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第7节

the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第7节

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imprecations;  

〃Escaped gone! After them; and catch them!〃 

〃Monseigneur; it seems that Mynheer Cornelius has really 
escaped;〃 said the officer。 

〃Yes; from prison; perhaps; but not from the town; you will 
see; Van Deken; that the poor fellow will find the gate 
closed against him which he hoped to find open。〃 

〃Has an order been given to close the town gates; 
Monseigneur?〃 

〃No;  at least I do not think so; who could have given 
such an order?〃 

〃Indeed; but what makes your Highness suppose?〃 

〃There are fatalities;〃 Monseigneur replied; in an offhand 
manner; 〃and the greatest men have sometimes fallen victims 
to such fatalities。〃 

At these words the officer felt his blood run cold; as 
somehow or other he was convinced that the prisoner was 
lost。 

At this moment the roar of the multitude broke forth like 
thunder; for it was now quite certain that Cornelius de Witt 
was no longer in the prison。 



Cornelius and John; after driving along the pond; had taken
the main street; which leads to the Tol…Hek; giving 
directions to the coachman to slacken his pace; in order not 
to excite any suspicion。 

But when; on having proceeded half…way down that street; the 
man felt that he had left the prison and death behind; and 
before him there was life and liberty; he neglected every 
precaution; and set his horses off at a gallop。 

All at once he stopped。 

〃What is the matter?〃 asked John; putting his head out of 
the coach window。 

〃Oh; my masters!〃 cried the coachman; 〃it is  〃 

Terror choked the voice of the honest fellow。 

〃Well; say what you have to say!〃 urged the Grand 
Pensionary。 

〃The gate is closed; that's what it is。〃 

〃How is this? It is not usual to close the gate by day。〃 

〃Just look!〃 

John de Witt leaned out of the window; and indeed saw that 
the man was right。 

〃Never mind; but drive on;〃 said John; 〃I have with me the 
order for the commutation of the punishment; the gate…keeper 
will let us through。〃 

The carriage moved along; but it was evident that the driver 
was no longer urging his horses with the same degree of 
confidence。 

Moreover; as John de Witt put his head out of the carriage 
window; he was seen and recognized by a brewer; who; being 
behind his companions; was just shutting his door in all 
haste to join them at the Buytenhof。 He uttered a cry of 
surprise; and ran after two other men before him; whom he 
overtook about a hundred yards farther on; and told them 
what he had seen。 The three men then stopped; looking after 
the carriage; being however not yet quite sure as to whom it 
contained。 

The carriage in the meanwhile arrived at the Tol…Hek。 

〃Open!〃 cried the coachman。 

〃Open!〃 echoed the gatekeeper; from the threshold of his 
lodge; 〃it's all very well to say 'Open!' but what am I to 
do it with?〃 

〃With the key; to be sure!〃 said the coachman。 

〃With the key! Oh; yes! but if you have not got it?〃 

〃How is that? Have not you got the key?〃 asked the coachman。 

〃No; I haven't。〃 

〃What has become of it?〃 

〃Well; they have taken it from me。〃 

〃Who?〃 

〃Some one; I dare say; who had a mind that no one should 
leave the town。〃 

〃My good man;〃 said the Grand Pensionary; putting out his 
head from the window; and risking all for gaining all; 〃my 
good man; it is for me; John de Witt; and for my brother 
Cornelius; who I am taking away into exile。〃 

〃Oh; Mynheer de Witt! I am indeed very much grieved;〃 said 
the gatekeeper; rushing towards the carriage; 〃but; upon my 
sacred word; the key has been taken from me。〃 

〃When?〃 

〃This morning。〃 

〃By whom?〃 

〃By a pale and thin young man; of about twenty…two。〃 

〃And wherefore did you give it up to him?〃 

〃Because he showed me an order; signed and sealed。〃 

〃By whom?〃 

〃By the gentlemen of the Town…hall。〃 

〃Well; then;〃 said Cornelius calmly; 〃our doom seems to be 
fixed。〃 

〃Do you know whether the same precaution has been taken at 
the other gates?〃 

〃I do not。〃 

〃Now then;〃 said John to the coachman; 〃God commands man to 
do all that is in his power to preserve his life; go; and 
drive to another gate。〃 

And whilst the servant was turning round the vehicle the 
Grand Pensionary said to the gatekeeper;  

