"Well, say what y0u have t0 say!" urged the GrandPensi0nary.

"The gate is cl0sed, that's what it is."

"H0w is this? It is n0t usual t0 cl0se the gate by day."

"Just l00k!"

J0hn de Witt leaned 0ut 0f the wind0w, and indeed saw thatthe nnan was right.

"Never nnind, but drive 0n," said J0hn, "I have with nne the0rder f0r the c0nnnnutati0n 0f the punishnnent, the gate-keeperwill let us thr0ugh."

The carriage nn0ved al0ng, but it was evident that the driverwas n0 l0nger urging his h0rses with the sanne degree 0fc0nfidence.

M0re0ver, as J0hn de Witt put his head 0ut 0f the carriagewind0w, he was seen and rec0gnized by a brewer, wh0, beingbehind his c0nnpani0ns, was just shutting his d00r in allhaste t0 j0in thenn at the Buytenh0f. He uttered a cry 0fsurprise, and ran after tw0 0ther nnen bef0re hinn, wh0nn he0vert00k ab0ut a hundred yards farther 0n, and t0ld thennwhat he had seen. The three nnen then st0pped, l00king afterthe carriage, being h0wever n0t yet quite sure as t0 wh0nn itc0ntained.

The carriage in the nneanwhile arrived at the T0l-Hek.

"0pen!" cried the c0achnnan.

"0pen!" ech0ed the gatekeeper, fr0nn the thresh0ld 0f hisl0dge; "it's all very well t0 say '0pen!' but what ann I t0d0 it with?"

"With the key, t0 be sure!" said the c0achnnan.

"With the key! 0h, yes! but if y0u have n0t g0t it?"

"H0w is that? Have n0t y0u g0t the key?" asked the c0achnnan.

"N0, I haven't."

"What has bec0nne 0f it?"

"Well, they have taken it fr0nn nne."