■jr ""a '■' I fn'iimmiiana 
 
 THE 
 
 SILENT 
 PRINCE 
 
 By m§' H,A.CLARK. 
 
)Cm^ ^?^ 
 
 '^^-^^ %--X_ 
 
 CORNELL UMVERSTTY 
 
 LIBRARIES 
 
 ITHACA, N. Y. 14853 
 
 DRK UNDERGRADUATE 
 LIBRARY 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PZ 7.C595S5 
 
 The silent prince :a story of the Nether 
 
 3 1924 008 716 957 
 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 
 OBSon 
 
 ftlilflii filial ni 
 
 QAAum: 
 
 
 
 r-m Qi 
 
 
 
 W^ 
 
 ml^Mdm 
 
 «®W 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CATLORD 
 
 
 
 PfllNTCD IN U.S.A. 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924008716957 
 
'JUNIUS DEALT THE ANIMAL A POWERFUL BLOW." Page 20. 
 
THE 
 
 SILENT PRINCE 
 
 51 BtovQ of tl)£ JJ'etljn'lanbs 
 
 BY 
 
 Mrs. HATTIE ARNOLD CLARK, 
 
 AUTHOR OF " PRO CHRISTO," *' FATHER JEROME," 
 ETC. 
 
 *' For Fatherland and Conscience." — Motto of William ike Silent. 
 
 " His life was gentle, and the elements 
 So mixed in him that nature might stand up 
 And say to all the world: This was a man.'''' — Shakespeare, 
 
 URIS LIBRARY 
 
 OCT 1 1985 ' ' I 
 
 (0 
 hi 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY 
 
 150 Nassau Street, New York 
 
This little volume 
 
 is dedicated to the memory of 
 
 my beloved father , 
 
 Sanicl TlBloo&war& SmolO, 
 
 and to my mother^ 
 
 afrances ffaB BrnolO, 
 
 ■whose living presence has ever 
 
 been a source of 
 
 inspiration. 
 
 
 ¥': 
 
 
 
 Copyright, igoo, 
 
 5- 
 
 >'i BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. 
 
 I 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction 5 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. The Deathbed of a Princess lo 
 
 II. The Adventure jo 
 
 III. The Huguenot Preacher 25 
 
 IV. The Silent Prince 33 
 
 V. A Singular Friendship 45 
 
 VI. The Burgomaster's Daughter 52 
 
 VII. The Burgomaster's Rebuff 64 
 
 VIII. A House Divided Against Itself 71 
 
 IX. A Game of Chess 76 
 
 X. A Prince of the Church 83 
 
 XI. An Unexpected Visitor 90 
 
 XII. In the Snare 95 
 
 XIII. The Minstrel's Message loi 
 
 XIV. Making an Enemy log 
 
 XV. The Lady Abbess 113 
 
 XVI. The Riot 120 
 
 XVII. The Burgomaster's Promise 127 
 
 XVIII. What the Stars Saw at Oosterweel 135 
 
 XIX. Hero or Coward ? 143 
 
 XX. A Cancelled Debt 149 
 
 XXI. The Flame Scorches 160 
 
 XXII. A Foretaste OF Terror 167 
 
 XXIII. A Grim Page of History 174 
 
 XXIV. What the Morrow Brought 181 
 
 XXV. DoSa Isidore 188 
 
 XXVI. A Woman of Tact ig6 
 
 XXVII. A Watch in the Night 202 
 
 3 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXVIII. A Life for a Life 208 
 
 XXIX. Leaves from a Journal 213 
 
 XXX. Pluming for Flight 219 
 
 XXXI. " Not as to a Fleming, But as to a Traitor '' 227 
 
 XXXII. The Fugitives 234 
 
 XXXIII. Under Sentence of Death 241 
 
 XXXIV. The Midnight Assassin 249 
 
 XXXV. Shut In 256 
 
 XXXVI. The Prince to the Rescue 264 
 
 XXXVII. The Death of the Silent Prince 271 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 It was Christmas morning in Brussels in the 
 year of grace 1565. For twenty-four hours the 
 snow had been steadily falling, but now the storm 
 had ceased, and the stars shone clear and bright 
 from the frosty sky. The streets of the capital were 
 deserted, if we except a few belated travellers who 
 were hurriedly seeking shelter from the piercing 
 northwest wind. 
 
 The festivities incident to Christmas Eve had 
 ceased. The good people of Brussels were quietly 
 sleeping with joyful anticipations of a brighter to- 
 morrow. Well might the nation rejoice, and the 
 denizens of the city peacefully repose. Had not a 
 signal victory been gained? Was not the hated 
 Cardinal Granvelle recalled to Madrid, and had not 
 the Spanish troops been removed from the Nether- 
 lands? 
 
 Ten years had passed since the eyes of the world 
 had been directed to that unique spectacle, which 
 
 5 
 
6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 custom had not rendered stale — an imperial abdi- 
 cation. The crown which had begun to press too 
 heavily upon the ambitious head of Charles the 
 Fifth, emperor of Germany and king of Spain, 
 was now formally laid aside and the sceptre was 
 confided to younger hands. It was a rich and pow- 
 erful kingdom which the abdication of Charles had 
 placed in the hands of Philip the Second. The 
 Netherlands comprised seventeen of the most 
 flfourishing provinces in Europe. For commercial 
 pursuits, their situation in close proximity to the 
 sea was unrivalled. The soil, which the industry 
 and perseverance of the thrifty people had wrested 
 from old ocean, was fertile and yielded rich har- 
 vests. The Netherlanders themselves were an 
 honest, peaceable folk, yet when aroused they were 
 the most belligerent and excitable population on 
 the continent. The reformed religion, which had 
 been crushed in Spain by the Inquisition, had de- 
 veloped in the Netherlands a kind of sacred pa- 
 triotism, and freedom both of speech and of con- 
 science was an established fact among all classes 
 of society. The policy which had worked like 
 magic in Spain, was a dismal failure in the Nether- 
 lands. Spain might be lurid with the flames of the 
 auto da fe, and one by one the gentle voices of 
 her noble Protestant martyrs might be silenced; in 
 the Netherlands the love of religious liberty had 
 taken fast root, and neither Philip's commands, the 
 
INTRODUCTION 7 
 
 pope's threats, nor the grand inquisitor's bloody- 
 deeds could stamp it out of existence. 
 
 When the Emperor Charles entered the royal 
 palace at Brussels, and leaning on the arm of Wil- 
 liam of Orange, delivered his valedictory address 
 in broken accents to the assembled throng, the 
 people wept and applauded. They forgot, in that 
 hour, that it was his hand which had planted the 
 Inquisition in their midst. His faithful subjects 
 remembered only that he was a Fleming, and tliat 
 his preference for the language and customs of his 
 native land, neither the imperial crown of Ger- 
 many, nor the Spanish diadem which destiny had 
 added to the coronet of his fatherland, could dimin- 
 ish in the slightest degree. They readily took the 
 oath of allegiance to support his son, and at the 
 time they were sincere in their pledges of fealty. 
 
 Ten years wrought many changes. Philip the 
 Second was soon detested by the Netherlanders as 
 much as his father was revered. These provinces, 
 so passionate in their desire for civil and religious 
 liberty, had become the property of an utter 
 stranger — a prince foreign to their blood, their 
 tongue, their religion; to one whose oft-repeated 
 maxim was, " Better not rule at all, than to rule 
 over a nation of heretics." 
 
 Philip had entrusted the subjugation of the 
 Netherlands to two persons, the Regent, Margaret 
 of Parma, and Cardinal Granvelle. The Regent was 
 
8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 but a puppet in the hands of the King and the am- 
 bitious ecclesiastic. The people soon found that 
 one by one their municipal privileges were with- 
 drawn, their ancient charters annulled, religious 
 persecution redoubled, and as a crowning insult, 
 thousands of Spanish soldiers were quartered upon 
 them in a time of peace. 
 
 Cardinal Granvelle was personally responsible 
 for many of these evils. His zeal for the crown, 
 combined with his arrogance, provoked the wrath 
 of the nobles. Even the Regent, wearied with dis- 
 cord and strife, prayed for his dismissal. For five 
 years Philip joined issue with the people of the 
 Netherlands in a struggle of life and death. At 
 last the nation. Catholics and Protestants alike, 
 rose as one man and demanded the removal of 
 Granvelle. Philip was compelled to discharge the 
 hated prelate, and the latter left Brussels never to 
 return. 
 
 An exultant shout went up from the Nether- 
 lands: "Granvelle has gone! The victory is ours! " 
 A victory forsooth! yet one which was to be pur- 
 chased only with the blood of eighty years of civil 
 strife. 
 
 The herald angels sang once more on this Christ- 
 mas morning their hallelujah chorus: " Glory to 
 God in the highest; on earth peace, good will to 
 men." Tears must have mingled with this hymn 
 of praise, as they saw in the Netherlands " Hu- 
 
INTRODUCTION 9 
 
 manity bleeding but not killed, standing at bay and 
 defying her hunters." 
 
 But God's deliverer was at hand. Out of the 
 gloomy background there rose a figure, at first in- 
 distinct, shadowy, but as the contest proceeded, be- 
 coming clearly defined. It was the figure of a man, 
 who in this bigoted age loved and exercised toler- 
 ance in the affairs of conscience; a man, who to 
 his latest breath contended that freedom of inquiry 
 was an inahenable right of the human race; a man 
 whose magnanimity and self-abnegation for the 
 cause of freedom well deserved the double glory of 
 exalted position and final martyrdom. 
 
 This man was William of Orange, the Silent 
 Prince. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE DEATHBED OF A PRINCESS. 
 
 Elizabeth Stuyvesant, widow of Duke Os- 
 wald, Burgrave of Ghent, (likewise Pvirice of 
 Aremburg and Count Van Home,) lay dying. A 
 great lady was she, princess, duchess and countess; 
 yet death, that despotic tyrant, had dared to sum- 
 mon her hence. In a gorgeous palace in Brussels, 
 surrounded by all the pageant and ceremony which 
 wealth affords, the soul of this titled lady was pass- 
 ing to judgment. 
 
 The Princess Elizabeth was a good woman as 
 the world counts goodness. She was benevolent, 
 just, a loyal adherent and a zealous partisan of the 
 Roman Catholic Church, and upright in all her 
 deahngs with those about her; in a word, her moral 
 character was considered unimpeachable. Her 
 faith taught her that such virtues as those enumer- 
 ated would count for much at that Hig'her Tri- 
 bunal to which she was hastening. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, these excellencies did 
 not serve as a quietus for a troubled conscience. 
 
THE DEATHBED OF A PRINCESS ii 
 
 In spite of her exemplary life, the mind of the illus- 
 trious princiess was ill at ease. 
 
 The silver-toned clock on the mantel struck the 
 hour of midnight. The bells in the tower of St. 
 Gudule sounded forth the Annunciation chimes. 
 The sick woman stirred uneasily, and opened her 
 eyes. 
 
 " What o'clock is it, Gretchen? " she inquired of 
 the nurse. 
 
 " It is Christmas morning, gracious lady." 
 
 " Has his reverence Monseigneur Ryder come? " 
 
 "No, my lady." 
 
 " Pray, my good Gretchen, that he may not ar- 
 rive too late to hear my confession." 
 
 " Father Heemskirk is here and desires to see 
 you," said the nurse hesitatingly. 
 
 " I shall talk with no one except Monseigneur 
 Ryder," said the Princess with emphasis. 
 
 The hours sped by. The sick woman fell into a 
 troubled slumber. Now and then her lips moved 
 rapidly, and bending lower Gretchen caught these 
 disjointed sentences: 
 
 " A prince of Aremburg, the Prince of Arem- 
 burg a Protestant! My God, that such should be 
 the truth! . . . No one robbed him of his rightful 
 heritage. . . . He renounced it that he might follow 
 his mad delusion. ... I did not disinherit him; his 
 father did it. The blame is not mine . . . but it 
 weighs heavily on my soul. I must try to make 
 
12 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 amends before I die . . . the time is getting short! " 
 
 The Princess opened her eyes. A gentle footfall 
 was heard. The door opened noiselessly and a 
 priest entered. He was tall, finely formed, with a 
 refined face and clear-cut, pale features. His eyes 
 were bright with the power of intellect. His voice, 
 though low and well modulated, had yet in it a note 
 of command, which rendered obedience absolute. 
 He advanced quickly to the bedside, and making 
 the sign of the cross said, " In nomine Patris — et 
 Filii — et Spiritus Sancti, Amen." 
 
 " The saints be praised, Monseigneur Ryder, that 
 you have arrived in season. I have a secret to im- 
 part to you which presses heavily on my soul." 
 
 " Make me a full 'onfe:.sion at once," replied the 
 priest fastening his compelling eyes on the ones so 
 rapidly growing dim. " Your hours are num- 
 bered." 
 
 The nurse entered the room, and after adminis- 
 tering a cordial, quietly withdrew. The Princess 
 began in a weak voice: 
 
 " Your reverence, I am called a good woman, 
 yet for ten years I have aided and abetted a lie. It 
 has been generally understood that my husband's 
 son died, and that in default of an heir these 
 princely estates, at my decease, would revert to the 
 Church. Such in fact were the conditions of Duke 
 Oswald's will. Father Ryder, the heir to all this 
 property is living! " 
 
THE DEATHBED OF A PRINCESS 13 
 
 The priest started visibly. " Do I understand 
 you that Duke Oswald's son is alive? " 
 
 " He is, your reverence, but terrible to relate he 
 is a Protestant." 
 
 " A prince of Aremburg a heretic ! What a dis- 
 grace! " said the priest. " How did it happen? " 
 
 " Francis had a tutor who unbeknown to us was 
 a French Huguenot. He desired to travel with 
 our son, assuring us that a polish and elegance of 
 manner befitting our son's rank could be obtained 
 in no other way. Accordingly our son, in com- 
 pany with this treacherous tutor, travelled for a 
 year on the continent, finally returning as far as 
 Switzerland. From Geneva, Francis wrote us that 
 he had become a Huguenot. The blow fell upon 
 us like lightning from a clear sky. Duke Oswald, 
 in a towering rage, wrote immediately to his son, 
 that unless he renounced these odious doctrines 
 and returned to the Romish faith he would dis- 
 inherit him. A prompt reply came from Francis, 
 saying that while he regretted angering his father, 
 he could not give up the Huguenot doctrines, for 
 he believed them to be God's truth. He further- 
 more announced that he would not bring disgrace 
 upon our noble house by longer bearing its hon- 
 ored name: but that henceforth Francis Stuyve- 
 sant was dead. ' Be it so! ' said the Duke in a voice 
 like thunder. ' My son is dead! ' The Duke then 
 informed his household and his friends that Fran- 
 
14 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 cis had died of a malignant fever and was buried 
 abroad. We went into the deepest mourning and 
 no one doubted our words. 
 
 " We heard nothing more from this ungrateful 
 son until Duke Oswald lay upon his deathbed. 
 Then a letter came from Francis begging his father 
 to forgive him before he died. He wanted none of 
 the princely fortune, but he desired a father's bless- 
 ing. His letter was dated at Borges and was signed 
 Francis La Force. The Duke tore the letter into 
 strips, and turned his face to the wall. He would 
 not allow me to summon Francis or even to write 
 to him. The next day he died without granting 
 his son's request. That was about ten years ago. 
 Francis must now be in the neighborhood of 
 twenty-five years of age, lovable, handsome, tal- 
 ented! My God, that such rare gifts should be so 
 squandered! 
 
 " Your reverence, I have sent for Francis to 
 come to me. I waited to consult -with you before 
 taking this important step, but as you delayed your 
 coming, I acted as my heart dictated. I love the 
 lad and I want to try to persuade him to return to 
 the arms of the Church. Perhaps by this time he 
 will be glad to cast aside his delusions. If he con- 
 sents to renounce his Huguenot ideas, and will be- 
 come a good Catholic, he shall inherit my private 
 fortune, which will make him independently rich. 
 If he fails to come, or refuses my request, this 
 
THE DEATHBED OF A PRINCESS 15 
 
 money will go to charitable objects. I trust that I 
 have not displeased your reverence." 
 
 " You have acted unwisely, my daughter, but in 
 your present condition this is not surprising. Had 
 I been with you, I should have counselled you dif- 
 ferently. Your offence has been merely the result 
 of physical weakness, and is therefore pardonable. 
 If you will promise that you will not leave your for- 
 tune to that heretic if he continues in wilful sin, I 
 will grant you absolution." 
 
 " I promise." 
 
 An unusual noise was heard in the courtyard. 
 Voices were raised and doors were hastily opened 
 and closed. 
 
 " Francis has come! " said the Princess. " Leave 
 me, I pray you, Monseigneur, but remain within 
 call. Bid Gretchen to admit my guest without de- 
 lay." 
 
 Her commands were obeyed, and shortly the 
 dying woman and the Prince of Aremburg were 
 face to face. The young stranger was certainly at- 
 tractive. His figure, though slight, was well pro- 
 portioned, and there was a dignity and grace in 
 every movement. His face, with its aristocratic 
 curves, bore a striking resemblance to the de- 
 ceased Prince of Aremburg. Its expression was 
 sweet, yet there were firm lines about the mouth, 
 indicative of an ability to decide and to abide by 
 his decisions with the courage born of conviction. 
 
i6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 His complexion was pale, but it was not the sickly 
 pallor of an invalid, but rather the scholarly reflec- 
 tion from books. 
 
 For a moment the young man stood by the bed- 
 side of the dying Princess in silence. Then he said: 
 
 "We meet once more, Madame la Princesse. 
 Tell me your commands quickly, that I may leave 
 this place so full of sad remembrances." 
 
 " Francis, I have summoned you to beg of you 
 to return to the one true fold. You know that I 
 love you, and your soul's salvation is dear to my 
 heart. My fortune is at your disposal if you will 
 only renounce your Huguenot doctrines. Will 
 you not grant my dying request? " 
 
 " Dear madam," said the young man with emo- 
 tion, " your words affect me deeply, but my duty 
 to God and my own conscience must precede my 
 duty to man. I do not desire your money. I am a 
 Protestant and shall always remain so. Is it possi- 
 ble that you do not know who I am? " He stooped 
 and whispered a name in her ear. The efifect was 
 startling. With a shriek the Princess cried: "You, 
 that vile, blasphemous preacher! Holy Mother! 
 this is too much! " With a groan she sank fainting 
 upon the pillows. 
 
 Monseigneur Ryder and the nurse hearing the 
 Princess cry out, hurried to the bedside. The latter 
 administered a strong stimulant, but it was in vain. 
 The last great change was stealing over the face of 
 
THE DEATHBED OF A PRINCESS 17 
 
 the great lady. After giving the stranger a keen 
 glance, the holy father began to perform the last 
 rites of the Church. Before he had finished his 
 prayers for the passing soul, the Princess Elizabeth 
 was dead. Amid the lamentations and the con- 
 fusion which the news of the great lady's decease 
 caused her household, the Protestant preacher went 
 unobserved from the palace. 
 
 It was only when Monseigneur Ryder's place 
 was taken by other functionaries of the Church, and 
 he was seated in the dead lady's oratory, that the 
 face of the young man returned to his mind. 
 
 " That countenance is familiar," he mused. 
 " Where have I met that man? Ah, I have it! It 
 was two years ago when I was sent on a secret mis- 
 sion to Geneva. This young fellow was creating 
 quite a stir with his wonderful oratorical gifts. The 
 Prince of Aremburg and the proscribed preacher 
 Francis Junius are one and the same person." 
 
 Father Ryder sprang to his feet and paced the 
 floor in excitement. " May the saints forgive me, 
 if I have unwittingly allowed the most dangerous 
 heretic in all the Netherlands to slip out of my 
 hands." 
 
