　persons　down　before　the　prison。〃
  〃Yes；　my　brother；　there　are。〃
  〃But　then；　to　come　here　to　me　　〃
  〃Well？〃
  〃How　is　it　that　they　have　allowed　you　to　pass？〃
  〃You　know　well　that　we　are　not　very　popular；　Cornelius；〃
  said　the　Grand　Pensionary；　with　gloomy　bitterness。　〃I　have
  made　my　way