CHAPTER VI
THE BETROTHAL OF LYSBETH
On the following morning when Montalvo entered his private room afterbreakfast, he found a lady awaiting him, in whom, notwithstanding thelong cloak and veil she wore, he had little difficulty in recognisingBlack Meg. In fact Black Meg had been waiting some while, and being aperson of industrious habits she had not neglected to use her time tothe best advantage.
The reader may remember that when Meg visited the gallant CaptainMontalvo upon a previous occasion, she had taken the liberty of helpingherself to certain papers which she found lying just inside an unlockeddesk. These papers on examination, as she feared might be the case, forthe most part proved to be quite unimportant--unpaid accounts, militaryreports, a billet or two from ladies, and so forth. But in thinking thematter over Black Meg remembered that this desk had another part toit, which seemed to be locked, and, therefore, just in case they shouldprove useful, she took with her a few skeleton keys and one or twolittle instruments of steel and attended the pleasure of her noblepatron at an hour when she believed that he would be at breakfast inanother room. Things went well; he was at breakfast and she was leftalone in the chamber with the desk. The rest may be guessed. Replacingthe worthless bundle in the unlocked part, by the aid of her keys andinstruments she opened the inner half. There sure enough were lettershidden, and in a little drawer two miniatures framed in gold, one of alady, young and pretty with dark eyes, and the other of two children,a boy and a girl of five or six years of age. Also there was a curlinglock of hair labelled in Montalvo's writing--"Juanita's hair, which shegave me as a keepsake."
Here was treasure indeed whereof Black Meg did not fail to possessherself. Thrusting the letters and other articles into the bosom of herdress to be examined at leisure, she was clever enough, before closingand re-locking the desk, to replace them with a dummy bundle, hastilymade up from some papers that lay about.
When everything had been satisfactorily arranged she went outside andchattered for a while with the soldier on guard, only re-entering theroom by one door as Montalvo appeared in it through the other.
"Well, my friend," he said, "have you the evidence?"
"I have some evidence, Excellency," she answered. "I was present at thedinner that you ate last night, although none of it came my way, and--Iwas present afterwards."
"Indeed. I thought I saw you slip in, and allow me to congratulate youon that; it was very well thought out and done, just as folk weremoving up and down the stairs. Also, when I went home, I believe thatI recognised a gentleman in the street whom I have been given tounderstand you honour with your friendship, a short, stout person witha bald head; let me see, he was called the Butcher at The Hague, was henot? No, do not pout, I have no wish to pry into the secrets of ladies,but still in my position here it is my business to know a thing or two.Well, what did you see?"
"Excellency, I saw the young man I was sent to watch and Hendrik Brant,the son of the rich goldsmith at The Hague, praying side by side upontheir knees."
"That is bad, very bad," said Montalvo shaking his head, "but----"
"I saw," she went on in her hoarse voice, "the pair of them read theBible."
"How shocking!" replied Montalvo with a simulated shudder. "Think ofit, my orthodox friend, if you are to be believed, these two persons,hitherto supposed to be respectable, have been discovered in the crimeof consulting that work upon which our Faith is founded. Well, thosewho could read anything so dull must, indeed, as the edicts tell us, bemonsters unworthy to live. But, if you please, your proofs. Of courseyou have this book?"
Then Black Meg poured forth all her tale--how she had watched and seensomething, how she had listened and heard little, how she had gone tothe secret panel, bending over the sleeping man, and found--nothing.
"You are a poor sort of spy, mother," commented the captain when she haddone, "and, upon my soul, I do not believe that even a Papal inquisitorcould hang that young fellow on your evidence. You must go back and getsome more."
"No," answered Black Meg with decision, "if you want to force your wayinto conventicles you had best do it yourself. As I wish to go on livinghere is no job for me. I have proved to you that this young man is aheretic, so now give me my reward."
"Your reward? Ah! your reward. No, I think not at present, for a rewardpresupposes services--and I see none."
Black Meg began to storm.
"Be silent," said Montalvo, dropping his bantering tone. "Look, I willbe frank with you. I do not want to burn anybody. I am sick of all thisnonsense about religion, and for aught I care every Netherlander inLeyden may read the Bible until he grows tired. I seek to marry thatJufvrouw Lysbeth van Hout, and to do this I desire to prove that the manwhom she loves, Dirk van Goorl, is a heretic. What you have told me mayor may not be sufficient for my purpose. If it is sufficient you shallbe paid liberally after my marriage; if not--well, you have had enough.As for your evidence, for my part I may say that I do not believe a wordof it, for were it true you would have brought the Bible."
As he spoke he rang a bell which stood upon a table, and before Megcould answer the soldier appeared.
"Show this good woman out," he said, adding, in a loud voice, "Mother, Iwill do my best for you and forward your petition to the proper quarter.Meanwhile, take this trifle in charity," and he pressed a florin intoher hand. "Now, guard, the prisoners, the prisoners. I have no time towaste--and listen--let me be troubled with no more beggars, or you willhear of it."