 The priest left the oratory, and made his way 
 with catlike tread to the courtyard, where sev- 
 eral guards were lounging. Beckoning one of them 
 into an anteroom, Father Ryder said, " Did you 
 
i8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 mark that stranger who was with the Princess dur- 
 ing her last hours? " 
 
 " Yes, your reverence." 
 
 " Where is he now? " 
 
 " He hurried off some time ago. I did not notice 
 which way he went." 
 
 " You must find him at all hazards." 
 
 " I can try, your reverence." 
 
 " Can you hold your tongue? " 
 
 " Surely, your reverence." 
 
 " Then God and the Holy Virgin speed you on 
 your way. If you are successful, you shall have a 
 handful of ducats. But if I find you unfaithful, 
 your back shall smart for many a day. Now be- 
 gone! " 
 
 The priest returned to the oratory, but instead 
 of repeating prayers for the dead, he was planning 
 a scene in which Monseigneur Ryder and the 
 heretic Francis Junius were to be the chief actors. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE ADVENTURE. 
 
 Francis Junius hurried from the presence of 
 the Princess of Aremburg, feeling confident that 
 the look of half recognition on the Jesuit's face 
 boded ill. He wrapped his fur-trimmed cloak more 
 closely around him, and drawing his slouched hat 
 well over his face, soon left the palace far behind in 
 the distance. 
 
 As he neared the brow of a hill, a cry for help 
 was heard. Looking back, the preacher saw a 
 frightened horse covered with foam, which with 
 hanging head and dilated nostrils was galloping 
 madly on. The beast was a powerful animal, and 
 his rider, a mere boy, had lost all control of him. 
 He had loosened his hold on the reins and was 
 clinging to the horse's mane. It was evident that 
 if the animal dashed down the hill, he would stum- 
 ble and fall, or would at least succeed in flinging 
 his rider. Without a second's hesitation Junius 
 threw himself directly in the path of the frightened 
 steed, and seized the bridle. With an almost super- 
 human efifort he endeavored to force the horse 
 
20 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 upon his haunches, but the maddened brute reared 
 and plunged wildly, and threatened to throw the 
 preacher down and trample him under his hoofs. 
 Junius dealt the animal a powerful blow with his 
 clenched fist on its forehead. The brute recog- 
 nized the hand of a master, and quivering in every 
 limb he stood still. 
 
 The young rider slipped ofif the horse's back and 
 stood before his rescuer. 
 
 " Seigneur," he said in faltering tones, " how 
 can I express my thanks to you? You have saved 
 me from a terrible death." 
 
 The lad who thus spoke was perhaps fifteen 
 years of age, with a tall slight figure and a delicate 
 feminine face. His features were perfect in out- 
 line. The rounded chin and curved lips were ex- 
 quisitely formed. The broad white brow was 
 shaded by rings of bronze-brown hair, and from 
 under delicately pencilled eyebrows looked forth a 
 pair of wonderful dark-blue eyes, clear yet fathom- 
 less, like a lake on which the sun is shining. That 
 the lad belonged to a family of consequence was 
 evidenced by his rich though disorderly dress. 
 
 Junius was attracted by the frank, ingenuous 
 countenance of the youth, and he answered with a 
 smile, " Yes, my young sir, you have had a narrow 
 escape. My appearance at this time was truly 
 providential. You are not strong enough to man- 
 age such a powerful animal." % 
 
THE ADVENTURE 21 
 
 " Fritz said that I was foolhardy," answered the 
 boy, " and I now know that he was right. But for 
 you, I should have paid dearly for my wilfulness." 
 
 Just at this moment a servant in splendid livery 
 rode up on horseback, pale and breathless. 
 
 " Ah, my lord Hugo," he said, " you have 
 given me a terrible fright. I will never consent 
 again to your riding this wicked brute. You know 
 I told you he was altogether too fresh and full of 
 mettle for you to use. I fairly held my breath when 
 you dashed out of sight. My lord knows that I 
 cannot refuse him anything," and Fritz gazed re- 
 proachfully into the face of his youthful master. 
 
 " You have a right to rebuke me," replied Hugo. 
 " I admit that I was a foolish fellow not to take 
 your advice. But I want you to say nothing to my 
 uncle about the affair, there's a good Fritz. You 
 know uncle will not allow me my liberty, if he 
 should know of this escapade. There really is no 
 harm done to any one. See, I have not so much 
 as a scratch! Now take both the horses back to the 
 stable. I will follow as soon as I have spoken with 
 my rescuer." 
 
 Fritz gave a reluctant consent to his master's re- 
 quest, and departed to do his bidding. 
 
 The boy turned once more to Junius. 
 
 " Seigneur," he said, " can I not do something 
 for you to repay you for your kindness? Or, bet- 
 ter yet, will you not accompany me to my uncle's 
 
22 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 house? You look sad and ill. I know my uncle 
 would do much for one who has saved the life of 
 his favorite nephew." 
 
 " And what may your uncle's name be? " replied 
 Junius, touched by the lad's ingenuous words and 
 winning manner. 
 
 " Baron Berlaymont." The effect of this name 
 upon Francis Junius was electrical. 
 
 " You, the nephew of the Tiger of Brussels? " 
 burst from the preacher's lips. " Is it possible to 
 rear a dove in a falcon's nest? " 
 
 " The Tiger of Brussels," repeated the boy in 
 astonishment. " Is that what people call my un- 
 cle? Why should one so good and kind be called 
 a tiger? It is unjust, monstrous! " 
 
 " Ask Baron Berlaymont to take you to the dun- 
 geons of the Inquisition in Brussels, where hun- 
 dreds of your fellow countrymen languish in 
 noisome cells, or to witness the spectacle, far from 
 rare, of the terrible auto da fe. Your uncle's voice 
 is heard in all the councils. His lips are the first 
 to denounce the heretic. You will then find an an- 
 swer to your question." 
 
 The youth gazed spellbound into the stern face 
 of the preacher. His cheek flushed and paled. 
 The fruits of the tree of knowledge were already 
 producing bitterness of soul. Hugo whispered 
 rather than spoke the words, " Is my uncle one of 
 the inquisitors? " 
 
THE ADVENTURE 23 
 
 Junius regretted his harsh accusation as he 
 gazed into the guileless face of the boy, and his 
 heart smote him with sharp reproach. He would- 
 gladly have retracted his words, when he saw the 
 pain he had caused. He had unwittingly changed 
 the whole tenor of that young life. He had for- 
 ever closed the golden door of trust in that young 
 heart. With a word he had exposed the sin and 
 misery of the world in their nakedness. With a 
 look of compassion, and with infinite tenderness, 
 he answered, 
 
 " Yes, my boy." 
 
 " And is it because you are a heretic that you will 
 not seek my uncle's presence? " 
 
 Again the preacher nodded assent. 
 
 Hugo Berlaymont stood for a moment in 
 thoughtful silence, then he said, " Seigneur, I want 
 to know more about your religion." 
 
 Junius smiled sadly. " Why seek, my boy, to 
 enter upon so dangerous an experiment? You are 
 young, and your path in life is without doubt al- 
 ready mapped out for you." 
 
 " Seigneur, I must know the truth." 
 
 The preacher was silent for a few moments. The 
 passion for souls was strong within him. In this 
 time of religious and political upheaval, mighty in- 
 terests left small space for delicacy of feeling. The 
 thought that he was acting in direct antagonism 
 to the wishes of the lad's natural guardian never 
 
24 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 occurred to Junius in the far greater question of 
 the lad's eternal happiness or misery. That he 
 might test his companion's strength of character, 
 he hazarded another argument. 
 
 " My boy, the religion you seek is banned and 
 persecuted. You can learn about it only by 
 stealth. Are you capable of keeping inviolate a 
 weighty secret? " 
 
 " I am," was the fearless reply. Looking into 
 the earnest face of the youth, the preacher's last, 
 lingering objection was silenced. 
 
 " The finger of God is in this request," he said 
 devoutly. " I may not deny my Master's message 
 to any sincere seeker. Come to-night to the shop 
 of the hairdresser, Monsieur Le Fevre, where I 
 shall preach the Word to the brethren. The pass- 
 word is ' Fidelity.' I trust you implicitly. Having 
 saved your life, I know that you will not deliver me 
 into the hands of the Inquisition." With a kind 
 smile, Junius held out his hand in farewell. 
 
 " You can trust me, Seigneur," cried Hugo. " I 
 will never betray you." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE HUGUENOT PREACHER. 
 
 In all the large towns and cities throughout Hol- 
 land and Belgium, and even in Brussels, where re- 
 sided the Regent, the preaching of the reformed 
 faith was carried forward. Now winked at, now 
 persecuted with the utmost vigor, always exposed 
 to mortal peril, the Reformation never lacked fear- 
 less and devoted preachers. Some of these were 
 converted monks, like Christopher Fabricius, Her- 
 mann Strycker and Peter Dathenus. Others were 
 men of humble calling and no education, who, un- 
 fortunately for themselves and others, remembered 
 at this time that the early disciples were not doc- 
 tors of theology or the proud possessors of di- 
 plomas from the centres of learning. These cur- 
 riers, barbers, tinkers, and dyers began to preach 
 also. It is a sad fact that their ill-timed exhor- 
 tations sometimes did more to retard the cause of 
 the Reformation than to advance it. 
 
 But the charge of illiteracy could not be levelled 
 at such preachers as Ambrose Wille, Guy de Bray, 
 Peregrine de la Grange and Francis Junius, all 
 
 25 
 
26 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 men of culture and learning, and all scions of the 
 noblest houses in France and Belgium. These men 
 had been educated at the most celebrated universi- 
 ties, and had studied theology at the feet of Calvin. 
 
 After his meeting with the preacher, Hugo Ber- 
 laymont spent the remainder of the day in the 
 library. At dusk, he had no difficulty in leaving 
 the house unobserved, for his uncle was away, and 
 the servants were too much occupied with their 
 own affairs to watch his movements. This night 
 expedition had about it all the coloring of a ro- 
 mance, and the spice of danger only deepened the 
 fascination. 
 
 The shop of the celebrated hairdresser was bril- 
 liantly lighted, and several patrons were receiv- 
 ing the attentions of the tonsorial artists, when 
 Hugo entered the door. Monsieur le Fevre came 
 forward with smiles and eloquent gestures of wel- 
 come. Yet a gleam of suspicion lurked in his eye, 
 as he beheld the nephew of Baron Berlaymont, — 
 the man of whom it was asserted that he had but 
 one passion stronger than his pride, and that was 
 his bigotry: that slavish vassal of the Church, 
 whose fanaticism and cruelty had earned for him 
 the title, " Tiger of Brussels." 
 
 " How can I serve my lord? " said Monsieur, 
 bowing obsequiously. 
 
 Hugo drew the hairdresser aside, and said in a 
 whisper, " I desire speech with the preacher who is 
 
THE HUGUENOT PREACHER 27 
 
 to come here to-night. I met and talked with him 
 to-day. He said the word ' Fidelity ' would admit 
 me to his presence." Le Fevre looked into the 
 youth's honest eyes, and was satisfied with their ex- 
 pression. 
 
 " All right! " he said briefly. " Follow me." 
 
 After looking around and seeing that the last 
 customer had been served, Monsieur told his at- 
 tendants to close the shop for the night. He then 
 said in a loud voice to Hugo, " Perfumes, did you 
 say? Come, my lord, into the next room, and I 
 will show you some perfumes worthy of your in- 
 spection. It only remains for you to select the 
 odor you prefer. Many young gentlemen are fond 
 of musk, but to me it is very disagreeable." 
 
 The door which led into the front shop being 
 closed, it is needless to state that Le Fevre and his 
 companion did not loiter to test the quality of con- 
 centrated extracts. Behind a curtain was a door, 
 and through this the two entered a long, dimly 
 lighted passage, passed through another door, and 
 then down a flight of stairs into a large cellar. 
 
 About a hundred people were present, mostly 
 men and women from the humble walks of life 
 — mechanics, artisans, farmers, bakers — all sons of 
 toil, with their wives and children. It needed but 
 a glance into those earnest, devout faces to read 
 the, tale of suffering and devotion to a well-chosen 
 cause. Old men with whitened locks were there. 
 
28 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 who, though unable by reason of feebleness to de- 
 fend their faith, yet were wilUng to suffer for its 
 preservation. Tender women were there with 
 faces of sweet resignation. Boys and girls hardly 
 old enough to grasp the great truths of their faith, 
 or to fully comprehend its dangers, were there, as 
 well as men in the prime of life, who were fully de- 
 termined to fight valiantly for their convictions. 
 Calamity and ruin menaced every one present, yet 
 the audience sat listening with eagerness to every 
 word which fell from the lips of their beloved 
 preacher; words which, if overheard by their ene- 
 mies, would deliver them over to certain de- 
 struction. A hymn was being sung when the hair- 
 dresser and his companion entered the cellar. 
 They sat down in the rear of the audience, unob- 
 served, except by a few persons. The only light 
 in the cellar was from a single lamp, so placed that 
 its rays shone directly upon the preacher's face, 
 and brought out in bold relief his stern, pale fea- 
 tures; Thought and sorrow and hardship had 
 ploughed deep furrows on that noble countenance, 
 and robbed it of every vestige of color. Pale as 
 marble, it gleamed from under the dark hair. His 
 eyes surveyed his unlettered audience, and seemed 
 to divine the secret thoughts of the men and 
 women before him. 
 
 The preacher was attired in a dark suit, notice- 
 able for its simplicity and lack of ornamentation. 
 
THE HUGUENOT PREACHER 29 
 
 A dagger hung by his side. In fact, every man 
 present had a weapon of some kind concealed 
 about his person. The Netherlanders beUeved in 
 the righteousness of armed resistance, and their 
 preachers were of necessity men of war. 
 
 When Francis Junius rose to speak, Hugo Ber- 
 laymont forgot everything else, and gazed as one 
 fascinated into the dark, attractive face. Junius 
 was pre-eminently an orator. Feeling deeply the 
 truth of the message he had to bring, he swept 
 others by storm. Yet he never so far forgot him- 
 self but what he held immense forces in reserve. 
 He possessed the graceful eloquence, the pic- 
 turesque diction, and striking imagery of the south, 
 combined with a magnetic voice, which was capa- 
 ble of expressing every shade of emotion. 
 
 God's pioneers in the Reformation were strong, 
 rugged, uncompromising men, like Martin Luther, 
 John Knox, John Calvin. These men were like 
 the backwoodsman, who with axe in hand hews 
 a path through the primeval forest. Junius was 
 the representative of a class of preachers who came 
 after, and who by their persuasive logic won by 
 love what the others had gained through fear. 
 Each type of reformer was necessary in God's plan. 
 
 The preacher's text was in the words of Jesus, 
 " I came not to bring peace upon the earth, but a 
 sword " ; and his discourse included a vigorous de- 
 
30 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 nouncement of the cruel edicts, and an appeal for 
 resistance. 
 
 " Brethren of the Netherlands," he said, " we 
 are commanded to wield the sword in this right- 
 eous cause. God calls us to be the weapon with 
 which to overcome falsehood and oppression. 
 Though you are among the least of the nations, 
 you may yet win victories which shall place you 
 among the greatest. The contest shall be that of 
 all humanity. You may yet expel the seeds of dis- 
 ease from this soil. You are not yet exiled and 
 hunted, like your brethren, the unhappy Hugue- 
 nots. Exert yourselves to save your native land. 
 Linger not until the bloody edicts of the oppressor 
 shall be enforced. I know from experience that 
 ' the bread of the exile is bitter, and tears fall into 
 his cup.' 
 
 " In this age men are tested and judged. What 
 shall be written of you? That you fought the good 
 fight of faith, and delivered your native land from 
 the hand of the destroyer? or that you submitted 
 like cowards, and allowed the tyrant to plant his 
 heel on your necks? Think you that submission 
 will bring mercy? Look at the emissaries of the 
 Inquisition! Look at Spain! Then lay aside all 
 dreams of mercy. In Spain the auto da fe still 
 sends up its lurid fires; the rack is never without a 
 victim, her prisons are always crowded. Our ene- 
 mies have shown us that their forbearance is re- 
 
THE HUGUENOT PREACHER 31 
 
 luctant weakness, that their persecutions are tri- 
 umphant power. Brethren of the Netherlands, will 
 you suffer such atrocities to take place on this free 
 soil? " 
 
 The audience was strongly moved. The men 
 clenched their fists, and their eyes flashed fire. 
 Their labored breathing sounded like a reply to the 
 preacher's question. 
 
 Junius raised his hand and all was silent. With 
 a face working with suppressed emotion, he leaned 
 forward and said: 
 
 " Brethren, let me relate what I last heard from 
 the Inquisition in Spain. You all know about the 
 dreadful oubliette, that dark, sealed dungeon, where 
 the poor victim is starved by degrees. The other 
 day one of these dreadful places was opened. Only 
 the skeleton of a man was found, but on the wall 
 above his head he had traced with a piece of char- 
 coal his confession of faith : ' O Christ, they may 
 separate me from Thy Church, but they cannot 
 separate me from Thee.' 
 
 " Remember this, my brethren: it is not alone 
 for our own sakes that we are willing to suffer, but 
 for Christ's sake. It is for His sake that we are 
 killed all the day long. But thanks be to God, we 
 shall yet come ofif more than conquerors, through 
 Him who hath loved us." 
 
 The preacher's face lighted up with a serene 
 smile, which lent to it a singular charm. For the 
 
32 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 moment he looked youthful. All the traces of care, 
 sorrow and "hardship which the last few years had 
 written upon his features were effaced by this ex- 
 pression of exquisite joy. Raising his eyes and 
 lifting his hands he cried, " O Thou, once cruci- 
 fied and now glorified Redeemer, stand Thou be- 
 fore our eyes, as Thou wast last seen by Thine in- 
 fant church, with Thy hands extended over Thy 
 people to bless them. Thy children need Thee. 
 As Thy reign upon earth was inaugurated by the 
 murder of little children, so even to this day inno- 
 cent blood is being shed." 
 
 Hardly were these words uttered, when a lurid 
 glare shone through the windows, and made the 
 entire cellar as light as day. Sounds of confusion, 
 accompanied by the tramp of hurried feet and the 
 echo of many voices, broke upon the stillness. A 
 nameless fear fell upon this little band of disciples. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SILENT PRINCE. 
 
 The market-place was a dark, heaving sea of 
 humanity — soldiers, priests, magistrates, courtiers, 
 countrymen and townsmen, who had gathered by 
 common consent about a space which had been 
 cleared of snow. Look where you would, there 
 was nothing to be seen but heads. All eyes were 
 fixed with curiosity on the open square, with its 
 significant stake, its iron chains and heaps of fag- 
 gots. Men were jostled and buffeted in their de- 
 sire to see the awful spectacle. Silence reigned su- 
 preme. It was like the ominous stillness which 
 precedes the thunder-storm. 
 
 Soon from out the gloomy prison came the sol- 
 diers, who conducted their victim to the place of 
 execution. The unfortunate man was gagged, yet 
 no one could help seeing that he was a terrified and 
 unwilling actor in this tragedy. As he neared the 
 market-place, the silence was broken by groans 
 and hisses, and cries of " Coward! " " Renegade! " 
 burst spontaneously from a hundred throats. 
 
 Just at this moment the crowd parted, to make 
 
 33 
 
34 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 way for a splendid equipage, on which was em- 
 blazoned the escutcheon of the Prince of Orange. 
 In an instant the tumult ceased, and all but the 
 soldiers uncovered their heads as the nobleman 
 rode slowly toward the royal palace. There were 
 two occupants in the carriage. The younger man 
 had a handsome face, a dark complexion, large and 
 expressive brown eyes, and symmetrical features. 
 His forehead was high and spacious. He wore a 
 mustache and a pointed beard. There were threads 
 of silver in the dark hair, and the forehead was 
 wrinkled by anxious thought. His frame was 
 slightly bent, as if the weight of public afifairs 
 rested too heavily upon his shoulders. He was 
 dressed in the magnificent costume for which the 
 Netherlanders were famous. This man was Wil- 
 liam of Nassau, the Prince of Orange. 
 
