CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.
IN WHICH A GREAT DEAL OF LOYALTY IS SHOWN TO COUNTERBALANCE THE TREASONOF VANSLYPERKEN.
We must not, however, forget the syndic and the widow Vandersloosh, whomwe left in confinement at Amsterdam. We left Mynheer Krause smoking hispipe, and showing to those about him how great a great man always proveshimself when under adversity. The widow also, had she performed inpublic, would have been acknowledged to have been a great, woman. Shecould not but lament the present, for she was on the floor of a dungeon,so she occasionally wrung her hands; but she looked forward to thefuture, and to better times, not abandoning herself to despair, butcomforting, herself with hope, as might have been clearly proved by herconstant repetition of these words: "Well, well, Mr Vanslyperken, weshall see."
That the night appeared long to both parties is not to be denied, butthe longest night will have its end, so long as the world continues toturn round; the consequence was, that the morning came as usual to thesyndic, although the widow, from the peculiarity of her situation, hadnot the same advantage.
After morning comes breakfast, in the natural order of mundane affairs,and kings, being but men, and subject to the same wants as othermortals, his majesty, King William, sat down, and dispatched a veryhasty meal, in company with his Grace the Duke of Portland, and theRight Honourable the Lord Albemarle. History does not record, as itsometimes does in works of this description, by what viands hismajesty's appetite was stimulated; we must therefore pass it over, and,as his majesty did on that occasion, as soon as breakfast was over,proceed to business.
"Have you received information, my Lord Albemarle, how many of theconspirators have been seized?"
"May it please your majesty, I am sorry to inform you, that all who wereinnocent have been imprisoned, and all who were guilty have escaped."
Upon this intelligence his majesty looked very grave.
"How do you mean, my lord?" said he, after a pause.
"The conspirators have all received some friendly notice, and the onlytwo who are in custody are the syndic, Mynheer Krause, and the woman whokeeps the Lust Haus."
"And you put the syndic down as an innocent person, my lord!"
"If your majesty will be pleased to read this communication," repliedLord Albemarle, presenting Ramsay's letter and enclosures, "you willthen be of my opinion."
King William took the letter and read it. "What Ramsay--he who wasattainted with Sir Robert Barclay?"
"The same, your majesty."
"So near us, and escaped--but what credence would you place in him?"
"Every credence, may it please your majesty. I believe him to beincapable of a lie."
"A traitor like him!"
"A traitor to your majesty, but most true to his Catholic majesty, KingJames that was. But if I venture to point out to your majesty, theenclosures prove that Lieutenant Vanslyperken's word is not of muchvalue. He, at least, is a double traitor."
"Yes, a little hanging will do him no harm--you are sure this is hiswriting?"
"There can be no doubt of it, your majesty, I have compared it."
"You will see to this, my lord: and now to the syndic."
"He has, as your majesty will perceive, been grossly deceived, andsuspected without reason."
"And the woman--"
"Was here yesterday, and fully convinced me that Vanslyperken was atraitor, and that she was innocent. His Grace of Portland was present."
"Well, my lord, you may give orders for their release; of course alittle surveillance will be advisable. You will justify the proceedingsto the council this afternoon."
"But may I presume to submit to your majesty that the public affrontoffered to the syndic should be repaired?"
"Certainly--send for him," replied his majesty, carelessly. "I willreceive him to-morrow morning;" and his majesty left the room.
Lord Albemarle immediately dispatched a courier with an order for therelease of the syndic and the Frau Vandersloosh, with a note to theformer, stating that his majesty would receive him on the following dayat noon. But while this act of justice had been preparing at the palaceof the Hague, there were other acts, not quite so justifiable,performing at the town of Amsterdam.
The sun made its appearance more than an hour before the troops of theroyal guard. Mobs were collected in knots in the street, and in frontof the Hotel de Ville, or Stadt House, and the object of their meetingwas to canvass the treason and imprisonment of the syndic, Mynheer VanKrause. "Shame--shame,"--"Death to the traitor,"--"Tear him topieces,"--and "Long life to King William," were the first solitaryremarks made--the noise and hubbub increased. The small knots of peoplegradually joined together, until they formed a large mob, all burningwith loyalty, and each individual wishing to give a practical evidenceof it--again were the cries of "Long live the king!" and "Death totraitors!" to be heard, with loud huzzas. A confused din followed, andthe mob appeared, as if simultaneously, to be all impelled in onedirection. At last the word was given, which they all waited for. "Tohis house--to his house--down with it--death to the traitor!" and theloyal mob hastened on, each individual eager to be first to prove hisloyalty, by helping himself to Mynheer Krause's goods and chattels.
In the Low Countries, this species of loyalty always has been and is nowvery much the fashion. In ten minutes, the gates were forced open--oldKoops knocked down, and trod under foot till he was dead--every articleof value that was portable was secured; chairs, tables, glasses, notportable, were thrown out of the window; Wilhelmina's harp andpianoforte battered to fragments; beds, bedding, everything flew aboutin the air, and then the fragments of the furniture were set fire to,and in less than an hour, Mynheer Krause's splendid house was burningfuriously, while the mob cheered and cried, "Long live King William!"
