or me and for our cause, Heaven and your country will reward you beyond
your dreams. With the death of the Stadtholder my power in the
Netherlands will be supreme, and herewith, with my hand in yours, I
solemnly plight my troth to Gilda. She was the first woman I ever loved,
and I have never ceased to love her. Now she fills my heart and soul
even--at times--to the exclusion of my most ambitious hopes.
Nicolaes--my friend--it is in your power to save my life as well as your
own: an you will do it, there will be no bounds to my gratitude."

And Beresteyn replied calmly:

"The sacrifice which you ask of me I will make: I will take the risk for
the sake of my country and of my faith. To-morrow at noon I will come to
your lodgings and tell you in detail all the arrangements which I shall
have made by then. I have no fear for Gilda. I believe that Heaven has
guided my thoughts and footsteps to-night for the furtherance of our
cause."

After which the two men took final leave of one another: Stoutenburg's
tall lean form quickly disappeared under the doorway of the house,
whilst Beresteyn walked rapidly away up the street.

* * * * *

Now it was close on ten o'clock of New Year's morning. Nicolaes
Beresteyn had spent several hours in tossing restlessly under the warm
eiderdown and between the fine linen sheets embroidered by his sister's
deft hands. During these hours of sleeplessness a plan had matured in
his mind which though it had finally issued from his own consciousness
had really found its origin in the reckless brain of Willem van
Stoutenburg.

Beresteyn now saw himself as the saviour of his friends and of their
patriotic cause. He felt that in order to carry out the plan which he
firmly believed that he himself had conceived, he was making a noble
sacrifice for his country and for his faith, and he was proud to think
that it lay in his power to offer the sacrifice. That this same
sacrifice would have his own sister for victim, he cared seemingly very
little. He was one of those men in whose hearts political aims outweigh
every tender emotion, and he firmly believed that Gilda would be richly
rewarded by the fulfilment of that solemn promise made by Stoutenburg.

Exquisite visions of satisfied ambition, of triumph and of glory chased
away sleep: he saw his friend as supreme ruler of the State, with powers
greater than the Princes of Orange had ever wielded: he saw Gilda--his
siste