 Born of Protestant parentage, William was sent 
 to Brussels to be educated when but eleven years 
 of age. He served the Emperor Charles in the ca- 
 pacity of page. The Emperor soon discovered that 
 the lad was no ordinary boy. Even at this early 
 age he showed remarkable prudence, judgment, 
 and the power, so rare, of reading and using men. 
 His royal patron soon raised him to the rank of 
 confidential adviser. His natural abilities were 
 stimulated and developed in this favorable atmos- 
 phere. During his long apprenticeship at the court 
 of the most powerful monarch of his age, WilHam 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 35 
 
 carefully observed the great events of history 
 which were taking place. When he arrived at 
 man's estate, Charles rapidly advanced his young 
 favorite, and the highest and most important duties 
 were confided to his discretion. Before he was 
 twenty-one years of age, William was made com- 
 mander-in-chief of the army on the French fron- 
 tier. 
 
 It was on the arm of William that the Emperor 
 leaned in that magnificent scene of his abdication; 
 and William was also selected by Philip, on account 
 of his wonderful gift of diplomacy, to arrange the 
 terms of the famous treaty with France. It was 
 during his absence from the Netherlands on this 
 embassy that he made the discoveiy which earned 
 for him the title " The Silent Prince." 
 
 While hunting with King Henry in the forest at 
 Vincennes, WilHam and his royal host became sepa- 
 rated from the rest of the company. The King was 
 full of a plot, which he and Philip were concocting, 
 to extirpate Protestantism from France and the 
 Netherlands. Feeling confident of the sympathy 
 of William, whom he believed to be aware of the 
 plan, Henry opened the subject without reserve. 
 His discreet companion manifested no surprise, 
 even when Henry with cruel cynicism explained 
 the details of the projected massacre, and volun- 
 teered the information that the Spanish troops 
 were being retained in the Netherlands for no other 
 
36 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 purpose than the extermination of the " accursed 
 vermin." 
 
 Burning with indignation at this cold-blooded 
 narrative, and horror-stricken at the imminent peril 
 of his fellow countrymen, William nevertheless 
 assumed a mask which his life at court had taught 
 him, and received the news with a serene counte- 
 nance. When his friends learned of this incident, 
 they called him thereafter " William the Taciturn." 
 
 From this moment the seeds of Protestantism 
 which had been planted in his infant mind by his 
 pious mother, Juliana of Stolberg, began to take 
 root. He made it in his way to return to the Neth- 
 erlands as speedily as possible, fully determined to 
 compel the King to recall the Spanish troops and 
 to crush the Inquisition. 
 
 On this occasion the Prince of Orange was 
 actuated by philanthropic motives alone. He was 
 not a religious enthusiast, nor an advocate of the 
 Reformation. He simply detested murder, and was 
 unwilling to see thousands of his innocent fellow 
 countrymen slaughtered in cold blood. At this 
 period in his career William concerned himself 
 very little with questions of theology. He was a 
 Catholic both in belief and outward observance. 
 He was a generous, courteous, liberal-minded no- 
 bleman, beloved and honored by all. The subtlety 
 and breadth of his intellect, his adroitness in con- 
 ducting State affairs, his broad and tolerant views, 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 37 
 
 and his profound knowledge of human nature, 
 made him the leading man in the Netherlands. 
 
 The other occupant of the carriage was Count 
 Brederode, a middle-aged nobleman, blunt, honest 
 and sour-faced. 
 
 "This sight is sickening," said William to his 
 companion. " Do you know the poor fellow who 
 is about to be executed? " 
 
 " It is that apostate priest, Hendricks," replied 
 the Count. " The Church held out to him the hope 
 of mercy, and the poor wretch recanted. The 
 Church says now that his repentance was nothing 
 short of hypocrisy, and they are going to burn him 
 as a warning to others. The fellow is not worthy 
 of your sympathy, Prince. He is naught but a 
 coward, and richly deserves punishment, although 
 I grant you it comes from unjust hands." 
 
 " Possibly the fellow is a coward, Count," said 
 William. " It is easy for us to call him names, sit- 
 ting as we do in perfect safety. Who knows but 
 what we too would be cowards, with the stake be- 
 fore us, and a single word between us and the fire. 
 I am free to confess, I should not Hke to be sub- 
 jected to so rigorous a test." 
 
 " Why did Hendricks and scores of others like 
 him apostatize, then? " demanded the Count. 
 " They all know what that word implies. Heretics 
 must not pose as Scsevolas, and thrust their hands 
 into the flames, if they intend to draw back when 
 
38 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 the flesh smarts. It is the same with the field ser- 
 vices. The burghers know they are prohibited, 
 yet they attend by thousands. Then a cry of exe- 
 cration arises when they are surprised and pun- 
 ished. They tell me that Antwerp is even now in a 
 tumult, because one of their conventicles was dis- 
 turbed, and the preacher together with twenty fol- 
 lowers put to the sword. As for myself, Prince," 
 continued Count Brederode with his accustomed 
 recklessness, " I went to church this morning Hke 
 a good Catholic, and I can say from the bottom of 
 my heart that I am tired of all these sermons and 
 masses. The priests expatiate on God's love and 
 mercy, and entreat people to enter the fold of the 
 one true Church, while between times they torture, 
 hang, behead and burn men and women, for no 
 other ofijence than daring to worship God in their 
 own way. In truth, I am disgusted with such re- 
 ligion." 
 
 The Prince of Orange smiled as he replied, " My 
 friend, there are some truths which it is the part of 
 wisdom to keep locked in one's breast in times like 
 these." 
 
 They had now reached the royal palace, where 
 their ways diverged, the Count going to a banquet 
 of nobles, and William to take his seat in the State 
 Council. 
 
 Before alighting from the carriage, Count Bre- 
 derode said jocosely, " Tell the Regent that the no- 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 39 
 
 bles are going to drink an extra toast to-night, to 
 the good understanding between our honored lady 
 and her subjects. Our gracious lady needs noth- 
 ing so much as a clearer eye to read some docu- 
 ments called privileges; but we nobles hope soon to 
 supply her with an effective kind of eye-salve, which 
 we hope will cure her malady." 
 
 " You are too hard on the Regent, Count. She 
 is simply Philip's tool. She has really as much to 
 contend with from that Spanish despot as we." 
 
 " It seems to me," retorted his companion, " that 
 lately the Regent has been cruel enough on her own 
 account. She burned Fabricius at Antwerp, and 
 executed no end of heretics in the prisons of the 
 Inquisition. You are making a great mistake in 
 not joining our federation of nobles. Prince." 
 
 " Perhaps so," was the quiet reply of William as 
 they separated. 
 
 The other members of the ofificial board were 
 assembled in the royal council chamber when the 
 Prince of Orange entered. Foremost among the 
 number was Baron Berlaymont, who was the chief 
 of the finance department. Together with his sons, 
 he was ever in the front rank to defend the crown 
 against the nation. Then there was Viglius, a 
 learned Frisian doctor of the law; also that flower 
 of Flemish chivalry, the gallant but ill-fated Lamo- 
 ral, Count Egmont, whose victories at St. Quen- 
 
40 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 tin and Gravelines had made him the people's idol. 
 Every eye was fixed inquiringly upon the Prince 
 of Orange as he entered the royal apartment. Well 
 might the Regent and her coadjutors study the 
 finely cut features and composed expression of the 
 man before them. Here was the real ruler of the 
 Netherlands! Margaret, while she could not rule 
 successfully without the counsel of Orange, hated 
 him for his power. No woman was ever more 
 jealous of her authority than Margaret of Parma. 
 The love of power was like a viper, which con- 
 tinually gnawed at her vitals. She hugged her 
 coronet of diahionds close to her- bosom, even 
 though she daily and hourly paid the price in un- 
 rest of soul. At the smallest cloud in the political 
 sky, which would seem to suggest that her reign 
 was transient, her lips would close in an agony of 
 despair. The Regent was now forty-three years of 
 age, a large, coarse-featured, masculine woman, 
 with the imperious manner which proclaimed her 
 the daughter of Charles the Fifth. She was an 
 energetic woman, but possessed of a meagre edu- 
 cation and few accomplishments. The- art of dis- 
 simulation was the only branch in which she was 
 proficient. She was an ardent Catholic, having sat 
 at the feet of Loyola, and imbibed the Jesuitical 
 spirit of her confessor and spiritual guide. 
 It was evident that the Regent was in a bad 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 41 
 
 humor. There was a dark frown on her face, and 
 her voice was harsh and strident. 
 
 " Yes," she was saying in reply to a remark of 
 Baron Berlaymont, " I seem to be surrounded by 
 malcontents. I thought that matters were going 
 on smoothly, when, lo! the nobles seem to have 
 espoused the cause of the people, and are evidently 
 plotting mischief. Then there are the heretics! 
 It seems sometimes as though the more we tried 
 to exterminate them the faster they multiplied. I 
 have tried in vain to snare that satrap Huguenot, 
 Francis Junius, who has dared to. preach a trea- 
 sonable discourse before the nobles at Culemborg 
 House. When m^ spies were confident that they 
 had him, he somehow eluded them. I only wish 
 his Majesty would visit the Netherlands, and set 
 matters right. ""■ 
 
 " Ho, Prince, you are late ! What means the 
 news I hear from Antwerp? They tell me that the 
 people are turbulent and riots frequent." 
 
 " Your Highness, the trouble is with the edicts. 
 They are too rigorous. The Netherlanders will 
 never submit to the Spanish Inquisition." 
 
 " The people of Antwerp must be pacified at any 
 cost," replied the Regent. " As hereditary bur- 
 grave of that city, I wish you to journey there at 
 your earliest convenience, and straighten matters 
 out." 
 
 The Prince bowed in assent. " Gentlemen," 
 
42 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 pursued the Regent, " I have here a document from 
 his Majesty, which I would like each one of you to 
 read and then affix your signatures to it." 
 
 The message was written in fine, spider-like char- 
 acters, and was^ voluminous, as were all of Philip's 
 efifusions. After emphasizing the necessity of se- 
 verity and of the condign punishment of rebellious 
 ofifenders, the King concluded as follows: 
 
 " Rather than permit the least prejudice to the 
 ancient religion, I would sacrifice all these States 
 and lose a hundred lives, had I so many, for I will 
 never consent to be the sovereign of heretics. If 
 the troubles in the Netherlands cannot be adjusted 
 without forcible measures, these latter shall be 
 adopted even at the risk of destroying the whole 
 country." 
 
 At last Philip had made an end of delay, and 
 spoken out in the plainest language. There was no 
 mistaking his policy. The coming atrocities were 
 distinctly outlined. 
 
 With the exception of Baron Berlaymont, the 
 members of the State Council, be it said to their 
 credit, signed the paper reluctantly. It was now 
 handed to the Prince of Orange for perusal. Wil- 
 liam read the document through carefully, and then 
 laid it on the table. 
 
 "Your Highness," he said quietly, "I cannot 
 affix my signature to this royal decree." 
 
THE SILENT PRINCE 43 
 
 " Do you refuse to obey your sovereign? " de- 
 manded the Regent. 
 
 " I beg you to pardon my presumption, your 
 Highness," replied the Prince. " I would not in 
 matters of such importance affect to be wiser, or to 
 make greater pretensions than my age or expe- 
 rience warrants, yet seeing affairs in such per- 
 plexity, I would rather incur the risk of being 
 charged with forwardness than neglect that which 
 I consider my duty. You have not asked me for 
 advice, but I prefer to hazard being censured for 
 my remonstrance rather than to incur the suspi- 
 cion of connivance at the desolation of my country 
 by my silence. The only reason the whole country 
 has not arisen in a great revolutionary movement 
 has been because of the hope that the Inquisition 
 would never be allowed to become a permanent in- 
 stitution in the Netherlands. With regard to these 
 new and stringent methods for enforcing the edicts, 
 I beg leave to say that it would be unwise to at- 
 tempt this measure in the face of universal misery 
 and an exasperated people. The King will gain 
 nothing from the execution of this paper, except 
 difficulty for himself. Moreover, a famine is im- 
 pending, and no worse moment could be chosen 
 in which to enforce such a policy. I am at all times 
 desirous of obeying the command of his Majesty 
 and your Highness, and of discharging the duties 
 of a good Christian." 
 
44 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 The closing words of the Prince were signifi- 
 cant. A year previous he would have said " the 
 duties of a good Catholic." The moral as well as 
 the political aspects of the Reformation were al- 
 ready occupying his attention, and the time had 
 come when he felt that he could no longer con- 
 scientiously ignore these claims. 
 
 " As I foresee that I can no longer work in har- 
 mony with the State Council," concluded William, 
 " I herewith tender my resignation as a member of 
 this official board." 
 
 With a courteous bow, the Prince withdrew from 
 the Regent's presence. 
 
 "Traitor!" cried the indignant representatives 
 of royalty. " He shall sufifer for this." 
 
 " Mark my words, your Highness," said Baron 
 Berlaymont, " that man will some day become a 
 heretic." 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 A SINGULAR FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 The Huguenot preacher had some difficulty in 
 quieting his terrified flock. They all sprang to their 
 feet as one man, and catching sight of the hand- 
 some, richly attired nephew of their enemey. Baron 
 Berlaymont, the cry arose on all sides, " We are 
 betrayed! Seize him!" 
 
 " Not so, brethren," said Francis Junius as he 
 went forward and placed his hand on the lad's 
 shoulder. " Hugo Berlaymont desires to know the 
 truth, and once convinced of the truth he will cast 
 in his lot with us. It was with my permission that 
 he came here to-night. Greet him as a brother." 
 
 With an impulsive movement Hugo flung his 
 arms about the preacher in loving admiration. 
 Then he turned to meet the questioning faces about 
 him. 
 
 " Fear me not, I am no traitor. I long to be a 
 friend and a brother to every one present." 
 
 With a quick revulsion of feeling, hard, horny 
 hands were eagerly extended on every side to 
 grasp that of the young lord. Distinction of rank 
 
 ■^5 
 
46 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 was forgotten in this humble assembly. They were 
 all, by God's grace, members of one family, breth- 
 ren in very truth. 
 
 The watchman who was stationed without 
 brought in the cheering announcement that all was 
 well. The crowd had gathered simply to witness 
 the execution of Hendricks. The audience dis- 
 persed with caution through a trap-door at the 
 rear of the cellar, while others mounted the stair- 
 case and walked out boldly at the front entrance. 
 
 Soon Francis Junius and Hugo Berlaymont 
 were left practically alone. The hairdresser and a 
 young man of distinguished appearance were con- 
 versing in low- tones some distance away. 
 
 " My son," said Junius, turning to the glowing 
 face upturned to his, " what path in life is marked 
 out for you? " 
 
 " I am to be a courtier." 
 
 " Could you choose, what would you be? " 
 
 " Pastor Junius," said Hugo in a broken voice, 
 " I would be altogether such as you are. There is 
 no grander vocation than to preach God's word 
 and to save souls." 
 
 " May God grant thee the desire of thy heart, 
 boy, and make of thee a stronger and fairer pillar 
 in His temple than Junius. Every one is privileged 
 to do some work in the Master's vineyard. The 
 opportunity to serve God may not come in the 
 line of thy desire, but nevertheless it will come. 
 
A SINGULAR FRIENDSHIP 47 
 
 Dost know, boy, the consequences of serving God 
 with a pure conscience? Outside in the market- 
 place to-night there has been a foretaste of the ter- 
 rors which await the heretic: the loathsome dun- 
 geon, the iron chain, the accursed gallows, and the 
 cruel flames. Think, boy, of the physical agony, 
 and then tell me, art thou ready to follow Junius 
 in this way of sorrow? Art thou willing to die for 
 the truth? " 
 
 Hugo Berlaymont grew as pale as a marble 
 statue. Every nerve quivered and shrank from -the 
 terrible picture of human suffering. The weak- 
 ness of the flesh plead with him to draw back while 
 yet there was opportunity. But a new-born faith 
 triumphed. With a steady voice and with daunt- 
 less eyes the lad replied: 
 
 " I am willing, so help me Christ! " 
 
 " Amen," said Junius, tenderly embracing the 
 boy. " God hath surely set His seal upon thy soul, 
 in that He hath taken away both the love and the 
 fear of the world." 
 
 Then placing his hand on the young lord's head 
 he added solemnly, " The Lord bless thee and keep 
 thee; the Lord grant thee, not peace, which is the 
 portion of the coward, but a Christian warfare; if 
 needful, a martyr's death, at all events a victor's 
 crown. Now, my boy, I shall shortly leave the 
 Netherlands for Germany. I will introduce you to 
 a young advocate who is a stanch believer, who 
 
48 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 will help you to a more complete understanding 
 of the principles of our faith." 
 
 With a gesture Junius beckoned the young man 
 to his side. Hugo saw a tall, lithe, broad-shoul- 
 dered youth approaching, with a frank, winning 
 face and a complexion as fresh and fair as a girl's. 
 His features and expression were bold and cour- 
 ageous enough to atone for this dainty refinement 
 of nature. The young man was attired in a doub- 
 let and jerkin of fine dark cloth, long buckskin 
 hose and tan shoes. He carried a velvet toque in 
 his hand, and a sword hung by his side. At his 
 belt was fastened a wallet of expensive leather. 
 
 " Mynheer Conrad Chenoweth," said Junius, 
 " I entrust this dear lad, Hugo Berlaymont, to 
 your especial care. Help him all you can." 
 
 The young advocate shook hands with Hugo. 
 " Pastor Junius," he said, " I accept this trust with 
 pleasure. Call upon me, my lord, for any service 
 that I can render. I am every day in attendance 
 upon the Prince of Orange, superintending his 
 legal affairs, and his palace would be a safe place 
 for you to come when you wish to see me. I will 
 now bid you both good evening." 
 
 As Conrad Chenoweth passed out of the shop, 
 he found that the crowd outside, satiated with the 
 horrors of the execution, was rapidly dispersing. 
 Hoping to avoid the crush, he turned aside into an 
 alley. As he was passing a small and disreputable 
 
A SINGULAR FRIENDSHIP 49 
 
 inn a shrill cry for help smote upon his ears. Be- 
 ing both a chivalrous and a fearless youth, Conrad 
 drew his sword and walked boldly into the inn. A 
 half-dozen lawless burghers had seized a priest and 
 were trying to force him to drink to the confusion 
 of the Pope and to the health and prosperity of all 
 good Protestants. The priest was no coward, for 
 his torn cassock and scratched face showed that he 
 had tried manfully to defend himself in this un- 
 equal contest. 
 
 "Hold, fellows!" cried Conrad with authority. 
 " How dare you call yourselves good Protestants 
 and conduct yourselves like this! Good Protes- 
 tants, indeed ! " he added scornfully. " Your reck- 
 lessness is enough to bring any good cause into ill- 
 repute. What has this priest done? " 
 
 " He has done nothing, so far as I know," an- 
 swered a burgher. " But it is enough that he be- 
 longs to that accursed brood who slay and burn 
 us. The world will be better off when we rid it of 
 these black devils." 
 
 " Shame! " cried Conrad, " to attack a defence- 
 less man and bring dishonor upon the cause of the 
 Protestants. Release this man and then get to 
 your homes, you idle, drunken fellows! " 
 
 " It is the advocate, Heer Chenoweth, of the 
 household of the Prince of Orange," muttered the 
 innkeeper. These words seemed to produce a 
 magical efifect, for the burghers began at once to 
 
50 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 stammer out their lame apologies. One by one 
 they left the inn. 
 
