t?" queried Beresteyn sombrely. "What I did,
I did for you and for the triumph of your cause."

"I know, I know," replied Stoutenburg with a sigh, "may Heaven reward
you for the sacrifice. But I merely acted for mine own selfish ends, for
my ambition and my revenge. I love Gilda beyond all else on earth, yet I
saw her sacrificed for me and did not raise a finger to save her."

"It is too late for remorse," retorted Beresteyn roughly, "if Gilda had
been free to speak of what she heard in the cathedral on New Year's Eve,
you and I to-day would have had to flee the country as you fled from it
once before, branded as traitors, re-captured mayhap, dragged before the
tribunal of a man who has already shown that he knows no mercy. Gilda's
freedom would have meant for you, for me, for Heemskerk, van Does and
all the others, torture first and a traitor's death at the last."

"You need not remind me of that," rejoined Stoutenburg more calmly.
"Gilda has been sacrificed for me and by God I will requite her for all
that she has endured! My life, my love are hers and as soon as the law
sets me free to marry she will have a proud position higher than that of
any other woman in the land."

"For the moment she is at the mercy of that blackguard...."

"And I tell you that I can find out where she is."

"How?"

"The woman who accosted Gilda last night, who acted for the knave as a
decoy, was the Spanish wench whom he had befriended the night before."

"You saw her?"

"Quite distinctly. She passed close to me when she ran off after having
done her work. No doubt she is that rascal's sweetheart and will know of
his movements and of his plans. Money or threats should help me to
extract something from her."

"But where can you find her?"

"At the same lodgings where she has been these two nights, I feel sure."

"It is worth trying," mused Beresteyn.

"And in the meanwhile we must not lose sight of our knave. Jan, my good
man, that shall be your work. Mynheer Beresteyn will be good enough to
go with you as far as the tapperij of the 'Lame Cow,' and there point
out to you a man whom it will be your duty to follow step by step this
evening until you find out where he intends to pitch his tent for the
night. You understand?"

"Yes, my lord," said Jan, smothering as best he could an involuntary
sigh of weariness.

"It is all for the ultimate triumph of our revenge, good Jan," quoth
Stoutenburg significantly, "the work of watchin