"God in heaven!" exclaimed the syndic.

"And that this very night you are to be seized and thrown into prison!"

"I, the syndic of the town! I, who put everybody else into prison!"

"Even so; such is the gratitude of King William for your long and
faithful services, Mynheer Krause! I have now sent for you that we may
consult as to what had best be done. Will you fly? I have the means
for your escape."

"Fly, Mynheer Ramsay? the syndic of Amsterdam fly? Never! they may
accuse me falsely; they may condemn me and take off my head before the
Stadt House, but I will not fly."

"I expected this answer; and you are right, Mynheer Krause; but there
are other considerations worthy of your attention. When the populace
know that you are in prison for treason, they will level this house to
the ground."

"Well and so they ought, if they suppose me guilty; I care little for
that."

"I am aware of that; but still your property will be lost; it will be
but a matter of prudence to save all you can: you have already a large
sum of gold collected."

"I have four thousand guilders, at least."

"You must think of your daughter, Mynheer Krause. This gold must not
find its way into the pockets of the mob. Now, observe, the king's
cutter sails to-night, and I propose that your gold be embarked, and I
will take it over for you and keep it safe. Then, let what will happen,
your daughter will not be left to beggary."

"True, true, my dear sir, there is no saying how this will end: it may
end well; but, as you say, if the house is plundered, the gold is gone
for ever. Your advice is good, and I will give you, before you go,
orders for all the monies in the hands of my agents at Hamburgh and
Frankfort and other places. I have taken your advice, my young friend,
and, though I have property to the amount of some hundred thousand
guilders, with the exception of this house, they will hold little of it
which belongs to Mynheer Krause. And my poor daughter, Mynheer Ramsay?"

"Should any accident happen to you, you may trust to me, I swear it to
you, Mynheer Krause, on my hope of salvation."

Here the old man sat down much affected, and covered his face.

"Oh! my dear young friend, what a world is this! where they cannot
distinguish a true and a loyal subject from a traitor. But why could
you not stay here,--protect my house from the mob,--demand the civic
guard?"

"I stay here, my dear sir! why, I am included in the warrant