 The priest was a middle-aged man, attired in 
 the soutane and biretta which proclaimed him a 
 member of the Order of Jesus. His face was sen- 
 sitive and high-bred. It had the intensity of ex- 
 pression, the bright eye and the transparency of 
 complexion which characterized a religious en- 
 thusiast. His form, the outline of which could be 
 dimly seen beneath his cloak, was thin to emacia- 
 tion. His long, nervous fingers trembled with sup- 
 pressed excitement. Whatever might be said of 
 many sleek, well-fed priests who walked the streets 
 of Brussels, and who gave no outward evidence of 
 a life of self-denial, this Jesuit was evidently a se- 
 vere ascetic. 
 
 A grave smile hovered about his lips as Conrad 
 Chenoweth approached him, and he said in grate- 
 ful tones: 
 
 " Mynheer Chenoweth, I beg of you to accept 
 my thanks for your timely assistance. I think 
 those wild beasts would soon have torn me to 
 pieces. I should be glad of your company and 
 your protection until we reach a more civilized 
 part of the city." 
 
 " With pleasure," answered the advocate. 
 
 They walked in silence until they arrived at the 
 great cathedral. " I will trouble you no longer, 
 Heer Chenoweth," said the priest. " Yonder is 
 
A SINGULAR FRIENDSHIP 51 
 
 the house of my Order. Rest assured I shall not 
 forget your kindness. The time may come when 
 Father Steen can give you more substantial proofs 
 of his gratitude. I still owe to another of your 
 blood a debt which has long remained uncan- 
 celled." 
 
 He held out his hand, which the young man 
 grasped warmly. Thus began the strange friend- 
 ship between Father Steen, the Jesuit priest, and 
 the Protestant advocate, Conrad Chenoweth. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE burgomaster's DAUGHTER. 
 
 Conrad Chenoweth had planned an early trip 
 to Antwerp to visit his parents and to renew his 
 acquaintance with the playmate of his childhood, 
 Hilvardine, only daughter of the Burgomaster, 
 Anthony Van Straalen. The unsettled state of 
 affairs in Brussels, and the absence of the Prince of 
 Orange, made it impossible for the young advocate 
 to leave his post for several months. 
 
 The famous Compromise, issued by the nobles 
 in resistance to the Inquisition, had been fairly 
 launched. Two hundred of the confederates, led 
 by Count Brederode and Louis of Nassau, brother 
 of Prince William, had marched with great pomp 
 and ceremony to the royal palace, and presented 
 the frightened Regent with their formidable peti- 
 tion. Baron Berlaymont quieted her fears with the 
 celebrated remark, " Your Highness has nothing 
 to fear from this crowd of beggars." The nobles 
 were indignant at this term of reproach, but the 
 reckless Brederode laughed scornfully. 
 
 " They call us beggars," he said. " Let us ac- 
 
 52 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 53 
 
 cept the name. We will contend with the Inquisi- 
 tion, but remain loyal to the King, even till com- 
 pelled to wear the beggar's sack." 
 
 The shibboleth was invented. For the first time, 
 from these reckless and debauched nobles rose the 
 cry, " Vivent les Gueulx! Long Hve the Beggars! " 
 The beggar's wallet and the wooden bowl became 
 the symbol of Protestantism in the Netherlands. 
 The enemies of freedom had provided a watchword 
 for the discontented nation, and the shout, " Vivent 
 les Gueulx ! " was soon to prove powerful enough 
 to find an answering voice from palace and hovel, 
 through the forest or on the sea; and the deeds of 
 savagery perpetrated by these " wild beggars," 
 " forest beggars " and the " beggars of the sea," 
 convinced even Philip the Slow of the character of 
 the nation which he had driven to madness. 
 
 It was not till one morning in May that Conrad 
 Chenoweth found himself in old Antwerp. He was 
 very fond of the picturesque town, with its cupo- 
 lated water-gates, its busy wharves, its canals, its 
 drawbridges and its windmills. The air was cool 
 and fragrant with all the delicate freshness of May. 
 Nature under the exquisite touch of Spring was ir- 
 resistible. There was a pleasant undercurrent of 
 sound in the air: the drowsy hum of bees, the 
 musical tinkle of childish laughter, and the cheerful 
 twitter of birds. The landscape was rich in color. 
 The rose-red roofs, trees in first leaf, richly-tinted 
 
54 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 sails, gaily-painted windmills, and women in their 
 blue or brown jackets and jaunty caps, made a 
 varied yet harmonious picture. The broad Scheldt 
 was alive with ships, which carried on a ceaseless 
 traffic. The merchant fleets rested as proudly on 
 her bosom as though the ashes of heretics did not 
 lie beneath those dancing waters. 
 
 Conrad's heart swelled with sorrow as he saw a 
 fleet of vessels sailing outside the harbor of Ant- 
 werp, bound for English shores. Too well he un- 
 derstood the reason. The Spanish Inquisition had 
 driven the industrious Flemings from their homes, 
 to enrich those port • which welcomed the exiles. 
 
 " Unless the tide of emigration ceases," he said 
 to a countryman who was passing, " Antwerp is a 
 doomed city. Yonder ships are sailing the wrong 
 way." 
 
 " You are right, Mynheer," answered the bur- 
 gher. Then lowering his voice he added, " King 
 Philip will soon have no people left in the Nether- 
 lands to hang or burn." 
 
 In the suburbs of this great commercial metrop- 
 olis stood the house of Dr. John Chenoweth. It 
 was a large brick structure, two stories high, with 
 faint pencillings of white relieving the sombre 
 coloring of the brick. Over the front door was 
 a floriated arch, with artistically carved heads as 
 finials. There were numerous projecting gables, 
 and each gable was surmounted by the proverbial 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 55 
 
 weathercock, and there were besides many archi- 
 tectural surprises in the form of cornices and quaint 
 windows, which delighted the eye. The house had 
 the usual accompaniment of houses in the suburbs, 
 a large garden, which sloped down to the banks of 
 the river. In th - rear of the house stood the stable. 
 At this moment the owner was delivering a stem 
 rebuke to a villainous-looking groom. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth was a large man, having the 
 Flemish cast of features, with fair hair and blue 
 eyes. His strong, plain face was smooth-shaven. 
 There was unity in his simple face, his resolute ex- 
 pression and his searching yet kind eyes. The man 
 and his mission were eminently harmonious. To 
 serve his fellow men had ever been his purpose. 
 Much of his service had been gratuitous, and al- 
 though a man past the meridian of life, he was far 
 from being in affluent circumstances. 
 
 " Maurits," he was saying, " this is the third 
 time within as many weeks that you have been 
 carousing at the Golden Lion. I can stand it no 
 longer. You quit my service to-day." 
 
 With these stern words he paid the groom and 
 discharged him. Had he seen the look of hatred 
 which crossed Maurits' face the doctor might not 
 have so quickly banished the episode from his 
 mind. His attention was diverted by the sudden 
 appearance of his son. 
 
 " Ah, Conrad, my boy," said the doctor, stretch- 
 
S6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 ing out his hand in pleased surprise. " Welcome 
 home ! It has been a long time since you were able 
 to visit us." 
 
 " The affairs of the Prince of Orange are in such 
 a disturbed condition that it is well-nigh impossi- 
 ble for me to leave Brussels. But it is good to be 
 here. By the way, who was that hangdog knave 
 whom I just met skulking off the premises? " 
 
 " It was a drunken, thieving groom whom I have 
 just discharged." 
 
 " I am glad to hear that. The man is a villain if 
 ever there was one. It is such crop-eared rogues 
 who should fill our jails and make the hangman's 
 business good, instead of respectable, God-fearing 
 burghers." 
 
 " You are right, my son. Now let us find the 
 good vrouw. I think we shall surprise her in the 
 kitchen, giving her directions for the evening 
 meal." 
 
 They stole unobserved to the window and stood 
 a moment gazing at the domestic scene. In the 
 twilight the kitchen was the pleasantest spot in the 
 house. It was a large, low room, with a brick floor 
 and a wide hearth, flanked on each side by huge 
 iron dogs, so massive that they could have sup- 
 ported with ease the trunk of a tree. Over this 
 hung the ancient spit, within whose gloomy depths 
 were strung necklaces of sausages and shapely 
 hams to smoke. As the wood fire snapped and 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 57 
 
 crackled showers of sparks flew up the wide chim- 
 ney, and the ruddy Hght sent grotesque shadows 
 dancing over the walls. In the centre of the room, 
 superintending, the servants as they prepared a 
 substantial repast, was the stately figure of the doc- 
 tor's wife. 
 
 Agatha Chenoweth was still a handsome woman, 
 although no longer young. Her face was beauti- 
 ful, not with the fragile delicacy which is so often 
 called beauty, but with the beauty of strength. Her 
 mother was a French Huguenot and her father a 
 Flemish nobleman. John Chenoweth knew when 
 first he saw her in one of the forbidden conventicles 
 that she was as dear to him as his own soul. With 
 a quiet persistence which was a part of his heritage, 
 he made her acquaintance. Although he was aware 
 that Agatha Van Cortlandt had refused the hand of 
 more than one nobleman, this penniless young doc- 
 tor, with boldness, yet with manly dignity, pressed 
 his suit. His simple integrity and unselfish devo- 
 tion won the heart of this noble maiden. Their 
 mutual friend, the French Huguenot preacher 
 Peregrine de la Grange, married them. Four chil- 
 dren had been given them, two of whom died in 
 infancy, leaving to comfort their hearts the talented 
 .young advocate, Conrad, and a little daughter, 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 The remaining occupant of the kitchen was the 
 Burgomaster's daughter, who sat before the huge 
 
S8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 fireplace with the sleepy Elizabeth on her knees, 
 telling the child a story from the quaint Dutch 
 tiles. 
 
 Hilvardine Van Straalen was a tall, slender girl, 
 with a figure which gave promise of a richer out- 
 line in the years to come. Her dark hair, broad, 
 white brow, large, brown eyes fringed with dark 
 lashes, her changing expression and fleeting color, 
 made her face singularly attractive. Possibly some 
 would say that the small mouth closed a trifle too 
 firmly for a girl of eighteen years, and that her chin 
 was too clear-cut and resolute for amiability. But 
 no one could deny that her voice was soft and low, 
 and there was witchery in her musical laugh. 
 
 The sudden opening of the outer door made the 
 occupants of the kitchen look anxiously around. 
 
 " My son, my Conrad! " cried Madam Cheno- 
 weth as she folded her boy to her heart and pressed 
 a fond kiss on his lips. 
 
 Little Elizabeth roused at the commotion, and 
 with a cry of joy ran and threw her arms about her 
 brother. 
 
 " Softly, softly, thou small hurricane! " said Con- 
 rad as he disengaged himself from this violent em- 
 brace and tossed his little sister to a perch on his 
 shoulder. 
 
 Hilvardine rose as though to leave the kitchen, 
 but the young advocate, who had noted her every 
 movement since he entered the room, came for- 
 ward and intercepted her flight. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 59 
 
 " Hilvardine, my little playfellow, have you no 
 welcome for me? " 
 
 " I am certainly glad to see you, Heer Cheno- 
 weth," was the demure reply. " But I think it is 
 time that I returned. I do not wish to intrude on 
 this your first night at home for many months." 
 
 "Nonsense, Hilvardine!" replied Madam Cheno- 
 weth. " Of course you will remain until after tea 
 and hear the news from the Capital. Then if you 
 insist upon going early, Conrad will take you to 
 your father's house in safety." 
 
 With a mother's keen intuition Madam Cheno- 
 weth divined her son's wish, for she had long ago 
 read his secret. The burgomaster's daughter did 
 not need much urging to accede to a request which 
 was evidently an agreeable one. 
 
 Lysken, the nurse, now came to put ^ Elizabeth 
 to bed. Dr. Chenoweth took the delicate, fairy- 
 like form of his child in his arms and kissed her 
 many times. 
 
 " Ah, my little daughter," he said, " I fear that 
 you were born in an ill-starred time. The reign 
 of tyranny is but just begun. Every Netherlander 
 will soon be deprived of all just rights, and even to 
 hold up one's head fearlessly will soon be accounted 
 a crime. Now, Conrad, give us the latest report 
 from Brussels," he added, as they sat down to sup- 
 per. 
 
 " All hope of justice or mercy from the King is 
 
6o THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 now over," said the young advocate sternly. " The 
 decrees of the Council of Trent are to be rigidly 
 enforced, and the inquisitors are to be confirmed in 
 their authority. In spite of all this, heresy contin- 
 ues to spread. The scaffold has its daily victims, 
 but it fails to make a single convert. The truth is 
 imported with every bale of merchandise. Bigotry 
 or cruelty cannot devise a quarantine which will 
 efifectually exclude the religious germs, which are 
 wafted to the Netherlands on every breeze. The 
 terror and wrath of the people has reached a crisis. 
 There is but one topic of shuddering conversation, 
 and that is the Edicts and the Inquisition. The 
 movement of the nobles is hailed with universal de- 
 light." 
 
 " Does the Prince of Orange favor the federa- 
 tion of nobles? " inquired Dr. Chenoweth. 
 
 " I am sorry to say he regards it with distrust. 
 When he learned of it he made the remark, ' The 
 curtain has opened upon a great tragedy.' He 
 thinks the action of the nobles savors too much of 
 open rebellion." 
 
 " Is it rebellion to insist that the King shall keep 
 his sacred pledges, and to preserve the charters of 
 a people which are older than the titles of his royal 
 house? " asked Hilvardine with flushed cheeks and 
 sparkling eyes. 
 
 " I think not," replied the young advocate. " If 
 all appeals to the King's clemency have proved 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 6i 
 
 fruitless, we will make an appeal to the manhood of 
 the Netherlands, and I am confident we shall elicit 
 such a reply as will make the bigot tremble on his 
 throne." 
 
 The girl flashed a glance at the young man, 
 which fairly bewildered him with its sweetness. 
 
 " I think the Prince is wise in his caution," said 
 Dr. Chenoweth. " He is a sagacious statesman, 
 and I have implicit faith in his judgment." 
 
 " The Prince's brother, Louis of Nassau, is with 
 the nobles, as well as Count Mansfeldt and St. Al- 
 degonde," continued the advotate. " The Prince 
 of Orange has shown his colors, however. At the 
 last meeting of the State Council he resigned his 
 seat in that august body because he could not 
 countenance the violent measures which were 
 adopted." 
 
 " God be praised for this! " said Dr. Chenoweth. 
 " The Prince of Orange is the one hope of this per- 
 secuted country, the one man among the many 
 who can successfully mediate between the govern- 
 ment and the people — between Catholics and Prot- 
 estants. I wish, my son, that you could have wit- 
 nessed his triumphal entry into Antwerp. ISTo 
 monarch was ever awaited with such feverish im- 
 patience. Tens of thousands of citizens lined the 
 streets for several miles outside the city to welcome 
 him. When he came in sight the people pressed 
 about him like perplexed children to a parent, call- 
 
6z THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 ing him 'Father William! Our Deliverer! Our 
 Protector! ' The Prince looked anxious and dis- 
 tressed, and made no response to the rapturous 
 shouts of welcome." 
 
 " My father," said Hilvardine, " rode beside the 
 Prince, and he said His Excellency spoke but once, 
 and that was when the watchword of the confed- 
 erate nobles, ' Vivent les Gueulx,' was raised. 
 ' This idle cry,' said the Prince, 'must be "stopped. 
 I cannot have it. The people will rue it some 
 day!'" 
 
 " I think the wonderful power and magnetism of 
 the Prince," said Madam Chenoweth, " was sig- 
 nally shown in the way he controlled that enthu- 
 siastic crowd. When they saw that he was not fond 
 of noisy demonstration they quietly dispersed and 
 went to their homes. Still it seems to me, after all, 
 that we are relying altogether too much on the in- 
 fluence of one man, and that man not even a pub- 
 licly avowed Protestant." 
 
 " Do you not remember, wife," said the doctor, 
 " that God saved the children of Israel, not through 
 a committee, but by a man? The Netherlanders will 
 never be delivered from their troubles by means of 
 a confederation of nobles, or by a synod of reformed 
 pastors, but by a man. I firmly believe that Wil- 
 Ham of Orange is the man God has selected for this 
 purpose. Let us pray that the nation may recog- 
 nize their leader, and submit to his guidance." 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S DAUGHTER 6^ 
 
 Just at this moment Hilvardine gave a low cry. 
 " A face at the window! " she gasped. " I certainly 
 saw two burning eyes watching our every move- 
 ment." 
 
 Conrad Chenoweth went to the window and 
 looked out. It was a cloudless night. A soft, white 
 radiance suffused the eastern sky. Presently the 
 moon appeared on the horizon, first a point, then 
 a rim of silver, and finally the gibbous disk lifted 
 itself above the sky-line, and long shadows lay 
 across the yard and the surrounding grounds. 
 There was no person to be seen. 
 
 " Hilvardine, you have been the victim of a 
 strange hallucination," said the young man as he 
 returned to the table. " Everything is quiet out- 
 side, and there is no one to be seen." 
 
 " I presume you are right," said Hilvardine with 
 a forced smile. " So much talk about the Inquisi- 
 tion has evidently made me nervous." 
 
 The subject was dismissed, and the family ad- 
 journed to the sitting-room. 
 
 Had Conrad watched long enough he might 
 have seen a shadow creeping stealthily from beside 
 the garden wall, and, flitting across the road, dis- 
 appear in the wood beyond. 
 
 The slouching gait and distorted figure were 
 those of Maurits the groom. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE burgomaster's REBUFF. 
 
 " Your father will be placed in an embarrassing 
 condition if the execution of the Edicts is rigor- 
 ously enforced," said Conrad to his companion, as 
 they walked slowly through the deserted streets to 
 the Burgomaster's house. " The fact that his wife 
 and children are Protestants ties his hands." 
 
 " You are right," said Hilvardine. " Father will 
 probably continue to expostulate and threaten, and 
 then end by doing nothing. Protestantism in Ant- 
 werp is too strong an element to be coerced, and 
 you know the Prince is a lenient master." 
 
 " What do you hear from Colonel Van Straa- 
 len? " inquired Conrad. 
 
 " I received a letter from my brother only a few 
 days ago. He is still stationed on the French fron- 
 tier, and there is no prospect of his coming home at 
 present. He complains that he has not heard from 
 us for some time, yet I have written re'gularly to 
 him and have kept him informed of the condition 
 of afifairs in the Netherlands." 
 
 " It is not strange, in these unsettled times, that 
 
 64 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S REBUFF 65 
 
 letters miscarry. I also had a letter from the Col- 
 onel about a month ago, in which he desired me to 
 render legal assistance to Madame La Tour and her 
 daughter. These ladies have fallen heirs to a hand- 
 some property, through the death of a relative in 
 Amsterdam, and they have come to Brussels to^ es- 
 tablish their claims. Madame and her daughter are 
 relatives of yours, are they not? " 
 
 " They are cousins, several times removed. 
 Monsieur La Tour, a French Huguenot, married 
 my fatl-uer's second cousin. I have not seen them 
 for many years, for they resided in France. I al- 
 ways fancied that my brother had more than a 
 cousinly regard for Katharine La Tour. But I 
 think I have been mistaken. I have been told by 
 those wiser than myself that a man's heart is like a 
 ship, which is ever prone to slip its moorings." 
 
 Hilvardine looked archly at her companion. 
 
