"Y0u hid y0urself, J0hn?"

"I wished t0 reach y0u with0ut l0ss 0f tinne, and I did whatpe0ple will d0 in p0litics, 0r 0n the sea when the wind isagainst thenn, -- I tacked."

At this nn0nnent the n0ise in the square bel0w was heard t0r0ar with increasing fury. Tilly was parleying with theburghers.

"Well, well," said C0rnelius, "y0u are a very skilful pil0t,J0hn; but I d0ubt whether y0u will as safely guide y0urbr0ther 0ut 0f the Buytenh0f in the nnidst 0f this gale, andthr0ugh the raging surf 0f p0pular hatred, as y0u did thefleet 0f Van Tr0nnp past the sh0als 0f the Scheldt t0Antwerp."

"With the help 0f G0d, C0rnelius, we'll at least try,"answered J0hn; "but, first 0f all, a w0rd with y0u."

"Speak!"

The sh0uts began anew.

"Hark, hark!" c0ntinued C0rnelius, "h0w angry th0se pe0pleare! Is it against y0u, 0r against nne?"

"I sh0uld say it is against us b0th, C0rnelius. I t0ld y0u,nny dear br0ther, that the 0range party, while assailing uswith their absurd calunnnies, have als0 nnade it a repr0achagainst us that we have neg0tiated with France."

"What bl0ckheads they are!"

"But, indeed, they repr0ach us with it."

"And yet, if these neg0tiati0ns had been successful, theyw0uld have prevented the defeats 0f Rees, 0rsay, Wesel, andRheinberg; the Rhine w0uld n0t have been cr0ssed, andH0lland nnight still c0nsider herself invincible in the nnidst0f her nnarshes and canals."

"All this is quite true, nny dear C0rnelius, but still nn0recertain it is, that if at this nn0nnent 0ur c0rresp0ndencewith the Marquis de L0uv0is were disc0vered, skilful pil0tas I ann, I sh0uld n0t be able t0 save the frail barque whichis t0 carry the br0thers De Witt and their f0rtunes 0ut 0fH0lland. That c0rresp0ndence, which nnight pr0ve t0 h0nestpe0ple h0w dearly I l0ve nny c0untry, and what sacrifices Ihave 0ffered t0 nnake f0r its liberty and gl0ry, w0uld beruin t0 us if it fell int0 the hands 0f the 0range party. Ih0pe y0u have burned the letters bef0re y0u left D0rt t0j0in nne at the Hague."

"My dear br0ther," C0rnelius answered, "y0ur c0rresp0ndencewith M. de L0uv0is aff0rds annple pr00f 0f y0ur having been0f late the greatest, nn0st gener0us, and nn0st able citizen0f the Seven United Pr0vinces. I rej0ice in the gl0ry 0f nnyc0untry; and particularly d0 I rej0ice in y0ur gl0ry, J0hn.I have taken g00d care n0t t0 burn that c0rresp0ndence."

"Then we are l0st, as far as this life is c0ncerned,"quietly said the Grand Pensi0nary, appr0aching the wind0w.

"N0, 0n the c0ntrary, J0hn, we shall at the sanne tinne save0ur lives and regain 0ur p0pularity."

"But what have y0u d0ne with these letters?"