one street to another, round this turn and round that, sped the
quarry, and after him, a swiftly growing pack, came the hounds. Some
women drew a washing-line across the street to trip him. Adrian jumped
it like a deer. Four men got ahead and tried to cut him off. He dodged
them. Down the Bree Straat he went, and on his mother's door he saw a
paper and guessed what was written there. They were gaining, they were
gaining, for always fresh ones took the place of those who grew weary.
There was but one chance for him now. Near by ran the Rhine, and here
it was wide and unbridged. Perhaps they would not follow him through the
water. In he went, having no choice, and swam for his life. They threw
stones and bits of wood at him, and called for bows but, luckily for
him, by now the night was falling fast, so that soon he vanished from
their sight, and heard them crying to each other that he was drowned.

But Adrian was not drowned, for at that moment he was dragging himself
painfully through the deep, greasy mud of the opposing bank and hiding
among the old boats and lumber which were piled there, till his breath
came to him again. But he could not stay long, for even if he had not
been afraid that they would come and find him, it was too cold. So he
crept away into the darkness.

Half an hour later, as, resting from their daily labours, Hague Simon
and his consort Meg were seated at their evening meal, a knock came at
the door, causing them to drop their knives and to look at each other
suspiciously.

"Who can it be?" marvelled Meg.

Simon shook his fat head. "I have no appointment," he murmured, "and I
don't like strange visitors. There's a nasty spirit abroad in the town,
a very nasty spirit."

"Go and see," said Meg.

"Go and see yourself, you----" and he added an epithet calculated to
anger the meekest woman.

She answered it with an oath and a metal plate, which struck him in the
face, but before the quarrel could go farther, again came the sound of
raps, this time louder and more hurried. Then Black Meg went to open the
door, while Simon took a knife and hid himself behind a curtain. After
some whispering, Meg bade the visitor enter, and ushered him into the
room, that same fateful room where the evidence was signed. Now he was
in the light, and she saw him.

"Oh! come here," she gasped. "Simon, come and look at our little
grandee." So Simon came, whereon the pair of them, clapping their hands
to their ri