 " Mejufifrouw," said the young advocate earn- 
 estly, " you have been poorly advised. I beg of 
 you to listen to a truthful argument on the subject. 
 There are some men who possess faithful hearts. 
 Mine, for instance, has long since left my keeping 
 and is, I assure you, stoutly anchored. Can you not 
 divine my meaning, Mistress Van Straalen? " 
 
 " I was ever a poor hand at guessing riddles, 
 Heer Chenoweth." 
 
 Conrad took her hand and exclaimed, " Hilvar- 
 dine, look at me! " 
 
66 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 The girl did as she was bidden, and she saw a 
 Hght shining in his eyes which even a duller woman 
 could not have failed to comprehend. 
 
 " Hilvardine, I love you. My heart is all yours. 
 For your sake I would lose all, save honor. Will 
 you make me happy, or will you send me hence in 
 heaviness of spirit? " 
 
 They had now reached the Burgomaster's house, 
 and just as Conrad waited for a reply to his im- 
 portant question, the front door opened and the re- 
 pulsive face and stunted figure of a man sixty years 
 old appeared. Ugly-looking people sometimes 
 afifect great display in their dress. This was true 
 of the man descending the steps. 
 
 He was gorgeously attired in trousers of puce 
 velvet, fastened above the knee with bows of rib- 
 bon. He wore a tight-fitting jacket with sleeves 
 slashed with white satin. A jaunty black court 
 mantle lined with the same delicate color hung 
 loosely from his shoulders, and was confined in 
 front by a buckle composed of jewels, which royalty 
 itself might have envied. 
 
 Conrad immediately recognized the man as the 
 Chancellor of Brabant, EngelLert Maas. The 
 Chancellor lifted his hat courteously to the Burgo- 
 master's daughter, but stared insolently at her es- 
 cort. After a momentary hesitation he walked 
 away. 
 
 The change in Hilvardine at the sight of this 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S REBUFF 67 
 
 great magistrate was remarkable. She clutched her 
 companion's arm and said piteously: 
 
 " Save me, Heer Chenoweth. I think my father 
 favors that man's suit." 
 
 All coquetry was gone from the girl's manner. 
 Her face in its evident anxiety was womanly and 
 tender. There was a lurking wistfulness in the 
 brown eyes which touched the young man. 
 
 " Hilvardine, do you love me? May I ask your 
 father this very night for your hand? " 
 
 The maiden was the picture of sweet confusion, 
 and her answer was very faint, but it was eminently 
 satisfactory to her companion. They passed up the 
 steps into the house and Hilvardine fled precipi- 
 tately to her room. 
 
 " Mynheer Chenoweth! " announced a servant in 
 rich livery as he opened the door of the handsome 
 reception-room, in which sat the Burgomaster, 
 Anthony Van Straalen, and his wife. There was a 
 disturbed expression on Mistress Van Straalen's 
 face, and her husband wore a look of dogged reso- 
 lution. It was evident that there had been a family 
 difference, and the atmosphere of the room was still 
 murky from the war of words. 
 
 The Burgomaster greeted the young advocate 
 with distant politeness, but his wife gave him a cor- 
 dial welcome. 
 
 After a few commonplace remarks, Conrad made 
 known the object of his visit. 
 
68 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Heer Burgomaster, I have Mistress Hilvar- 
 dine's consent to ask you for her hand in marriage. 
 Will you give her to me? " 
 
 The Burgomaster uttered an oath. " No ! " he 
 roared. "A hundred times no! This, sir, is a 
 pretty piece of impertinence — first to steal my 
 daughter's afifections, and then to ask her father for 
 her hand. I have a better match in mind for my 
 daughter than you, Master Chenoweth." 
 
 The hot blood surged into the young advocate's 
 face as he replied: " There is just as good blood in 
 my veins as in yours, Heer Burgomaster. To be 
 sure, I have not as much money as you have, but 
 youth and health are mine, and I am in a fair way 
 to amass a fortune." 
 
 " The marriage settlement would doubtless fur- 
 nish you an excellent basis on which to build your 
 air-castles," said the magistrate with cutting irony. 
 
 " I do not care for a ryksdaaler of your daugh- 
 ter's dowry," said the young advocate passionately. 
 " Give me Hilvardine and keep your gold. Nature 
 has amply furnished her with a dowry, which is all 
 that any man could ask or desire." 
 
 " Well, Master Chenoweth, you cannot have my 
 daughter, and that ends the whole matter. She is 
 already promised to another." 
 
 " Our daughter's wishes in the matter ought to 
 be respected, Anthony," said Mistress Van Straalen 
 in pleading tones. " Surely, husband, we could not 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S REBUFF 69 
 
 ask for a more worthy young man than the son of 
 our neighbor, Dr. Chenoweth." 
 
 "A fig for Hilvardine's wishes! Forsooth, did 
 you ever know a maid of eighteen who knew her 
 own mind? The child is not old enough to settle 
 so grave a question. It is for her parents to judge 
 for her, and, as I remarked before, the girl is prom- 
 ised." 
 
 " Then there is no more to be said about the mat- 
 ter at present," replied the young advocate, rising 
 and bowing himself out of the room. 
 
 Like one dazed he went down the stone steps 
 and out upon the street, his thoughts revolving 
 about the Burgomaster's closing words, " The 
 maid is promised to another." 
 
 " To whom? " was the question that tortured 
 him. Conrad had not long to wait for an answer 
 to his query. Footsteps sounded behind him. Con- 
 rad quickened his pace, and so did his pursuer. 
 Wheeling about suddenly, he confronted Chancel- 
 lor Maas. So enraged was the young man at the 
 sight of his successful rival, that he turned his back 
 upon the magistrate without a sign of recognition 
 and hurried swiftly forward. The magistrate again 
 pursued, and gaining upon the advocate, laid a de- 
 taining hand upon his shoulder. 
 
 " What were you doing at the Burgomaster's 
 house? " he demanded insolently. 
 
70 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " My business was with the Burgomaster, and 
 what that business was is none of your concern." 
 
 " I will not be trifled with, Master Chenoweth. 
 Tell rne what business you had at the Burgomas- 
 ter's house." 
 
 " I shall not tell you. Good evening." 
 
 " Do you think I don't know why you are hang- 
 ing about that house? You think you are going 
 to win Mistress Hilvardine. But you are mistaken. 
 She is promised to me, and if you value your liberty 
 you will cease your visits in that quarter." The 
 magistrate, turned on his heel and walked rapidly in 
 the opposite direction. 
 
 With anger and sorrow falling his heart, Conrad 
 neared his father's house. Pale mists were stealing 
 up from the river. A crescent moon was sinking 
 in the west. Lights streamed here and there from 
 the anchored barges. Antwerp under the starlit 
 sky was as quiet and full of peace as if there were 
 no disturbing elements of love or discord in the 
 world. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF. 
 
 After Conrad Chenoweth's departure, the Bur- 
 gomaster summoned his daughter to his presence. 
 
 " Hilvardine," he said abruptly, " I have prom- 
 ised your hand to the Chancellor of Brabant, En- 
 gelbert Maas. We settled the marriage contract 
 this evening." 
 
 " Oh, father! " cried Hilvardine, " do not force 
 me into a union which is so hateful to me. I had 
 rather be torn into pieces than wed this man." 
 
 "And why, forsooth?" said the Burgomaster 
 impatiently. " You have got to marry some one, 
 and I have seen to it that you are provided with a 
 husband who is old enough and rich enough to take 
 care of you handsomely. To be sure, I like not the 
 Chancellor overmuch myself. He drinks hard and 
 he spends his money too freely at the gaming-table, 
 yet there are scores of women who would dance for 
 joy had he chosen them instead of you. The social 
 position 'of the wife of the Chancellor of Brabant 
 is unquestioned. And besides all else, the man is 
 
 71 
 
72 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 madly in love with you and will not relinquish his 
 claim for the caprice of a silly girl." 
 
 " His devotion smacks of senility," said Madam 
 Van Straalen sharply. 
 
 " Madam," said the Burgomaster, " I bid you 
 keep silence. At least I will be master in my own 
 house. Come, daughter, what are your objections 
 to the Chancellor? " 
 
 " He is so — so — old and so ugly," sobbed the 
 girl. " I would sooner have his hatred than his 
 love, and either one would be held by me in con- 
 tempt." 
 
 " That shows just what a simple wench you are," 
 said her father angrily. " Know you not, girl, that 
 these are times when it is necessary to have power- 
 ful friends? With my wife and children avowed 
 Protestants, I do not know how long I shall be able 
 to stem the tide of opposition. With the friend- 
 ship of such a man as Chancellor Maas, we shall 
 be raised above suspicion and protected against the 
 fury of the Regent. In a time of peril like this, your 
 feelings, girl, are of minor importance.' Go to now 
 and behave like a dutiful child, and forget the idle 
 words of that tricky fortune-hunter, Conrad Cheno- 
 weth." 
 
 " Your insinuations are false, and you know it. 
 Conrad is no fortune-hunter." Hilvardine lifted 
 her head proudly and confronted her father, with a 
 look in her large brown eyes which made him 
 
A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF 73 
 
 wince. " The young advocate is an honest man, of 
 whose love any woman might be proud. If I am to 
 be sold like a chattel, God help me! But I will 
 guarantee the Chancellor one thing: his purchase 
 shall bring him only misery and pain, for I will be a 
 thorn in his side and a curse to his peace." 
 
 " There is no doubt about that," replied her 
 father. " You have a sharp tongue, and you know 
 full well how to use it. I do not envy the Chan- 
 cellor his prize, but he is bound to have you at any 
 cost, and there is no doubt but that he loves you." 
 
 Courageous as Hilvardine Van Straalen was, she 
 dared make no further remonstrance. The maidens 
 of the sixteenth century were well trained in the 
 duty of obedience to parents. After obedience, 
 they were taught to respect the authority of man, 
 and were enjoined to silent submission to his supe- 
 rior judgment. 
 
 Conrad Chenoweth was not able to see Hilvar- 
 dine again before his return to Brussels. He went 
 to the Burgomaster's house, but Madam Van Straa- 
 len told him that her daughter had been forbidden 
 to see the young advocate. 
 
 " Keep up a brave heart. Master Chenoweth," 
 she said. " I am 'your friend and I fully sympa- 
 thize with you and with my daughter. Perhaps I 
 may be able to remove the Burgomaster's preju- 
 dices. He has a good heart and truly loves his 
 daughter, but these perilous times have frightened 
 
74 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 him, and he seeks a powerful protector for his fam- 
 ily." 
 
 " It is a fearful price to pay for safety," replied 
 Conrad with set teeth. "To think of that pure 
 young girl mated with that vile debauchee. Angels 
 might well weep at such a terrible sacrifice! " 
 
 Madam Van Straalen delivered to the young 
 man a parcel which Hilvardine had sent him. He 
 could hardly wait until he reached home before he 
 untied the precious bundle. It contained a beau- 
 tifully embroidered kerchief, wrought in rich or- 
 ange and blue silks. The orange symbolized the 
 Fatherland, while the blue of the heavens was the 
 color adopted by the Dutch Calvinists. Within the 
 folds of the kerchief Conra^ found a slip of paper 
 on which was inscribed a stanza of a popular song: 
 
 " Will you have a pink knot? 
 Is it blue you prize ? 
 One is like a fresh rose. 
 One is like the skies; 
 No, the maid of Holland 
 For her own true love, 
 Ties the splendid orange. 
 Orange still above !" 
 
 The morning for Conrad's departure from Ant- 
 werp he awoke with a heavy heart. He saw not the 
 glory of the rising sun. He saw nothing poetic 
 about the flash of the distant cathedral spires 
 against the roseate clouds, and his ears heard no 
 sweetness in the cooing of the gray doves as they 
 
A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF 75 
 
 circled around the huge chimneys. The years 
 which stretched out before him seemed barren and 
 lonely. He had come home feeling confident that 
 he should win ^lilvardine for his wife. Her shy 
 glances, and the apparent cordial relations between 
 the Burgomaster's family and his own, argued well 
 for his success. But another and powerful rival 
 had stepped in and borne away the prize. He had 
 built upon the sand, and the incoming tide had 
 made flotsam and jetsam of his castle. But Conrad 
 Chenoweth was a man and a Christian. Shaking 
 himself free from these melancholy reflections, he 
 arose, and said bravely to himself: 
 
 " Because the deai-est wish of my heart has not 
 been realized, I will not become like driftwood 
 upon the sea. God is good. He will never permit 
 this monstrous sacrifice. Hilvardine is in his care. 
 I will trust God for the future, and go forward and 
 do my duty." 
 
 When the morning sun rose again, it found the 
 young advocate at his post in Brussels. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 MoNSEiGNEUR Ryder was a busy man, but he al- 
 lowed himself one relaxation — an occasional game 
 of chess. One evening he stepped into the private 
 office of the Chancellor of Brabant, to indulge in 
 his favorite pastime. It was only a few squares 
 from the cathedral buildings, where the prelate re- 
 sided, to the home of the magistrate. 
 
 The latter welcomed his guest with apparent 
 cordiality. The two men formed a striking con- 
 trast as they sat opposite each other. The Chancel- 
 lor was a repulsive personality to gaze upon, with 
 his pointed head, and his face with its expression of 
 low cunning, his red eyes, and stooping, under- 
 sized figure. There was tremendous intellectual 
 power suggested by the physiognomy of the 
 churchman, with his regular features, full dark 
 eyes, and massive head. His tall and elegantly- 
 proportioned figure was in harmony with the rest 
 of the man. 
 
 " You are welcome, Monseigneur, very wel- 
 come!" said the Chancellor. "I have had pre- 
 
 76 
 
A GAME OF CHESS 77 
 
 sented to me recently a memorial, about which I 
 should like your advice." 
 
 " I am weary," replied the Superior. " Let us 
 have a game first, to rest our brains." 
 
 " Many persons consider chess work instead of 
 play, and hard work at that," said his companion. 
 
 " Heer Chancellor," said the prelate, " few peo- 
 ple know what hard work is." 
 
 And the Jesuit spoke advisedly. The Order 
 which he represented, and to which he devoted his 
 activities, was tireless in its labors. Jesuitism was 
 the working out of a detailed program. To the 
 faithful Catholic the Church was everything, but to 
 the sincere Jesuit, everything must bend to his Or- 
 der. For the carrying out of this principle, it was 
 the conceived duty of every Jesuit to sweep every 
 obstacle from his path, if that obstacle stood in the 
 way of the ultimate success of the Order. 
 
 The game proceeded for a time in silence. 
 
 " Check! " said Monseigneur Ryder. 
 
 " The King is in trouble. Let us bring a knight 
 to his relief," remarked the Chancellor. 
 
 " Check again! " said the Superior, taking the 
 knight with a pawn. 
 
 " Let us bring out her Highness and see if she 
 can assist the King," said the magistrate, moving 
 his queen. 
 
 " Checkmate! " said the Superior, following this 
 move of the enemy with the bishop. " The Church 
 
78 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 triumphs now and evermore! " and Monseigneur 
 smiled with complacency. 
 
 " Thanks, Father, for the lesson you have just 
 given me in strategy. I wish the heretics in the 
 Netherlands could be as easily disposed of as these 
 counterfeit kings, queens, knights and pawns," he 
 continued, as he dropped the ivory pieces into a 
 box. 
 
 " No one can stay the march of time or the power 
 of the Church," said the Superior. " Either the 
 heretics must return to the fold of the Church, or 
 they will be crushed. By the way, what was that 
 memorial of which you spoke? " 
 
 " It was a document from the advocate Cheno- 
 weth, setting forth the claims of a certain Madame 
 La Tour and her daughter." 
 
 " I received a similar petition in my ecclesiastical 
 capacity," said the Superior. " The facts in the 
 case are these: Madame La Tour was a Catholic, 
 but against the tenets of the Church married a 
 French Huguenot. They had one child, whom, it 
 is supposed, her mother reared in the Catholic faith. 
 During the persecution of the Huguenots, the es- 
 tates of Monsieur La Tour were confiscated, and 
 after the death of her husband, Madame and her 
 daughter were reduced to poverty." 
 
 " But why was such severity allowed, if mother 
 and daughter were staunch Catholics? " inquired 
 the Chancellor. 
 
A GAME OF CHESS 79 
 
 " Because it was fitting that Madame should be 
 punished for not converting her husband to the true 
 faith, instead of Hving with him in perfect content- 
 ment until his death." 
 
 " How much property is involved? " asked the 
 magistrate. 
 
 " A half million riksdalers, I believe. Madame 
 La Tour has a near relative living in Amsterdam, 
 who has recently died and bequeathed his property 
 to her and the daughter. They evidently sought 
 the advice of Chenoweth, in order to establish their 
 claims." 
 
 " I wonder why they selected that young man, in 
 preference to older and more noted counsel? " said 
 the Chancellor. 
 
 " It is a sort of family matter," replied Monsei- 
 gneur Ryder. " My position, as you know, enables 
 me to obtain much information of a private char- 
 acter. Mademoiselle La Tour formed an attach- 
 ment for Colonel Van Straalen in her childhood, 
 which attachment I understand was ardently re- 
 turned. This latter individual wrote to his intimate 
 friend, Conrad Chenoweth, (who, by the way, is a 
 lover of the Burgomaster's daughter,) and prayed 
 him to use his influence with the authorities and 
 help the plaintiff to secure her estates. I should 
 like to have these schemes succeed in part and fail 
 in part; that is to say, I want the money secured 
 
8o THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 to the daughter and then handed over to the 
 Church." 
 
 " The game of that rascally Chenoweth shall fail, 
 if I can compass it," snarled the Chancellor with a 
 painful sort of a smile, which had a sneer in it. 
 
 " The pretty face of the Burgomaster's daughter 
 is working mischief in more quarters than one," re- 
 marked the Superior with a significant look. 
 
 " Monseigneur is witty," said the Chancellor 
 stiffly. " Your reverence takes his recreation in 
 chess. I do myself the honor of being in love." 
 
 " Every man to his liking," said the churchman. 
 " But we have digressed from the subject. I was 
 about to unfold to you my plan in reference to these 
 worthy ladies. While their suit is pending before 
 the ecclesiastical authorities, I shall invite them to 
 take up their residence as guests of the Convent of 
 the Sacred Heart. The mother will be allowed to 
 leave this retreat as soon as we are convinced that 
 all heretical notions imbibed from her husband have 
 been uprooted. The daughter will be persuaded 
 to take the veil — willingly if we can bring it about, 
 by compulsion if necessary. We shall accomplish 
 two things by this procedure : we shall save a soul, 
 and add to the depleted treasuries of the Church." 
 
 The Chancellor looked with admiration upon the 
 Jesuit. " You have a subtle brain, Father, and you 
 have solved the riddle with your accustomed wis- 
 dom. But one other point occurs to me: accord- 
 
A GAME OF CHESS 8i 
 
 ing to an established law, a child born of parents, 
 one Catholic and the other Protestant, is not con- 
 sidered legitimate. If this girl is not legitimated 
 by law this snug little fortune would revert to the 
 State. Why should not the government profit as 
 well as the Church? " 
 
 The Superior regarded his companion with a 
 look of pitying contempt. 
 
 " Do you not see that there is a serious flaw in 
 your reasoning? Madame La Tour is a Catholic. 
 If we ignore her claims entirely, this will afford her 
 a fitting excuse for joinitig the heretics. If she 
 should do this, the commissioners in Amsterdam, 
 who have the will in charge, will dispose of the 
 property otherwise, and neither Church nor State 
 will profit thereby. If my plan is adhered to, you 
 may rest assured that your services will be amply 
 compensated. The Church never fails to reward 
 her loyal children." 
 
 " As you wish, Father. I am willing to let the 
 matter proceed as you have stated. I only hope 
 you will not meet with opposition." 
 
 " I am used to opposition," replied the Jesuit, 
 " but our resources are infinite. I have yet to meet 
 the man or woman who has been subjected to the 
 discipline of our Order who could not by some 
 means be reduced to submission. My success is 
 foreordained." 
 
