ilies of corpses,
father, mother, and children, lying side by side, struck down by
pestilence. Bread, malt cake, and horse-flesh had entirely disappeared.
A small number of cows had been kept as long as possible for their
milk, but a few of these were killed from day to day, and distributed in
minute proportions, scarcely, however, sufficient to support life among
the famishing population, while their hides chopped and boiled were
greedily devoured. Green leaves were stripped from the trees, every
living herb was converted into human food; dogs and rats were caught and
eaten. Still, although papers offering a free pardon were sent into the
city, the inhabitants spurned them, and refused to listen to treacherous
promises of the foe.

The commandant was anxious to send a trusty messenger to the Prince, and
while pointing out the urgent necessity for relief, promising to resist
to the last.

"Will you return, Captain Van der Elst?" he asked of Karl, who was in
attendance on him. "I dare not order any man on so desperate an
undertaking, for the Spaniards keep a vigilant watch, and will have no
mercy on any one whom they capture."

"If it were to certain death, I would go," answered Karl. "And I place
my services at your disposal. At the same time the danger is not so
great as you suppose. Several of the forts in the lower ground have
been flooded, and the trenches filled with water, so that the Spaniards
have been compelled to evacuate them, and thus to those who are
acquainted with their position the way is far more open than it has been
heretofore, while numerous sentries at the outposts have been
withdrawn."

"To-night be prepared to set out; a skiff shall be in readiness having
served at sea, you know well how to manage her," answered the
commandant.

Karl took his leave, and repaired to the house of the burgomaster to
receive any message he might desire to send. He might have had another
motive. He found the chief magistrate and his daughter seated alone.
Though suffering from the severe privation she had undergone in common
with the rest of the population, if possible the Lily looked more lovely
than ever. She smiled as the young soldier entered, but her lip
trembled on hearing of the duty he had undertaken, yet not a word did
she utter to dissuade him from it.

"My prayers will be offered that Heaven protect you," she murmured, in a
low voice as he approached her, while the burgomaster was writing s