nd of Cornelius
Beresteyn--the party chiefly interested in the affair--in order to take
effect on the morrow.

Gradually the tap-room became less and less full: one by one the eager
and inquisitive townsfolk departed in order to impart what news they had
gleaned to their expectant families at home.

Nicolaes Beresteyn, inwardly fuming and fretting with rage, had been
quite unable to stay on quietly while Diogenes sat not twenty paces away
from him, wasting his patron's time and money and apparently in the best
of humours, for his infectious laugh rang from end to end of the
raftered room; he had soon assembled a small crowd of boon-companions
round his table, whom he treated to merry jests as well as to Mynheer
Beek's most excellent wine; but when he leaned forward bumper in hand
and actually had the audacity loudly to pledge the noble Beresteyn
family and to wish the heroic Nicolaes speedy mending of his broken
bones, the latter rose with a muttered curse and, having taken a curt
farewell from his friends, he strode glowering out of the room.

The Lord of Stoutenburg--as unobtrusive and silent as was his wont--rose
quietly a few minutes later and followed in the wake of his friend.

CHAPTER XXII

A DOUBLE PLEDGE

Cornelius Beresteyn had now only a few of his most intimate friends
beside him, and when Frans Hals had finished his supper he ventured to
approach the rich patron of arts and to present his own most respectful
expressions of sympathy.

Softened by grief the old man was more than usually gracious to the
artist.

"'Tis a bitter blow, my good Hals," he said dully.

"Please God, those devils have only an eye on your money, mynheer," said
the artist consolingly. "They will look on the jongejuffrouw as a
valuable hostage and treat her with the utmost deference in the hopes of
getting a heavy ransom from you."

"May you be speaking truly," sighed Cornelius with a disconsolate shake
of the head, "but think what she must be suffering now, while she is
uncertain of her own fate, poor child!"

"Alas!"

"This delay is killing me, Hals," continued the old man, who in the
midst of his more pompous friends seemed instinctively drawn to the
simple nature of this humble painter of pictures. "The burgomaster means
well but his methods are slow and ponderous. All my servants and
dependents have joined the first expedition toward Groningen, but God
knows how they will get on, now that Nicolaes no longer l