 " There is one other matter, Monseigneur, about 
 
82 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 which I should like to speak. I wish you would 
 send a Jesuit, in whom you can trust, to spy upon 
 the movements of Dr. John Chenoweth of Ant- 
 werp. I have reasons for desiring a complaint to 
 be lodged against him to the authorities in that 
 city. It will not answer for me to place a check 
 upon that rascally advocate, Conrad Chenoweth, 
 for he is under the powerful protection of William 
 of Orange." 
 
 " How about the Burgomaster, Van Straalen? " 
 said the Superior, with a touch of sarcasm. " He 
 certainly should be under surveillance. He does 
 not enforce the Edicts as he ought. Or perhaps 
 you will sacrifice a principle for the sake of your 
 mistress? " 
 
 " You Jesuits know everything," replied the 
 Chancellor, in some confusion. " Yes, it is true that 
 for the sake of Hilvardine Van Straalen I should 
 like to let that family slip along as easily as possi- 
 ble." 
 
 " You are inconsistent, my friend," said Mon- 
 seigneur. " You spare one heretic and condemn 
 another in the same breath. Remember the motto 
 of your office: ' Fiat justitia, ruat coelum.' " 
 
 Then, as though the words were pleasant to his 
 ears, he repeated them in sonorous tones: " Let 
 justice be done, though the heavens fall! " 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 " The hour grows late, Heer Chancellor. I will 
 bid you good evening, as I have still other business 
 to attend to before I sleep." Raising his hand in 
 benediction the Superior retired. 
 
 The buildings appointed for the brethren of the 
 Order of Jesus lay in the rear of the cathedral. 
 They were imposing in construction, and planned 
 with due attention to both beauty and comfort. 
 Extensive grounds, artistically designed, sur- 
 rounded the buildings and were enclosed by a high 
 brick wall, the gates of which were kept locked. 
 The Superior fitted a key to the lock and entered 
 the grounds. He passed up the neatly gravelled 
 walk without encountering any one, and entered 
 the door leading to the library. The walls on three 
 sides of the room were covered with massive oak 
 bookcases which were filled with books, some of 
 them of priceless value. On an exquisitely inlaid 
 table was a costly missal, beautifully illuminated, 
 and besides this was a rosary studded with precious 
 stones, which caught and reflected the rays of light 
 
 83 
 
84 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 which fell from a silver lamp suspended from the 
 ceiling. A marble bust of Christ, sculptured in 
 bas-rehef, filled a niche in the corner of the room, 
 while on the walls were the masterpieces of Rubens, 
 " The Descent from the Cross " and " The Adora- 
 tion of the Magi." 
 
 The Jesuit did not linger to read or pray, but 
 walked toward that portion of the wall which was 
 devoid of ornamentation, but which in other re- 
 spects seemed no dififerent from the other walls. 
 Touching a secret spring, a door opened, revealing 
 a small apartment beyond, which the priest entered. 
 It was a beautiful room, fitted up with all the lux- 
 ury known to this age. The Regent herself did not 
 occupy a more elegantly appointed room. Aside 
 from the rich tapestries and antique furniture, the 
 walls were literally covered with costly paintings. 
 The Superior was a passionate admirer of beauty 
 in all its manifold forms. He compensated in a 
 measure for his outward life of asceticism, and satis- 
 fied the cravings of his nature with these rare paint- 
 ings, which were the companions of his solitude. 
 There were pictures of beautiful women that 
 smiled on the priest from the canvas, without co- 
 quetry or caprice. A connoisseur of art, the Supe- 
 rior had selected those gems which had caught the 
 reflection of every type of loveliness embodied in 
 the female face and form. Th^re were several pict- 
 ures of the Madonna of rare merit, with the sweet 
 
A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH 85 
 
 though sensuous beauty which most of the ol4 
 masters have given to that well known face. Paint- 
 ings representing the beautiful women of the Bible 
 hung upon the walls. There were Ruth, Esther, 
 Miriam, Jephtha's daughter, and Mary Magdalene. 
 
 The critical eye of the priest surveyed these still 
 representatives of a warm, passionate life with the 
 keenest satisfaction. Just at this moment a clock 
 on the cathedral chimed the hour of midnight. The 
 music of that magnificent mass from the Stabat 
 Mater, intoned by a choir of carefully trained 
 voices, floated on the evening air. After the last 
 harmonious chord had died away the Superior laid 
 aside the heavy serge garment in which he was 
 attired and assumed a loose flowing robe of the 
 finest silk. Then a lay brother appeared, bearing 
 on a silver tray a daintily prepared luncheon, served 
 on the finest of linen and the rarest of china. The 
 Jesuit partook of these viands with the relish of 
 an epicure, and sipped his choice wine with a clear 
 conscience. As a high dignitary of the Church, he 
 had derived a perpetual indulgence from the Pope, 
 and he was privileged to enjoy every pleasure which 
 his rank afforded him, provided that the outward 
 decorum of the Church was not violated. 
 
 Touching a bell, an attendant appeared to re- 
 move the tray. 
 
 "Send Father Steen to me!" said the Jesuit 
 peremptorily. \ 
 
86 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 With a humble obeisance the lay brother de- 
 parted to do his bidding. 
 
 In a few moments the gaunt form of Father 
 Steen appeared in the doorway. 
 
 " I have an important mission to entrust to you," 
 said the Superior. " Be prepared to start for Ant- 
 werp by daybreak." 
 
 The priest bowed. 
 
 " You are to watch carefully the movements of 
 two families — that of the Burgomaster, Anthony 
 Van Straalen, and that of Dr. John Chenoweth." 
 
 At the mention of the doctor's name the priest 
 started as if stung, and beads of perspiration came 
 out on his brow. He wiped them away, and his lips 
 twitched nervously as though he were about to 
 speak. 
 
 The Superior watched him with a quiet smile. 
 
 " You seem disturbed. Father Steen, by this com- 
 mand. Why?" 
 
 " You know why, your reverence. You are ask- 
 ing me to walk into temptation, to watch the 
 actions of the woman I lo — once loved," corrected 
 the priest, catching his words just in time. 
 
 A curious look hovered in the Superior's eyes. 
 
 " How long is it since you have seen your old 
 sweetheart? " he inquired contemptuously. 
 
 " Twenty years." 
 
 " The best medicine I can recommend for you, 
 Steen, is to go and see Madam Chenoweth — and 
 
A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH 87 
 
 be cured of your folly. Twenty years ! Why, man, 
 you left her a blooming girl. She is now a middle- 
 aged woman, probably sour, disappointed, ugly. 
 This is the concise history of most married women." 
 
 " Your reverence," said the priest passionately, 
 " you have never been in love." 
 
 " By the mass, I trust not! I have been gra- 
 ciously spared that folly." 
 
 " Why folly? " demanded his companion. 
 
 " The confessional should answer that question 
 for you. I have heard enough of these family his- 
 tories in my day to make me a firm believer in 
 celibacy. And as for beauty, just look about you! " 
 and the Superior waved his hand toward the lovely 
 faces on the wall, that seemed, in the dim light of 
 the silver lamp, to take on the semblance of life. 
 " I have seen scores of just as beautiful women, but 
 never yet have I regretted my vow of celibacy." 
 
 " You are a cynic! " retorted Father Steen. 
 
 " A cynic? Yes, perhaps! Every student of that 
 elusive, disturbing quantity commonly known as 
 woman is bound to be a cynic." 
 
 The Superior smiled indulgently. " Father 
 Steen, you are the onlv man in this house that I 
 would allow to stand and argue with me. But you 
 are a good man and a valuable man. I am sorry 
 that you dislike your mission, but it must be per- 
 formed nevertheless, and in your accustomed skil- 
 ful manner." 
 
88 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Father Steen could not resist the powerful per- 
 sonality of the Superior, strive though he might. 
 The passionate look which for a few moments had 
 changed the whole expression of his face disap- 
 peared, and his features resumed their accustomed 
 impassive look. He was once more a Jesuit. 
 
 " I obey, your reverence." 
 
 " That is all," said the Superior. " Report to me 
 at your earliest convenience. You may retire." 
 
 With a slight inclination of the head the priest 
 withdrew. 
 
 Monseigneur Ryder's power lay in his ability to 
 sway and mould the actions of those with whom he 
 associated. The secret of the power of the Order 
 of Jesus was not altogether in its system, but in the 
 selection of leaders. From the time of Loyola to 
 the present time the Jesuits have been signally for- 
 tunate in their choice of leaders. A man like Father 
 Ryder, by the force of a strong intellectual per- 
 sonality, gave life and vigor to a set of rules which 
 would have been as nothing without this vivifying 
 influence. 
 
 For some time the Superior sat in his luxurious 
 room reviewing the events of the evening. 
 
 " So the Chancellor thinks it doubtful if I per- 
 suade Mademoiselle La Tour to enter the convent 
 and take the veil," he soliloquized. At length he 
 laughed softly. He was recalling the look of dis- 
 gust on the magistrate's face when he lost the game 
 
A PRINCE OF THE CHURCH 89 
 
 of chess. " Thus easily will I remove all the obsta- 
 cles from my path," said the Jesuit with a look of 
 conscious power. " I will dispose my pieces with 
 the greatest circumspection. I will advance the 
 pawns, defend the king, and make ready for the 
 final checkmate. The game is mine! " 
 
 Little did the Superior dream that a woman's 
 frail hand would overturn that chessboard and scat- 
 ter the pieces to the four winds! How should he 
 know that the game would be recast on entirely 
 different lines, and that he, Monseigneur Ryder, 
 was destined to suffer an ignominious defeat! 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. 
 
 In a quiet, unpretentious street in the poorer 
 part of Brussels there was a cheap boarding-house, 
 in which Madame La Tour and her daughter had 
 taken rooms while their suit was pending. That 
 these ladies were in strained circumstances was 
 evidenced by their humble surroundings. 
 
 They were seated late one morning at the break- 
 fast table, which was scantily furnished with the 
 cheapest viands. 
 
 Madame La Tour turned from her cup of weak 
 chocolate with a look of ill-concealed disgust. 
 
 " Katharine, I cannot endure this suspense much 
 longer. Do you not suppose our case will be de- 
 cided upon before long? " 
 
 " I expect we shall have to wait patiently as best 
 we can, mother. You know Heer Chenoweth said 
 that investigations were being made which would 
 occupy some time." 
 
 " I think we had better employ another advo- 
 cate," said Madame fretfully. " Heer Chenoweth 
 recommended our doing so on account of his hav- 
 
 90 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR 91 
 
 ing incurred the Chancellor's displeasure. If we do 
 not hear anything definite to-day, I shall be in favor 
 of trying other means." 
 
 " Do nothing rash, I entreat you," replied the 
 daughter. " Heer Chenoweth will leave no stone 
 unturned to secure for us our just rights. I have 
 full confidence in his ability." 
 
 "Why so?" demanded Madame. " The advocate 
 is an entire stranger to us. Why should he care 
 whether two obscure women received justice? " 
 
 A flush mantled the girl's cheek, v.'hich the elder 
 lady was not slow to observe. " Ah, I see. It is 
 because Heer Chenoweth is Colonel Van Straalen's 
 friend that you regard him with such favor. Have 
 you not forgotten that childish attachment? " 
 
 " I shall never forget what a kind, noble friend 
 Colonel Van Straalen was to us," said Katharine. 
 
 " It is more than likely that he has forgotten you 
 by this time. At least I hope he has. How long is 
 it since you heard from him? " 
 
 " More than a year. But it is possible that his 
 letters miscarried." 
 
 " I do not believe it. For my sake, Katharine, 
 do not let this unfortunate attachment of yours be 
 known. If it were even suspected we should lose 
 all hope of gaining that fortune. Colonel Van 
 Straalen is a Protestant. The mere fact that you 
 were interested in an enemy of the Church would 
 ruin our case. I beg you to be prudent." 
 
92 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Katharine La Tour looked at the wan, distressed 
 face of her mother with pitying eyes. 
 
 " Of course I shall be discreet, mother. I am a 
 nominal Catholic, and I have seen too much misery 
 arising from marriages where the contracting 
 parties were of different faiths to care to add to the 
 number." 
 
 " The law forbidding marriage between Catholics 
 and Protestants is more rigorously enforced than 
 it was when I married your father," said Madame. 
 " What troublous times I have lived through! And 
 yet, although I had a Huguenot husband, and loved 
 him devotedly, I remained true to the Church. I 
 might just as well have turned Protestant for all the 
 good it has done me. The Catholics have turned 
 the cold shoulder to me, and I have spent the few 
 hundred francs which were all that were saved from 
 your father's estate in prosecuting a claim which is 
 more than likely to be denied." 
 
 " Be careful, mother. I fear your words may be 
 overheard. For all that we know, we may be sur- 
 rounded by spies." 
 
 " But what will become of us, Katharine, if the 
 law refuses to legitimate you? We have no home 
 and no resources." 
 
 These words were evidently a revelation to the 
 girl. She flushed painfully. " Legitimate me, did 
 you say, the child of Christian parents? Why, the 
 marriage ceremony was performed by a noble Prot- 
 
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR 93 
 
 estant pastbr, who was good enough, you have said, 
 to be the successor of St. Peter. Then the rite was 
 sanctioned by a priest of our own faith. It seems 
 wicked that such a stain should be thrown upon 
 our honored name." 
 
 " If there was the semblance of justice in this 
 country, such indignities would not be permitted," 
 said Madame; " but might makes right in these 
 days, and we have no influence with those in power. 
 I tell you, daughter, what we will do if we are so 
 fortunate as to secure this property. We will emi- 
 grate to England, where our rights will be respected 
 and where we shall have the privilege of worship- 
 ping God without remonstrance. How does this 
 plan impress you? " 
 
 " I should much rather cross the ocean, and in a 
 new country help to found a colony where religious 
 controversy and persecution would be unknown." 
 
 " And live among Indians and negroes? " cried 
 Madame La Tour. " You caught that insane idea 
 from Colonel Van Straalen, I suspect. You seem 
 to regard all his sayings as law and gospel. I am 
 very glad he left you when he did, else I am afraid 
 he might have converted you to the Protestant 
 faith." 
 
 " Possibly he would, mother. The trouble with 
 me is that I have no settled belief. My father's ex- 
 ample and his precepts ring in my ears, while out- 
 wardly I have been taught to conform to the Catho- 
 
94 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 lie faith. The time is coming when I shall claim the 
 privilege of studying the doctrines held by both 
 Protestants and Catholics, and of making an un- 
 biased choice." 
 
 " At least I hope you will postpone your investi- 
 gations until after we secure our inheritance," said 
 Madame. 
 
 " Do not be alarmed, mother. Worldly interest, 
 as well as filial afifection, are both arrayed on the 
 side of the Catholic faith. My inclinations are 
 toward that faith also. I enjoy the ritualistic ser- 
 vice and the music which are heard in her cathe- 
 drals. On the other hand, I truly long to know the 
 truth, and I shall seek it prayerfully." 
 
 The two ladies were so engrossed in their conver- 
 sation that they did not hear a hght tap on the door. 
 They were made aware of the presence of a third 
 person by the words, " Benedicite, my daughters! " 
 The startled ladies looked toward the door, where 
 the imposing figure of Monseigneur Ryder greeted 
 their eyes. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 IN THE SNARE. 
 
 " Do not be frightened, ladies. I have come not 
 to rebuke you, but to serve you. Allow me to in- 
 troduce myself. Among my friends I am known 
 as Father Ryder. If my standing among the breth- 
 ren is called into question, people salute me as Mon- 
 seigneur Ryder, Superior of the House of the 
 Jesuits in Brussels. By Madame La Tour and her 
 daughter I hope to be addressed as Father Ryder." 
 
 The Jesuit bowed courteously to the elder lady, 
 but his eyes rested longest on the fair face of Kath- 
 arine La Tour. The young girl had just budded 
 into womanhood, yet the sweet spring air of girl- 
 hood hovered about her like the scent of woodland 
 violets. Monseigneur Ryder, with his esthetic 
 tastes, was quick to recognize the subtle charm of 
 that sensitive, high-bred face. Katharine La Tour 
 had inherited from some Saxon ancestor her trans- 
 parent complexion and large blue eyes. But it was 
 the harmonious blending of dignity and gentleness, 
 the modest flushing of the cheek, the candor and 
 intelligence that beamed from her clear eyes, which 
 constituted her chief charm. The Superior felt 
 
 95 
 
96 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 more of human emotion than usual, and he gazed 
 with considerable attention upon the woman who 
 was capable of awakening in his mind more than a 
 passing interest. 
 
 Madame La Tour recognized fully, and her 
 daughter in part, that somehow their fate rested in 
 the hands of this distinguished Jesuit. 
 
 Both ladies arose arid made reverent salutations, 
 and Madame La Tour bade the Superior to sit 
 down. She furthermore expressed her pleasure at 
 the honor bestowed upon herself and daughter by 
 this visit. 
 
 " I think, ladies," said the Superior, " that you 
 cannot be in ignorance of my mission to-day. Be- 
 fore the estates to which you have recently fallen 
 heir can be legally conveyed to you, it is necessary 
 that the Church should be satisfied as to your 
 orthodoxy. Of Madame La Tour we have no seri- 
 ous doubts, but as to whether her daughter is a 
 good Catholic we are not so confident. Has she 
 been duly instructed in the Catholic faith, and does 
 she profess to be a true believer? " he inquired of 
 Madame. 
 
 " Certainly, your reverence. Her father, to be 
 sure, was a Huguenot, but continued persecution 
 broke his spirit. He did not wish to have his child 
 urged to follow a path which led to such direful re- 
 sults, and so he permitted me to rear her in my own 
 faith." 
 
IN THE SNARE 97 
 
 " Your husband showed remarkable leniency for 
 one of that accursed sect," said the Jesuit, with an 
 ill-concealed sneer. 
 
 " My father was everything that was honorable 
 and noble," said Katharine La Tour proudly. 
 " Could you have known him, your reverence, I do 
 not think you would have despised him even 
 though he was a Huguenot." 
 
 The expression which animated the young girl's 
 face made her wonderfrlly attractive. 
 
 " I admire your loyalty to your father's mem- 
 ory," said the Jesuit gently. " I have no doubt he 
 possessed excellent virtues. I only regret that he 
 chose to die outside the pale of the Church." 
 
 " Is my daughter's standing as a Catholic ques- 
 tioned? " asked Madame, her thoughts centring 
 about the inheritance which meant so much to her. 
 
 " Frankly, yes. Reports have reached us which 
 lead us to doubt her devotion to mother Church." 
 
 " But I tell you she is a Catholic," said Madame, 
 irritably. " Is not the word of a good Catholic 
 sufficient to set your doubts to rest? " 
 
 " Madame La Tour, this is no ordinary case. 
 There is a large fortune at stake, which must not be 
 allowed to go into Protestant hands. It is entirely 
 for your own interest and that of your daughter to 
 profess orthodoxy and to support your statements 
 by an outward observance of the rites and cere- 
 monies of the Catholic Church. What we wish to 
 
98 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 know is whether Mademoiselle is anything more 
 than a nominal Catholic." 
 
 The Superior watched the young lady keenly 
 while he was speaking. Quick to read faces and to 
 form correct judgments, her look of terror and her 
 extreme pallor convinced him that he was on the 
 verge of a discovery. Fixing his searching eyes on 
 her face, he said: " My child, tell me frankly what 
 is your spiritual condition. I know that you are in- 
 capable of either falsehood or deceit." 
 
 The young girl felt the powerful personality of 
 the Superior, and her lips framed almost uncon- 
 sciously the statement which he had requested her 
 to make. 
 
