a purse of gold in my hand, telling me to make the best use
of it I could.

"Duke Alva will arrive here to-morrow, I find, for the purpose of being
present at the opening of the monument he has erected to himself. As he
at present, as far as I can learn, has no wish to quarrel with England,
I have hopes that a personal application to him may be successful. At
all events, we must leave no stone unturned to gain our object; and,
once out of this country, never will I set foot in it again."

Master Clough having drawn out the papers he required for his proposed
transaction, set out for the Bourse; while I, disguised as one of his
serving-men, accompanied Jacob to the abode of the old fortune-teller.
Flemish being my native tongue, it must be remembered I had no
difficulty in passing for the character I had assumed; and I thought
that, probably, the Dame Barbara would not recognise me.

We hurried on towards the part of the city where Jacob believed she
resided; but to find her abode when there among the numberless mean
houses which filled that part of Antwerp was not so easy. We had to ask
several people, and to go from house to house before we could discover
her. Some looked at us suspiciously.

"You want the Witch of Antwerp," said one, at length. "It is dangerous
dealing with such as her. Maybe she has brought these miseries on our
country; and the people would do well to make her remove them, or to
sink her into the middle of the Scheld. However, if you desire to find
her, go on to the end of the lane, and then, turning to your right,
knock thrice at the first door you find. If she is disposed to admit
you, the door will open in as many minutes as the times you have
knocked; if not, you will hear her owl hooting from within--that is a
sign that you had better make the best of your way from the house, or
some evil will befall you."

We thanked our informant--a hard-working artisan of the class which
mostly occupied that part of the city--and followed his direction.

On reaching the door, I directed Jacob to knock. I almost expected to
hear the owl hoot, but scarcely two minutes had passed before the door
slowly opened. We entered, and found ourselves in a dimly-lighted
passage. The door closed behind us, without anybody being seen. We had
our swords and daggers, and Jacob carried a pistol in his belt, so that,
should we be suddenly attacked, we might defend ourselves. We advanced
quickly along the pas