〃Take our thanks for your good intentions; the will must 
count for the deed; you had the will to save us; and that; 
in the eyes of the Lord; is as if you had succeeded in doing 
so。〃 

〃Alas!〃 said the gatekeeper; 〃do you see down there?〃 

〃Drive at a gallop through that group;〃 John called out to 
the coachman; 〃and take the street on the left; it is our 
only chance。〃 

The group which John alluded to had; for its nucleus; those 
three men whom we left looking after the carriage; and who; 
in the meanwhile; had been joined by seven or eight others。 

These new…comers evidently meant mischief with regard to the 
carriage。 

When they saw the horses galloping down upon them; they 
placed themselves across the street; brandishing cudgels in 
their hands; and calling out;  

〃Stop! stop!〃 

The coachman; on his side; lashed his horses into increased 
speed; until the coach and the men encountered。 

The brothers De Witt; enclosed within the body of the 
carriage; were not able to see anything; but they felt a 
severe shock; occasioned by the rearing of the horses。 The 
whole vehicle for a moment shook and stopped; but 
immediately after; passing over something round and elastic; 
which seemed to be the body of a prostrate man set off again 
amidst a volley of the fiercest oaths。 

〃Alas!〃 said Cornelius; 〃I am afraid we have hurt some one。〃 

〃Gallop! gallop!〃 called John。 

But; notwithstanding this order; the coachman suddenly came 
to a stop。 

〃Now; then; what is the matter again?〃 asked John。 

〃Look there!〃 said the coachman。 

John looked。 The whole mass of the populace from the 
Buytenhof appeared at the extremity of the street along 
which the carriage was to proceed; and its stream moved 
roaring and rapid; as if lashed on by a hurricane。 

〃Stop and get off;〃 said John to the coachman; 〃it is 
useless to go any farther; we are lost!〃 

〃Here they are! here they are!〃 five hundred voices were 
crying at the same time。 

〃Yes; here they are; the traitors; the murderers; the 
assassins!〃 answered the men who were running after the 
carriage to the people who were coming to meet it。 The 
former carried in their arms the bruised body of one of 
their companions; who; trying to seize the reins of the 
horses; had been trodden down by them。 

This was the object over which the two brothers had felt 
their carriage pass。 

The coachman stopped; but; however strongly his master urged 
him; he refused to get off and save himself。 

In an instant the carriage was hemmed in between those who 
followed and those who met it。 It rose above the mass of 
moving heads like a floating island。 But in another instant 
it came to a dead stop。 A blacksmith had with his hammer 
struck down one of the horses; which fell in the traces。 

At this moment; the shutter of a window opened; and 
disclosed the sallow face and the dark eyes of the young 
man; who with intense interest watched the scene which was 
preparing。 Behind him appeared the head of the officer; 
almost as pale as himself。 

〃Good heavens; Monseigneur; what is going on there?〃 
whispered the officer。 

〃Something very terrible; to a certainty;〃 replied the 
other。 

〃Don't you see; Monseigneur; they are dragging the Grand 
Pensionary from the carriage; they strike him; they tear him 
to pieces!〃 

〃Indeed; these people must certainly be prompted by a most 
violent indignation;〃 said the young marl; with the same 
impassible tone which he had preserved all along。 

〃And here is Cornelius; whom they now likewise drag out of 
the carriage;  Cornelius; who is already quite broken and 
mangled by the torture。 Only look; look!〃 

〃Indeed; it is Cornelius; and no mistake。〃 

The officer uttered a feeble cry; and turned his head away; 
the brother of the Grand Pensionary; before having set foot 
on the ground; whilst still on the bottom step of the 
carriage; was struck down with an iron bar which broke his 
skull。 He rose once more; but immediately fell again。 

Some fellows then seized him by the feet; and dragged him 
into the crowd; into the middle of which one might have 
followed his bloody track; and he was soon closed in among 
the savage yells of malignant exultation。 

The young man  a thing which would have been thought 
impossible  grew even paler than before; and his eyes were 
for a moment veiled behind the lids。 

The officer saw this sign of compassion; and; wishing to 
avail himself of this softened tone of his feelings; 
continued;  

〃Come; come; Monseigneur; for here they are also going to 
murder the Grand Pensionary。〃 

But the young man had already opened his eyes again。 

〃To be sure;〃 he said。 〃These people are really implacable。 
It does no one good to offend them。〃 

〃Monseigneur;〃 said the officer; 〃may not one save this poor 
man; who has been your Highness's instructor? I

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