Before the courier could arrive from the Hague, all that was left of MrKrause's property was the bare walls. Merchandise, everything wasconsumed, and part of the building had fallen into the canal and chokedit up, while fifteen schuyts, waiting to be discharged of their cargoes,had been obliged to retreat from the fury of the flames, the phlegmaticskippers looking on with their pipes in their mouths, and their hands intheir wide breeches-pockets.
The loyal mob, having effected their object, gradually retired. It issingular that popular feeling is always expressed in the same way. Hadthe mob collected for disloyal purposes, they would have shown theirdisloyalty just in the like manner, only it would have been the StadtHouse instead of that of Mynheer Krause.
But now there was a fresh impetus given to the feelings of the mob. Thenews had been spread like wildfire, that Mynheer the syndic had beenproved innocent, and ordered to be immediately liberated, and was sentfor by his majesty; upon which, the mob were undecided whether theyshould prove their indignation, at this unjust imprisonment of theirworthy magistrate, by setting fire to some public building, or bycarrying him in triumph to his own house, which they forgot they hadburnt down. Fortunately they decided upon the latter: they surroundedthe Stadt House with cries of "Long life to our worthy syndic--prosperity to Mynheer Krause," and rushing up-stairs, they caught him intheir arms, and carried him triumphantly through the streets, bringinghim at last to the smoking ruins of his own house, and there they lefthim; they had done all they could, they had carried him there intriumph, but, as for building the house up again, that was impossibleso, as Mynheer Krause looked with dismay at the wreck of all hisproperty, the loyal mob dispersed, each feeling that he had been alittle too hasty in possessing himself of a small share of it. What afine thing is loyalty! Mynheer Krause found himself alone; he lookedwith scorn and indignation upon the scene of violence, and then walkedaway to an hotel, particularly disgusted with the loyal cry of "Longlive King William."
In the meantime, the door of the dungeon where the widow Vanderslooshwas incarcerated was thrown open, and she was informed that she was nolonger a prisoner. The widow, indignant that she should have beenconfined for her loyalty raved and walked majestically out of the S
tadtHouse, not deigning to answer to the compliments offered to her by someof the inferior officers. Her bosom swelled with indignation, and shewas determined to tell his majesty a bit of her mind, if she shouldobtain access to him; and the next day she took the trouble to go allthe way to the Hague, again to see his majesty; but his majesty wasn'tat home, and Lord Albemarle to whom she sent in, was indisposed, and hisGrace the Duke of Portland was particularly engaged; so the widow hadthe journey for nothing, and she declared to Babette, that she neverwould put her foot under the palace roof again as long as she lived.
But, although Madam Vandersloosh was not received at court that day, thesyndic Mynheer Krause was; when he sent in his name, Lord Albemarle ledthe syndic by the hand to his majesty.
"We have been too hasty, Mynheer Krause," said his majesty, with agracious smile.
Mynheer bowed low.
"I regret to hear that the populace in their loyalty have burnt downyour house, Mr Krause--they were too hasty."
Mynheer Krause made another low bow.
"You will continue your office of syndic of the town of Amsterdam."
"Pardon me, your majesty," replied Mynheer Krause respectfully, butfirmly, "I have obeyed your summons to appear in your presence, but willrequest that your majesty will release me from the burden. I have cometo lay my chain and staff of office at your majesty's feet, it being myintention to quit the town."
"You are too hasty, Mynheer Krause," replied his majesty withdispleasure.
"May it please your majesty," replied Krause, "he who has been confinedas a prisoner in the Stadt House, is not fit to exercise his dutiesthere as a judge. I have served your majesty many years with the utmostzeal and fidelity. In return, I have been imprisoned and my propertydestroyed. I must now return to a station more suitable to my presentcondition, and once more, with every assurance of loyalty, I beg to bepermitted to lay my insignia of office at your majesty's feet."
Mynheer Krause suited the action to the word. The king frowned andturned away to the window, and Mynheer Krause, perceiving that hismajesty's back was turned upon him, walked out of the door.
"Too hasty!" thought Mynheer Krause. "I am loyal and thrown intoprison, and am expected to be satisfied with the plea of being toohasty. My house is burnt down, and the plundering mob have been toohasty. Well--well--it is fortunate I took Ramsay's advice: my house andwhat was in it was a trifle; but if all my gold at Hamburg andFrankfort, and in the charge of Ramsay had been there, and I had beenmade a beggar, all the satisfaction I should have received would havebeen a smile, and the excuse of being too hasty. I wonder where mydaughter and Ramsay are? I long to join them."
From which mental soliloquy, it will be evident to the render, thatMynheer Krause's loyalty had been considerably diminished, perhapsthinking that he had paid too dear for the commodity.
Upon his return, Mynheer Krause publicly announced that he had resignedthe office of syndic, much to the astonishment of those who heard of it,and much to the delight of his very particular friend Engelback, who,the next morning, set off for the Hague, and had an interview with hisGrace the Duke of Portland, the result of which was, that upon groundsbest known to the parties, for history will not reveal everything,Mynheer Engelback was recommended to fill the office of syndic of thetown of Amsterdam, vacant by the resignation of Mynheer Krause; and thatin consequence of this, all those who took off their hats to MynheerKrause but two days before, and kept them on when they met MynheerEngelback, now kept them on when they met Mynheer Krause, and pulledthem off very politely to Mynheer Krause's very particular friend,Mynheer Engelback.