Part 6 (1/2)
Cornelius, startled, laid his hands on his bulbs, and turned round
”Who is here?” he asked
”Sir,” answered the servant, ”it is a ue! What does he want?”
”Sir, it is Craeke”
”Craeke! the confidential servant of Mynheer John de Witt? Good, let him wait”
”I cannot wait,” said a voice in the lobby
And at the sa his way in, Craeke rushed into the dry-rooement on the established rules of the household of Cornelius van Baerle, that the latter, at the sight of Craeke, almost convulsively moved his hand which covered the bulbs, so that two of the under a small table, and the other into the fireplace
”Zounds!” said Cornelius, eagerly picking up his precious bulbs, ”what's thea paper on the large table, on which the third bulb was lying, -- ”the matter is, that you are requested to read this paper without losing one ht he had remarked in the streets of Dort symptoms of a tumult similar to that which he had witnessed before his departure fro behind hiht!his arm under the table for the bulb; ”your paper shall be read, indeed it shall”
Then, exa the bulb which he held in the hollow of his hand, he said: ”Well, here is one of them uninjured That confounded Craeke! thus to rush into my dry-roo down the bulb which he already held, Baerle went to the fireplace, knelt down and stirred with the tip of his finger the ashes, which fortunately were quite cold
He at once felt the other bulb
”Well, here it is,” he said; and, looking at it with almost fatherly affection, he exclaimed, ”Uninjured as the first!”
At this very instant, and whilst Cornelius, still on his knees, was exa his pets, the door of the dry-room was so violently shaken, and opened in such a brusquein his cheeks and his ears the glow of that evil counsellor which is called wrath
”Nohat is it again,” he de mad here?”
”Oh, sir! sir!” cried the servant, rushi+ng into the dry-roohtened mien than Craeke had shown
”Well!” asked Cornelius, foreboding some mischief from the double breach of the strict rule of his house
”Oh, sir, fly! fly quick!” cried the servant
”Fly! and what for?”
”Sir, the house is full of the guards of the States”
”What do they want?”
”They want you”
”What for?”
”To arrest you”
”Arrest me? arrest istrate”
”What's thein his hands the two bulbs, and directing his terrified glance towards the staircase
”They are co up!” cried the servant
”Oh, my dear child, my worthy master!” cried the old housekeeper, who now likewise old, your jewelry, and fly, fly!”
”But how shall I make my escape, nurse?” said Van Baerle
”Juround!”
”But you will fall on six feet of soft soil!”
”Yes, but I should fall on my tulips”
”Never mind, jump out”
Cornelius took the third bulb, approached theand opened it, but seeing what havoc he would necessarily cause in his borders, and, ht he would have to jump, he called out, ”Never!” and fell back a step
At this moment they saw across the banister of the staircase the points of the halberds of the soldiers rising
The housekeeper raised her hands to heaven
As to Cornelius van Baerle, it must be stated to his honour, not as a ht was for his inesti about for a paper in which to wrap them up, he noticed the fly-leaf from the Bible, which Craeke had laid upon the table, took it without in his confusion re whence it came, folded in it the three bulbs, secreted them in his bosom, and waited
At this very istrate, entered the rooistrate (who, although knowing the youngto the fornified air)
”I am that person, Master van Spennen,” answered Cornelius, politely, to his judge, ”and you know it very well”
”Then give up to us the seditious papers which you secrete in your house”
”The seditious papers!” repeated Cornelius, quite dumfounded at the imputation