 " Your reverence, you have judged correctly. 
 I shall speak only the simple truth." Then gather- 
 ing courage the girl stated her position with dig- 
 nity and candor. 
 
 " I am, your reverence, at heart neither a Catho- 
 lic nor a Protestant. The freedom to choose some 
 religious belief was left in my hands. My father in- 
 sisted that until I arrived at maturity I was not to 
 be unduly biased in favor of either the Huguenot 
 faith or the Roman Catholic religion. I attended 
 mass with my mother and went to confession. My 
 confessor was not strict, and he allowed me to come 
 up without any definite instruction as to the funda- 
 mental beliefs of his faith. I am in the deplorable 
 condition of a person who does not know his own 
 
IN THE SNARE 99 
 
 mind; but I am desirous of knowing the truth, 
 and both my inclinations and my interests favor the 
 Catholic religion. If after due study the doctrines 
 of your Church satisfy my reason and conscience, I 
 shall be only too glad to enter heart and soul into 
 the duties and privileges of a devout believer." 
 
 The Superior felt a thrill of triumph at this reve- 
 lation. He now understood the girl's character 
 perfectly, and his line of action became plain. He 
 looked his admiration as he said: " My child, I 
 thank you for your confidence, which has dispelled 
 my doubts as to your sincerity. I shall be pleased 
 to place in your hands the writings of the greatest 
 saints of the Church, and to help you to secure the 
 knowledge which your intellect craves. I have no 
 doubt but what a few months of careful and prayer- 
 ful study will convince you of the infallibility of 
 the Romzui Catholic Church. Now, Madame La 
 Tour, let me unfold to you my plan. There are 
 still a few forms and preliminary steps to be at- 
 tended to before your claims can be adjusted. The 
 consent of the Chancellor of Brabant I obtained 
 previous to my visit to you. It only remains for me 
 to satisfy the ecclesiastical authorities, and the prop- 
 erty is yours. I will advise that both of you ladies 
 take up your residence in the Convent of the Sacred 
 Heart until these matters are adjusted. Mademoi- 
 selle can then receive the instruction she craves, and 
 Madame will find the accommodations infinitely 
 
100 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 superior to those she is enduring here. As I wish 
 to personally superintend the religious instruction 
 which Mademoiselle La Tour receives, it will be 
 more convenient for me to have her in charge of the 
 Lady Abbess." 
 
 " Can we not remain here just as well? " faltered 
 Madame, who had a wholesome dread of " holy 
 houses." 
 
 " Daughter," said the Jesuit sternly, " you should 
 obey your spiritual advisers and not argue with 
 them. Do you not see your consent to reside at 
 the convent will do more to disarm suspicion as to 
 your orthodoxy than any number of statements or 
 assertions of piety? Believe me, I am seeking your 
 best good by my request." 
 
 " Forgive me, Father, for my seeming ingrati- 
 tude. We will gladly accompany you." 
 
 " Then the matter is settled," said Monseigneur 
 Ryder rising. "A carriage will be sent for you in 
 two hours. Set your hearts at rest, for your ex- 
 pectations will shortly be realized. At all events, 
 you can rely upon my hearty co-operation. Fare- 
 well." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE minstrel's MESSAGE. 
 
 The Prince of Orange sat alone in his private re- 
 ception-room. He looked anxious and depressed, 
 as a man might well look to whose arm a whole na- 
 tion was clinging. In his dark hair gleamed many 
 silver threads, and his face was wrinkled and worn, 
 although he was only thirty years of age. The 
 Regent had refused to accept his resignation, and he 
 was placed in an equivocal position. Still, with the 
 persistence of his intense nature, he struggled man- 
 fully to do what he believed to be his duty. " For 
 Fatherland and conscience " was ever his motto. 
 
 While he was reflecting upon the unhappy condi- 
 tion of his countrymen, a gentle knock sounded 
 upon the door. 
 
 " Come in! " said William wearily. 
 
 " I am sorry to disturb you, dear master," said 
 Conrad Chenoweth, who was sincerely devoted to 
 the Prince's person and interests, " but Francis 
 Junius has arrived in disguise, and craves an imme- 
 diate audience with your Excellency." 
 
 " Admit him at once," replied William. 
 
102 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 In a moment this remarkable Protestant preacher 
 and the greatest prince of his times were face 
 to face. It was their first meeting. William, al- 
 ways courteous, always hospitable and generous, 
 stretched out his hand and said graciously: " I bid 
 you welcome. Seigneur Junius. But are you not 
 courting death to venture into Brussels, the para- 
 dise of the CathoHcs? " 
 
 " It is a paradise guarded by many flaming 
 swords," was the quick reply. " As to my safety, 
 noble Prince, I give little heed to that. Martyrdom 
 will sooner or later be my portion. I only ask that 
 my life may prove to have been a stone in the great 
 temple of freedom which, if God will, shall be built 
 in the Netherlands." 
 
 " You have just returned from Germany, I be- 
 lieve," said William. " What success did you have 
 with those in authority? " 
 
 " None at all! " returned Junius gloomily. " The 
 Lutheran princes are narrow and bigoted. They 
 will not help the Calvinists or any one who differs 
 in the least from them. They fight not against 
 anti-Christ, but against the brother who praises 
 God in a different form of words. This faith is like 
 a stagnant pool, which gives Hfe to none." 
 
 " Why is it. Seigneur, that in times like these, 
 when the Protestants ought to hold together, they 
 are divided into sects? Those of the same faith 
 ought to be united." 
 
THE MINSTREL'S MESSAGE 103 
 
 " Gracious Prince, it is for you and King Philip 
 to teach the people of the Netherlands the spirit of 
 tolerance. The people have reached an important 
 crisis in their lives. They look to you to deliver 
 them from the hand of the destroyer. The time is 
 ripe for action. The voice of freedom, that mighty 
 voice of nations, is ever ' God and the people,' and 
 it has always confessed its deliverer in Him. In the 
 name of the Lord of Hosts, I bring you His mes- 
 sage to-day, ' Go forward! ' " 
 
 " The nobles are already doing that," replied 
 William. " They have risen to right the wrongs of 
 the nation." 
 
 "The nobles!" said Junius contemptuously. 
 " What are they doing? Banqueting, debauching, 
 uttering incautious words which will bring them to 
 ruin, and acting like children just broken loose 
 from parental authority. Some one has truly said 
 that ' the nobles are but the gilded hands on the 
 outside of the dial — the hour tO' strike will be de- 
 termined by the obscure but weighty movements 
 within.' Your Excellency, the hands of the clock 
 already point to the hour. The people are calling 
 for Father William to lead them out of their Egypt 
 into the promised land." 
 
 " If I understand you aright," said the cautious 
 Prince, " you are asking me to lead a revolt against 
 lawful authority." 
 
 Junius fixed his keen eyes on the troubled face 
 
I04 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 of the Prince of Orange. " Pardon my frankness, 
 most illustrious Prince, but are you a Netherlander, 
 and speak of tyranny as lawful authority? Tol- 
 erance is good in times of peace, but when public 
 liberty is attacked, to pardon the crime is to share 
 it. It was Luther's theory that persecution should 
 be borne with dum-b resignation. The disciples of 
 Calvin know how to die like martyrs, after having 
 striven like men." 
 
 Ignoring the implied rebuke, William said 
 calmly, " Seigneur Junius, what can be the out- 
 come of a reformation which is already divided 
 against itself? " 
 
 A sad look came into the preacher's face. "I 
 do not wonder that this question has suggested 
 itself to your mind. No loyalty to a system should 
 prevent us from admitting its serious defects. The 
 Reformation, being largely the work of man, has 
 many defects. I deplore this fact as much as you, 
 but I firmly believe that the day is coming when - 
 unity will prevail. Do I believe that armed resist- 
 ance will be successful? Certainly I believe so, for 
 even tyranny has its limitations. The Church of 
 Rome fights not against nations, but against free 
 thought. She will find to her cost that, she can 
 never slay what is immortal. But I will not weary 
 you longer, gracious Prince," said Junius, rising. 
 " May God in His wisdom guide you in all your de- 
 cisions." 
 
,IAY GOD IN HIS WISDOM GUIDE VOU." Page 104. 
 
THE MINSTREL'S MESSAGE 105 
 
 " Your arguments. Seigneur, shall receive my 
 careful attention," replied William. " I tieg of you 
 to incur no needless risks in your zeal for the cause. 
 Farewell." 
 
 Junius passed into an ante-room, where the 
 young advocate helped him into his disguise. With 
 a white wig, long white mustache, and a harp slung 
 over his shoulder, he presented the figure common 
 in those days, of a travelling minstrel. 
 
 " The servants are anxious for an exhibition of 
 your skill as a musician," said Conrad. " Do you 
 think it would be wise to gratify them? " 
 
 " By all means! " was the reply. 
 
 They found the servants assembled in the spa- 
 cious hall. The aged minstrel struck a few chords 
 on the harp, and then sang in a rich baritone voice 
 a stirring song very popular at this time: 
 
 " We have taken our land from the sea, 
 Its fields are all yellow with grain; 
 Its meadows are green on the lea, 
 And now shall we give it to Spain ? 
 No, no, no, no ! 
 " We have planted the faith that is pure. 
 That faith to the end we'll maintain; 
 For the word and the truth must endure; 
 Shall we bow to the Pope and to Spain? 
 No, no, no, no ! 
 " Shall we give up our long cherished right? 
 Make the blood of our fathers in vain ? 
 Do we fear any tyrant to fight ? 
 Shall we hold out our hands for the chain ? 
 No, no, no, no ! 
 
io6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Our ships are on every sea. 
 Our honor has never a stain, 
 Our law and our commerce are free, 
 Are we slaves for the tyrant of Spain? 
 No, no, no, no ! 
 
 Great enthusiasm greeted this patriotic song, 
 and the minstrel was eagerly besought to sing 
 again, but he steadfastly refused, and went his way 
 unrecognized. 
 
 Meanwhile, in another part of Brussels, Baron 
 Berlaymont was taking his nephew to task. 
 
 " My dear Hugo," said the Baron, " I have no- 
 ticed for some time, with considerable surprise and 
 displeasure, your growing intimacy with the 
 young advocate Chenoweth. I have been waiting 
 for your accustomed good sense to assert itself, and 
 show you that this young man was not a suitable 
 companion for you. You will please me greatly by 
 breaking off this acquaintance at once." 
 
 There was a striking resemblance between uncle 
 and nephew despite the difference in their ages. 
 But the expression of these two faces was totally 
 unlike. On the face of the " Tiger of Brussels " lay 
 the shadow of fierce, unholy passions, which neither 
 his self-command nor his freezing hauteur could 
 conceal. Hugo's face was as frank and open as the 
 day. 
 
 " Conrad Chenoweth is well spoken of," said the 
 
THE MINSTREL'S MESSAGE 107 
 
 lad, " and everyone concedes that he is a loyal pa- 
 triot." 
 
 " He is a Protestant," replied the Baron, " and 
 that ought to be enough for you to know. To be 
 sure, he may possess good qualities, but this ought 
 not to blind our eyes to the fact that he is a heretic. 
 It is our duty to destroy heretics root and branch. 
 Being under the patronage of that cosmopolitan, 
 William of Orange, we have been obliged so far to 
 tolerate such men." 
 
 " But," persisted Hugo, " if heretics lead honest, 
 respectable lives, ought they not to be tolerated as 
 well as Catholics, many of whom lead dissolute 
 lives? " 
 
 The Baron regarded his nephew pityingly. 
 " You are young, my boy, and are not conversant 
 with the philosophy of the age. Did you never hear 
 it said that ' the measure of every man is his belief '? 
 We should judge men by their opinions, as well as 
 by their actions. However, if you are fond of this 
 young man's society, there is one condition on 
 which you may continue it: Chancellor Maas is 
 anxious to learn the advocate's conversation and 
 habits; you could help us very much by drawing 
 the young man out in reference to the plans of the 
 heretics, their meetings, and the hiding-place of 
 their preacher Junius. In this manner you might 
 render the Church a signal service." 
 
 " Uncle," cried the boy passionately, " do you 
 
io8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 ask me to be a spy? Do you suppose that I will 
 stoop to such meanness? I would rather never see 
 Conrad Chenoweth's face again than to play the 
 part of Judas." 
 
 " But I desire you to help the cause of the 
 Church by exposing the doings of the heretics." 
 
 "That I will never do!" 
 
 " Boy, do you dare oppose me? " said the Baron 
 in hoarse tones. "Beware how you thwart me! I 
 have always been gentle with you, but it is not best 
 to trifle with me." 
 
 " I do not wish to oppose you, uncle, but my con- 
 science forbids my engaging in such dishonorable 
 duties." 
 
 " It is a pity that your conscience does not bid 
 you render me implicit obedience." 
 
 Uncle and nephew stood looking at each other. 
 There was something so noble and spiritual in the 
 lad's beautiful face that the elder man's eyes fell be- 
 fore that searching, sorrowful gaze. 
 
 At length the Baron said, " Hugo, you know my 
 weakness. I cannot remain angry with you for long. 
 Let us drop the matter and the advocate. At least 
 you will respect my wishes so far as to cease all 
 intercourse with that heretic? " 
 
 " Certainly, uncle," answered Hugo with a sigh 
 of regret. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 MAKING AN ENEMY. 
 
 HiLVARDiNE Van Straalen and Madam Chen- 
 oweth were seated before the open fire. The girl's 
 cheek had lost something of its roundness and 
 bloom, and deep, violet shadows rested heavily un- 
 der the beautiful eyes. 
 
 " Dear Madam," she was saying, " there is noth- 
 ing before me but a life of misery. Father is in- 
 exorable. He says I must wed the Chancellor, and 
 neither.my entreaties nor mother's arguments move 
 him a particle. What shall I do? " 
 
 Poor Hilvardine! The world seemed suddenly 
 to have grown cold and dark in spite of the bright 
 June sun, and her head drooped until it rested on 
 Madam's knees. 
 
 " And dost thou love Conrad, my child? " 
 
 " His presence is hke the brightest sunshine or 
 the sweetest music. How can I give him up? " 
 
 " And Conrad loves you, my child, of that I am 
 
 sure. Love to you both seems tO' mean only pain 
 
 and separation. How often, when we pluck the 
 
 109 
 
110 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 rose of human love, we are wounded by the thorns 
 which surround it! " 
 
 " Tell me, dear Madam, if it is my duty to wed 
 the Chancellor." 
 
 " I see no course open to you except to obey 
 your father's command, Hilvardine. Had he re- 
 quired you to renounce your religion, then it would 
 have been your duty to disobey him. But in this 
 matter it is customary for children to accept such 
 marriages as their parents make for them. We all 
 have to drink the cup as God mingles it, my child, 
 the bitter with the sweet." 
 
 " Perhaps God will provide a way of escape for 
 me if I seek to do His will," said Hilvardine. 
 , " With God all things are possible," said Madam. 
 " The future is in His hands. He can make even 
 the wrath of man to praise Him. If it is His will 
 that your life and Conrad's flow in separate chan- 
 nels, remember that God knows best. Let the 
 knowledge that God knows, and God cares, sustain 
 you in this trying hour. God's love is far beyond 
 all earthly love. It is like the ocean, beside which 
 poor human affection is but as a trembling dewdrop. 
 God does not chide you for your love, for He is 
 love. Let God do with you as He will. Only keep 
 hold of His hand, and you shall surely be guided 
 into the ways of peace." 
 
 The conflict was sharp and sore, but at last Hil- 
 vardine grew calm. Her anchor was cast, and the 
 
MAKING AN ENEMY iii 
 
 tossing of the waves but strengthened its hold, and 
 embedded it more securely in that sure resting- 
 place within the veil. 
 
 In a red and gold ante-chamber at the Hotel de 
 Ville, in Antwerp, Chancellor Maas was at his toi- 
 let, surrounded by a bevy of obsequious lackeys. 
 They were engaged in the wearisome task of re- 
 juvenating the elderly man so that his face should 
 not record his sixty-five years, but present the ap- 
 pearance of a man of thirty-five. With a look of 
 vanity, the magistrate watched the result. At 
 length the work of art was completed, and arrayed 
 in a gorgeous costume of silver and blue, he sur- 
 veyed his reflection in the mirror with serenity. 
 
 Dismissing his servants, the Chancellor repaired 
 to the Burgomaster's house. He was ushered into 
 the presence of Madam Van Straalen. 
 
 " Hilvardine is spending the day away from 
 home," said that lady. 
 
 " Where, may I ask? " 
 
 Madam hesitated. 
 
 " Is she at Dr. Chenoweth's again? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 The Chancellor grew very red in the face. " Did 
 I not tell you that there would be trouble if your 
 daughter did not cease her visits to that family? " 
 
 " She is very fond of Madam Chenoweth," began 
 the Burgomaster's wife. 
 
112 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Madam Chenoweth indeed! " replied the Chan- 
 cellor scornfully. " Your daughter goes there to 
 get tidings of that rascally advocate, I have no 
 doubt. She shall sufifer for this! I am tired of her 
 sharp speeches and lofty manners. There are other 
 women in the Netherlands just as fascinating as 
 Mistress Hilvardine, who would be pleased to give 
 my addresses their complaisant consideration. I 
 told you, Madam Van Straalen, that any disobe- 
 dience to my express orders would receive a sum- 
 mary punishment. You shall all sufifer for this 
 piece of impertinence." 
 
 The Chancellor left the Burgomaster's house 
 fuming with rage at his disappointment, and in- 
 wardly cherishing plans for a speedy revenge. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE LADY ABBESS. 
 
 In a simple but richly appointed room sat Mon- 
 seigneur Ryder and the Mother Superior of the 
 convent of the Sacred Heart. The lady wore the 
 customary long flowing robe of her Order, but the 
 material was of the softest texture, and heavy cord 
 and tassels of silk confined the garment at the waist. 
 She had one of those dark, beautiful faces which 
 defy the ravages of time — whose beauty time en- 
 hances rather than diminishes. Ordinarily the face 
 of the Lady Abbess expressed simply thoughtful- 
 ness and an indomitable will: but for a moment the 
 mask was laid aside. Her countenance grew hard 
 and the stern lips seemed framed to pronounce 
 judgment. The look of calm repose had fled and 
 was replaced by an expression which indicated cold- 
 ness, disillusion, reproach and bitterness. 
 " I tell you, Monseigneur, I cannot do it." 
 " And I repeat, my cousin, that you shall." 
 The two faces looked as though they might have 
 been hewn out of the same block of marble, so simi- 
 lar were they in feature and expression. 
 
 113 
 
114 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 The dark eyes of the Lady Abbess flashed and 
 her breast heaved with suppressed emotion. 
 
 " Have a care, JuHus! " she said. " Do not goad 
 me too far." 
 
 " Be so kind, fair cousin, as to remember the 
 amount of your indebtedness to me." 
 
 " Indebtedness! " The Mother Superior laughed 
 in derision. " Indebtedness is a good word, Julius. 
 I am indebted to you for a rest which is not peace 
 — a calm which is not submission — an endurance 
 of my fate which has no kin to resignation. I tell 
 you, Julius, that the man or woman whom worldli- 
 ness drives into the convent or cloister, is not deliv- 
 ered from the evil passions of the world. The con- 
 secrated garments of the Church, as you well know, 
 leave the breast above which they are folded pre- 
 cisely what it was before." 
 
 " See to it, my lady, that you keep such heretical 
 doctrines locked securely in your own bosom. You 
 are indebted to me, and you know it. I have pro- 
 vided you with what your soul craves — position, 
 power, and, above all," he added significantly, 
 " with a house of refuge. Furthermore, those privi- 
 leges and extensions which you are desirous of hav- 
 ing this convent secure rest entirely upon my rec- 
 ommendations. Submit to my will, and your re- 
 quests shall be granted. Refuse, and I will see to it 
 that your power is materially limited." 
 
