Part 4 (2/2)
”What, and let the Professor's books be all scattered this way and that, and perhaps fall into the water! He would never send my master another chest; and, methinks, without books he would die.”
”I'll get a gimlet and bore a hole in the Arminian!” laughed the soldier, whose wife had first spoken.
”Ay do!” cried Elsje; ”get a gimlet long enough to reach the top of the castle. I will stand by and watch you as you bore!”
”Out of the way there!” cried the skipper and his son, as the boat swung towards the wharf; and in a moment all was bustle and confusion. The soldier helped his wife ash.o.r.e, the young officer made a bow to Elsje and sprung over the side; there was hurry and bustle, and a welcome confusion; and the girl stood beside her precious chest, and at last, by the promise of an exorbitant fee, got the skipper and his son to transport the chest at once to the Daatselaers' house, on a barrow.
She walked a little ahead in her excitement; but was recalled by a surly question from the old man.
”Do you hear that, girl--do you hear what my son says? You have got something alive in that box!”
”Ah, to be sure, to be sure,” she cried, laughing, ”it is the Arminian books; they are often like that, because they say the devil helped to write them. Why, when I was a little girl I knew an old woman who lived all by herself in a wood; and she had a big book, and they said the devil had given it to her; and if she wanted a ride, she just got astride of it and it flew with her wherever she wanted to go! That's what my mistress says about some of these big books. There's magic in them, and she wants to be rid of them.”
The men looked awed; but superst.i.tion was rife in those days, and their one aim now was to be rid of the uncanny load. It was wheeled, and then lifted into the back room of the house, and Elsje paid and dismissed the bearers with perfect calmness.
The next minute she had glided into the shop where Madame Daatselaer was serving customers, and whispered something in her ear.
Leaving everything, but with a face as white as paper, the worthy woman hastened after Elsje, who rapped on the lid, but got no reply; for a moment her fort.i.tude gave way, and she cried aloud in her anguish:
”My master!--my poor master--he is dead--stifled!”
”Ah!” cried Madame Daatselaer in bewildered dismay, ”better a live husband in a prison than a dead one at liberty; my poor friend, my poor friend!”
But a sharp rap on the trunk from the inside rea.s.sured them.
”I am not dead,” gasped Grotius, ”but I was not sure of your voices.
Open and let me have some air!”
Elsje unlocked the chest, whilst her friend locked the door of the room, and Grotius raised himself slowly as from a coffin.
”Praised be G.o.d for this deliverance!” he cried, as Elsje brought a cloak in which to wrap him, for he was cramped and numbed by cold, and the constraint of his posture. ”G.o.d be praised for His mercy; and how can I thank you enough, good friend, for receiving me thus into your house!”
”If only it bring not my husband to prison in your place,” cried Madame Daatselaer, whose face was deadly pale.
”Nay, nay, sooner than that I will return to my prison in yon chest as I came forth!” answered Grotius.
But Madame Daatselaer rallied her courage and spoke quickly.
”Nay, nay, that shall never be since thou art here. But thou art no common person, and all the world talks of thee, and will soon be talking of thy escape. But before that we will have you safe from pursuit. My husband will see to that. And now I must hide you in the attics till dark, when we can make farther plans.”
Elsje's work was done. Her master took her hands in his, and kissed her on the brow.
”Farewell, my brave maiden. May G.o.d reward you and keep you always safe from harm. There will be many heartfelt prayers offered that no ill shall befall you through your devotion to me and mine. And now go--tell the story to my dear wife; and so soon as I be safe in France she and the children shall join me, and in our home there will always be a place for thee; if thou dost not find another and a better home for thyself.”
Elsje's tears fell as she said farewell to her master; but her heart was full of joy as she returned to the castle with the story for her mistress. And soon they knew that Grotius had effected his escape to France, and that all peril was at an end.
The Commandant, it is true, raged at the women when he found how his prisoner had escaped him; but nothing was done to them, and they were shortly released.
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