kely to be true, entreated
that she would visit her perishing family. Without hesitation she
desired Margaret to return home and obtain such scanty provisions as
remained, while she accompanied the suppliant. Margaret, having
collected a small amount of food, hurried back to rejoin her mistress at
the address given by the woman who had spoken to her, but no living
beings were in the house; three corpses alone lay on the floor.
Margaret, without a moment's loss of time, went to all the neighbouring
houses, inquiring for the Vrouw Jaqueline, but no one had seen her.
Almost frantic she hurried through the streets of the city, but her
search was fruitless. At last she went back with the overwhelming
intelligence, which she entreated Berthold to break to his uncle. The
burgomaster, who had hitherto held out so bravely, for a moment seemed
stunned, but quickly recovering himself he directed Berthold to send all
the servants of the house to him, but no one was able to afford the
slightest information to account for Jaqueline's disappearance.

"I would lay my life that the Baron Van Arenberg has had something to do
with it," exclaimed Berthold. "If you will let me I will get Albert and
we will go to his house. We shall soon judge by the way he receives the
intelligence whether he knows anything about the matter." Berthold
received the leave he requested, while the burgomaster himself forthwith
sent a band of watchmen round in all directions through the town in
search of Jaqueline, while he called at numerous houses and visited all
the friends on whom he could rely to obtain their assistance in the
search. The first to make their appearance at his house were Albert and
Berthold.

"We were right," they exclaimed. "The baron's servants know nothing of
him; he left home at an early hour this afternoon, and has not since
returned. Most of his domestics, who were `Glippers,' have long ago
made their escape. The watchmen in the course of the night came in with
equally unsatisfactory reports--not a trace of the Vrouw Jaqueline had
been discovered."

"May God protect my child," exclaimed the burgomaster, bowing his head.
"She is beyond human aid."

No one would have believed from his appearance the next morning, when he
left his home to attend to his magisterial duties, that a deep domestic
sorrow had overtaken him. He started as he quitted his door, for there,
on the very threshold, lay a dead body, thus placed as if to