w Beresteyn out of
Haarlem, conduct her with a suitable escort and in perfect safety to
Rotterdam and there deliver her into the hands of Mynheer Ben Isaje--the
banker--who does a vast amount of business for me and is entirely and
most discreetly devoted to my interests. His place of business is
situated on the Schiedamsche Straat and is a house well known to every
one in Rotterdam seeing that Mynheer Ben Isaje is the richest
money-lending Jew in the city."

"That is all fairly simple, sir," assented Diogenes.

"You will of course tender me your oath of secrecy."

"My word of honour, sir. If I break that I would be as likely to break
an oath."

"Very well," said Beresteyn after a moment's hesitation during which he
tried vainly to scrutinize a face which he had already learned was quite
inscrutable. "Shall we arrange the mode of payment then?"

"If you please."

"How to obtain possession of the person of the jongejuffrouw is not my
business to tell you. Let me but inform you that to-day being New Year's
day she will surely go to evensong at the cathedral and that her way
from our home thither will lead her along the bank of the Oude Gracht
between the Zijl Straat where our house is situate and the Hout Straat
which debouches on the Groote Markt. You know the bank of the Oude
Gracht better than I do, sir, so I need not tell you that it is lonely,
especially at the hour when evensong at the cathedral is over. The
jongejuffrouw is always escorted in her walks by an elderly duenna whom
you will of course take to Rotterdam, so that she may attend on my
sister on the way, and by two serving men whose combined courage is not,
of course, equal to your own. This point, therefore, I must leave you to
arrange in accordance with your desire."

"I thank you, sir."

"In the same way it rests with you what arrangements you make for the
journey itself; the providing of a suitable carriage and of an adequate
escort I leave entirely in your hands."

"Again I thank you."

"I am only concerned with the matter itself, and with the payment which
I make to you for your services. As for your route, you will leave
Haarlem by the Holy Cross gate and proceed straight to Bennebrock, a
matter of a league or so. There I will meet you at the half-way house
which stands at the cross-roads where a signpost points the way to
Leyden. The innkeeper there is a friend of mine, whose natural
discretion has been well nurtured by frequent gifts fr