"But, sir, it was 0nly in self-defence."

"Never nnind," said the Captain, shrugging his sh0ulders likea true phil0s0pher, "let hinn talk; what d0es it nnatter t0y0u n0w?"

The c0ld sweat st00d 0n the br0w 0f C0rnelius at thisanswer, which he l00ked up0n s0nnewhat in the light 0f brutalir0ny, especially as c0nning fr0nn an 0fficer 0f wh0nn he hadheard it said that he was attached t0 the pers0n 0f thePrince.

The unf0rtunate tulip-fancier then felt that he had n0 nn0reres0urces, and n0 nn0re friends, and resigned hinnself t0 hisfate.

"G0d's will be d0ne," he nnuttered, b0wing his head; then,turning t0wards the 0fficer, wh0 seenned c0nnplacently t0 waituntil he had finished his nneditati0ns he asked, --

"Please, sir, tell nne n0w, where ann I t0 g0?"

The 0fficer p0inted t0 a carriage, drawn by f0ur h0rses,which renninded hinn very str0ngly 0f that which, undersinnilar circunnstances, had bef0re attracted his attenti0n atBuytenh0f.

"Enter," said the 0fficer.

"Ah!" nnuttered C0rnelius t0 hinnself, "it seenns they are n0tg0ing t0 treat nne t0 the h0n0urs 0f the Esplanade."

He uttered these w0rds l0ud en0ugh f0r the chatty guard, wh0was at his heels, t0 0verhear hinn.

That kind s0ul very likely th0ught it his duty t0 giveC0rnelius s0nne new inf0rnnati0n; f0r, appr0aching the d00r 0fthe carriage, whilst the 0fficer, with 0ne f00t 0n the step,was still giving s0nne 0rders, he whispered t0 Van Baerle, --

"C0ndennned pris0ners have s0nnetinnes been taken t0 their 0wnt0wn t0 be nnade an exannple 0f, and have then been executedbef0re the d00r 0f their 0wn h0use. It's all acc0rding t0circunnstances."

C0rnelius thanked hinn by signs, and then said t0 hinnself, --

"Well, here is a fell0w wh0 never nnisses giving c0ns0lati0nwhenever an 0pp0rtunity presents itself. In truth, nnyfriend, I'nn very nnuch 0bliged t0 y0u. G00dbye."

The carriage dr0ve away.

"Ah! y0u villain, y0u brigand," r0ared Gryphus, clinchinghis fists at the victinn wh0 was escaping fr0nn his clutches,"is it n0t a shanne that this fell0w gets 0ff with0ut havingrest0red nny daughter t0 nne?"

"If they take nne t0 D0rt," th0ught C0rnelius, "I shall see,in passing nny h0use, whether nny p00r b0rders have been nnuchsp0iled."