 These words brought the Lady Abbess to sub- 
 
THE LADY ABBESS 115 
 
 mission. " Well, Julius, it is folly for us to quarrel, 
 we are of too much use to each other. Forgive my 
 frankness, for I have been seriously tried of late. I 
 will do as you desire. When does this girl arrive? " 
 
 " In a few hours," said Monseigneur, rising. " I 
 go to accompany them hither. I am glad, Agnes, 
 that you are wise enough not to break friendship 
 with me. You say truly that we need each other. 
 Farewell for a brief time." 
 
 The Jesuit repaired at once to the house occu- 
 pied by Madame La Tour and her daughter. He 
 found them occupied in gathering together what 
 efifects could be conveniently carried with them. 
 
 Katharine was selecting a few volumes from a 
 small bookcase. 
 
 " You do not need to take any books, my daugh- 
 ter," said the Superior. " The convent library is 
 quite extensive, and what farther reading matter 
 you lack, I will see is supplied from my own li- 
 brary." 
 
 " Permit me, holy father, to take these two vol- 
 umes with me," said Katharine, holding out a trans- 
 lation of the Bible used by the Huguenots and a 
 collection of Theodore Beza's hymns. " I prize 
 them highly, because they were so dear to my 
 father," added the girl. 
 
 " The poems you may keep. Mademoiselle, but 
 we are strictly enjoined on peril of our souls not to 
 meddle with the Word of God. This holy Word is 
 
ii6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 like a two-edged sword, wounding and bringing 
 death to all unskilled hands which dare wield it. J. 
 will explain to you such portions of the Bible as are 
 necessary for a right interpretation of the doctrines 
 of the Roman Catholic faith." 
 
 The carriage had now arrived which was to con- 
 vey them to their destination. Madame La Tour 
 hoped and prayed that their stay in the convent 
 might be brief. She knew the character of these 
 places by reputation, and the reports which were 
 rife among the Huguenots, while exaggerated, 
 were not lacking in a foundation of fact which fur- 
 nished just material for condemnation. 
 
 In a short time they traversed the distance be- 
 tween their boarding place and the convent of the 
 Sacred Heart. It was located in close proximity to 
 the House of the Jesuits. The grounds were en- 
 closed by a brick wall from twelve to fifteen feet in 
 height. 
 
 The ladies alighted from the carriage, and Mon- 
 seigneur Ryder rapped three times in quick suc- 
 cession on the wall. Immediately a door was 
 opened by a portress, who invited the guests to 
 enter. Katharine gave a cry of pleasure at the 
 view before her. The convent was an old stone 
 building, partially covered with clinging vines. The 
 neatly trimmed shrubbery, the gravelled walks, 
 beds filled with a riotous profusion of flowers, mur- 
 muring fountains, and the pleasant shadow of trees, 
 
THE LADY ABBESS 117 
 
 made these grounds like an Eden in miniature. 
 Even a more resigned expression came over the 
 worn face of Madame La Tour at the quiet, peace- 
 ful scene. 
 
 From out of the vine-clad porch came the stately 
 figure of the Abbess, her fine features wearing a 
 look of calmness and her lips wreathed with smiles. 
 
 " You are welcome to the convent of the Sacred 
 Heart," she said in a rich, expressive voice, giving 
 her hand to Madame La Tour and pressing a kiss 
 upon the girl's fair forehead. " I trust our humble 
 abode may prove a restful asylum for you both. I 
 have learned your sad history with commiseration." 
 
 These sympathetic words allayed Madame's fears. 
 As for Katharine, with the impulsiveness of youth, 
 she yielded willing homage to this gracious woman. 
 
 Monseigneur Ryder watched the scene with sat- 
 isfaction. He knew full well that if the Lady Ab- 
 bess chose to be fascinating no young person could 
 long withstand the charm of her personality. 
 
 Sister Margaret was summoned, who escorted 
 the ladies to a pleasant suite of rooms on the second 
 floor, daintily furnished, with all the necessary con- 
 veniences. 
 
 " I did not expect to find such creature comfort 
 in a convent," said Madame La Tour in surprise. 
 
 " You forget that you are guests of the Lady Ab- 
 bess," said their guide. " The Sisters themselves 
 are permitted no such luxuries." 
 
ii8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " I should not be surprised if we were able to 
 tolerate a few weeks here with some degree of 
 pleasure," said Madame, in relieved tones. 
 
 " I am in love with the convent already," replied 
 Katharine. " After having been driven before the 
 storm for so many weary months, it is pleasant to 
 find such a quiet haven. As for the Mother Supe- 
 rior, she is simply adorable." 
 
 The lay sister, while apparently arranging the 
 room, listened intently to the conversation of the 
 guests. 
 
 Meanwhile Monseigneur Ryder and the Lady 
 Abbess were again conversing in a private ante- 
 room. 
 
 " What do you think of the ladies? " the Jesuit 
 was saying. 
 
 " The mother can be easily disposed of. The 
 daughter will require judicious management;" 
 
 " Such as my fair cousin knows well how to 
 give," replied Monseigneur. 
 
 " Katharine La Tour is a very attractive girl. 
 She is generous, impulsive, affectionate. She re- 
 minds me of my own girlhood, with this exception: 
 she has learned in the school of adversity how to 
 restrain the wild impulses of the heart, while I gave 
 the rein to my foolish fancies. But she has no busi- 
 ness here, Julius, with that face. Let us understand 
 each other. Are you fully determined on having 
 her take the veil?" 
 
THE LADY ABBESS 
 
 119 
 
 " Most emphatically, yes. And Agnes," he 
 added, " I want everything made pleasant and easy 
 for Mademoiselle La Tour. Do not use discipline, 
 except as a last resort. I would give much to have 
 her accede to my wishes of her own free will." 
 
 The Lady Abbess regarded her cousin in sur- 
 prise. " I never heard you express such a humane 
 sentiment toward one of my sex before, Julius. 
 This young girl must possess wonderful magic, if 
 she has touched the cold heart of Monseigneur 
 Ryder." 
 
 The Superior winced at these words. " I admit 
 frankly, Agnes, that I am strangely interested in 
 this girl. Why, I know not and I care not. Aside 
 from this fact remains the more practical one of the 
 girl's fortune. A small portion of this property 
 will revert to the mother; another slice will be re- 
 quired to satisfy the cupidity of the civil magis- 
 trate; but the bulk will go to endow this splendidly 
 equipped convent. You see, cousin mine, that self- 
 interest alone should prompt you to do your best 
 in this case." 
 
 " And my best I will do, Julius. You have my 
 assurance that in a short time Katharine La Tour, 
 of her own free will, shall become a Sister of my 
 Order." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE RIOT. 
 
 It was a stormy evening. The moisture, which 
 had been rising all day from the river, was now fall- 
 ing in copious showers of rain. The wind howled 
 dismally through the trees, and ever and anon came 
 sounds above the roar of the tempest, which filled 
 the heart with misgiving. 
 
 " I wish the Prince could have remained in Ant- 
 werp until after the festival of the Assumption," 
 said Dr. Chenoweth to his wife. 
 
 " Do you fear a riot? " 
 
 " Yes, Agatha." 
 
 The sounds increased, and hurrying feet sped 
 past the house. The doctor arose, and putting on 
 his cape prepared to go out. 
 
 " I must learn the cause of this agitation," he 
 said. " I will not be gone long." 
 
 The doctor returned in about an hour looking 
 anxious and tired. " If the Catholics persist in 
 holding their festival to-morrow, wife, there will 
 surely be trouble. The air is full of mutterings, 
 which bode no good. It is earthquake weather, 
 
 120 
 
THE RIOT 121 
 
 and the moral atmosphere is rapidly lowering. 
 Count Brederode's visit to Antwerp has sown the 
 seeds of recklessness and mob law." 
 
 The morning of the eighteenth of June, 1566, 
 dawned clear and bright. Although the CathoHcs 
 were in the minority in Antwerp, they were in no- 
 wise daunted by this fact. The time-honored fes- 
 tival of the Ommegang proceeded as usual. 
 
 It consisted in the conveying from one end of 
 the city to the other of a colossal image of the Vir- 
 gin. This image was borne aloft on the shoulders 
 of priests and followed by the religious sodalities, 
 guilds and military organizations. The sounds of 
 drum and fife heralded the approach of the " Queen 
 of Heaven." This wooden image, to the Protes- 
 tants, meant the Inquisition and the stake. The 
 sight of this solemn pageant filled their hearts with 
 indignation. The procession was followed by the 
 usual crowd of scoffers, who confined themselves 
 to insulting words and gestures. One or two of the 
 bolder ones throw mud upon the image as it passed, 
 crying, " Mayken, Mayken, your hour is come! 
 Antwerp is tired of you! This is your last prome- 
 nade!" 
 
 The festivities incident to this occasion were 
 shortened; the procession halted in safety before 
 the cathedral doors, and the mud-bespattered rep- 
 resentative of Our Lady was carried within. In- 
 stead of remaining in the centre of the church, as 
 
122 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 was customary after this festival, the image was 
 conveyed to a place of safety behind the iron screen 
 of the choir. 
 
 That night Antwerp slept in peace. 
 
 The next morning a disorderly crowd assembled 
 before the doors of the great cathedral, turbulent 
 but purposeless. Antwerp possessed a large num- 
 ber of foreigners. This city was then the commer- 
 cial metropohs of the world. Thither had gathered 
 the scum of various nationalities. All that these 
 foreigners had contributed to this city was the vice 
 of their own country. 
 
 The multitude which had congregated before the 
 cathedral represented poverty, greed and revenge: 
 elements which under favoring conditions could 
 easily become lawless and inflammable. 
 
 The riot began with a trivial circumstance. The 
 door of the cathedral being unlocked, one by one 
 the outsiders ertered. Some ragged urchins peeped 
 through the wire network of the screen, and began 
 to utter coarse gibes at the inoffensive image. 
 " Mayken, Mayken, art thou terrified so soon? 
 Hast thou flown to thy nest so early? Dost thou 
 think thyself beyond the reach of harm? Have a 
 care, Mayken, thine hour is coming fast! " 
 
 One of the boys took a stone from his pocket 
 and threw it against the screen. This act gave form 
 to the idea of revenge, which was uppermost in the 
 minds of all. 
 
THE RIOT 123 
 
 " Let us destroy these emblems of popery," said 
 one man to his neighbor, pointing to the wal's 
 crowded with shrines and images of saints, the 
 elaborate sculptures, and the repository of the 
 Host. 
 
 The words flew from lip to lip. " Destroy! De- 
 stroy! Vivent les gueulx! " And forthwith the 
 work of destruction began. 
 
 A ragged mechanic mounted the pulpit and be- 
 gan a parody on a priest's sermon. Some laughed 
 and applauded, while others cried " Shame! 
 Shame!" A sailor of the old faith rushed after 
 the impious offender and dragged him from the 
 sacred desk. A pistol-shot wounded the sailor in 
 the arm. It was apparent that elements of a more 
 dangerous kind were close at hand. A taper ven- 
 der's wares were upset and destroyed, the holy 
 water was polluted, while missiles of various kinds 
 were levelled at the images. As yet no check had 
 been placed upon the movements of the mob. 
 
 As soon as Dr. Chenoweth realized the state of 
 aflfairs, he hurried to the house of Burgomaster 
 Van Straalen and begged him to interfere. " A 
 hundred resolute men can easily disperse yonder 
 image-breakers," said the doctor. 
 
 The frightened magistrate consented to accom- 
 pany the doctor to the cathedral. In the crowd 
 were many intoxicated roughs, who, inflamed with 
 
124 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 liquor and excitement, urged on their fellows with 
 cries like these: 
 
 " Down with the priests! Liberty forever! Long 
 live the Beggars! " 
 
 " I believe, Dr. Chenoweth, that these are your 
 allies," said the Burgomaster, with cutting irony. 
 
 " This lawless mob does not represent Protes- 
 tantism," replied the doctor, a flush of shame rising 
 to his cheeks at the taunt. " Where there is wheat 
 growing, there is always chaff. You surely would 
 not condemn all Protestants because of the defec- 
 tion of a few! " 
 
 "The Burgomaster replied coldly: "These fel- 
 lows call themselves Protestants. See what they 
 are doing? They are destroying the work of cen- 
 turies. You cannot blame me for being suspicious 
 of a cause which allows such excesses to be per- 
 mitted in its name. Good day! " 
 
 A furious tumult was now in progress. The Mar- 
 grave of Antwerp, John Van Immerzeel, the high- 
 est executive in Antwerp, accompanied by the 
 Senators and the Burgomaster, now marched in a 
 body to the cathedral expecting to awe the icono- 
 clasts by their august presence. But their expec- 
 tations were not realized. The crowd declared that 
 they would not leave the church until after vespers. 
 When informed that there would be no vespers that 
 evening, missiles began to fly in dangerous prox- 
 imity to these officers of justice. 
 
THE RIOT 125 
 
 "Look at these brave heresy hunters!" jeered 
 the mob as the thoroughly frightened magistrates 
 beat a hasty retreat, leaving the image-breakers in 
 possession of the field. 
 
 The work of destruction now began in earnest. 
 Costly paintings were cut in pieces; the golden ves- 
 sels on the altar were thrown down and battered; 
 the elegantly embroidered altar-robe was rent 
 asunder and wound about the shoulders of a low 
 wanton, who wreathed the diamond necklace of 
 the Virgin in her dishevelled hair. The exquisitely 
 toned organ was hewn in pieces, while the sacra- 
 mental wine was passed in golden goblets from lip 
 to lip. 
 
 The civil authorities were paralyzed with fear. 
 They either could not or would not interfere. Be- 
 fore the morning sun shone again thirty churches 
 within the city limits had been sacked, while every 
 image of the Virgin, every crucifix, and every 
 sculptured saint were hewn in pieces. Many mon- 
 asteries and nunneries were entered, their valuable 
 libraries, altars and pictures destroyed, and the oc- 
 cupants of these retreats were driven out into the 
 summer night. 
 
 For two more days and nights the fury of the 
 mob was unappeased, and the churches, chapels, 
 and convents in the immediate vicinity of Antwerp 
 were despoiled: not for plunder, for no one car- 
 ried away any of the treasures, but for revenge. 
 
126 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 which is one of the bitter fruits of tyranny. The 
 reformed preachers were as powerless to check the 
 tumult as the Catholics. The mob recognized no 
 authority but its own, and they gave the rein to 
 their ungoverned passions. 
 
 Unfortunately for the cause of Protestantism, 
 these turbulent and destructive elements of the 
 city were for a time partisans of the " New Gospel." 
 The cause of the Reformation received a blow 
 which retarded its progress for years, and which 
 gave the enemies of the Reformed faith just cause 
 for indignation. The record of this riot at Ant- 
 werp was the one dark stain on the banner of Prot- 
 estantism in the Netherlands. Yet not a drop of 
 blood was shed, not a human being seriously in- 
 jured, not an article of treasure stolen, not a single 
 church razed to the ground. It was simply a frenzy 
 against images which symbolized to the Protestants 
 inquisitorial tortures. 
 
 But the day of retribution was near. A Nemesis 
 swift and relentless was approaching. These seven 
 days and nights of image-breaking were the pre- 
 lude of years of horror and bloodshed. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE burgomaster's PROMISE. 
 
 While events of such moment were transpiring 
 in Antwerp, Conrad Chenoweth was busily em- 
 ployed in the interests of the Prince of Orange. As 
 a panacea for a troubled mind, he had fliung himself 
 heart and soul into his work, and with a resolute 
 hand he had put away the thought of Hilvardine 
 Van Straalen. The young advocate had a sense of 
 honor unusual for this age. Other young men 
 would have considered it right to steal the girl 
 from her father's house, but Conrad Chenoweth 
 would never ask any woman to become his wife 
 without honorably gaining the consent of her par- 
 ents. 
 
 One evening business matters called him abroad 
 at a late hour. The streets of Brussels were prac- 
 tically deserted. 
 
 When the advocate had transacted his business, 
 he returned to his rooms by the broad thorough- 
 fare which led him past the regent's palace and the 
 stately cathedral. It has been said that the " flip- 
 pant tread of Fate doth leave no print upon the 
 
 127 
 
128 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 sand to mark her passage, nor doth she sound a 
 note of warning, that the waiting hand may grasp 
 her garments as she flies." Conrad was no believer 
 in blind fate. He believed in the providence of 
 God. It was to this same overruling Power that 
 he attributed a discovery which was to change the 
 whole tenor of his life. As he neared the House of 
 the Jesuits, the form of a priest appeared. Conrad 
 had no difficulty in recognizing the stately tread 
 of Monseigneur Ryder. As the priest drew his 
 handkerchief from his pocket a slight puff of wind 
 brought a paper and laid it directly at the feet of the 
 advocate. The latter picked it up and thrust it into 
 his pocket. 
 
 On reaching his room Conrad drew the slip of 
 paper from its resting-place and read the writing 
 thereon. A look of consternation passed over his 
 face, succeeded by one of horror. The paper con- 
 tained the following memoranda: 
 
 "The persons herein mentioned to be arrested: 
 (Antwerp) Louis de Heer, a cloth merchant. 
 
 " Father Linden, a priest at the Church of the 
 Nativity. 
 
 " Mary and Joanna Mander, domestics in the 
 family of Louis Van Hutten. 
 
 " Hilvardine Van Straalen, daughter of the Bur- 
 gomaster, Anthony Van Straalen. 
 
 "After nightfall. Between the hours of eight 
 and eleven." 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S PROMISE 129 
 
 For one brief moment Conrad sat as if paralyzed. 
 Hilvardine was in danger. The spies of the Inquisi- 
 tion were on her track. Then the Name, the one 
 sacred name, which rises to all human lips in mo- 
 ments of supreme agony, broke from his lips in a 
 wail of anguish. 
 
 " God in heaven, let this infamous plot fail. Let 
 me rescue this maiden, who is as dear to me as my 
 own soul, from these human vultures." - 
 
 The young man began to make arrangements to 
 reach Antwerp as speedily as possible. He left a 
 note for the Prince informing him of his sudden de- 
 parture, and then hastily prepared himself for the 
 journey. He went to the Royal Sword, hired a 
 swift horse, and several hours before daybreak 
 found him on the road to Antwerp. He paused in 
 his journey only long enough to secure a lunch and 
 a fresh horse. 
 
 The day was well advanced when he reached 
 Antwerp. He noticed the havoc which had been 
 made by the rioters, although the streets were now 
 quiet, but he hardly gave the matter a thought. 
 Should he reach the Burgomaster's house in time 
 to give them warning, or would he be too late? 
 The young advocate rode at such a reckless pace 
 that people stared at him. One or two myrmidons 
 of the law ordered him to stop, but he heeded them 
 not. The dust flew, and the smoking flanks of his 
 horse bore evidence of mad haste. Conrad Cheno- 
 
130 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 weth swerved not to the right hand nor the left, nor 
 slackened his speed, but rode straight on until the 
 Burgomaster's house was reached. He sprang 
 from the saddle, tethered his beast hastily at the 
 gate and rushed up the steps to the door. He rang 
 the bell with such vigor that the butler appeared 
 with a frightened face. 
 
 Pushing the servant aside, Conrad rushed into the 
 Burgomaster's sitting-room unannounced. Madam 
 Van Straalen had been weeping, and the magistrate 
 looked old and worn. 
 
 " Where is Hilvardine? " demanded the young 
 man. 
 
 The Burgomaster arose and eyed tha young ad- 
 vocate a moment in stern silence. Then he said: 
 " And I ask you, Conrad Chenoweth, where is my 
 daughter? " 
 
 " Your daughter, Heer Burgomaster? I know 
 not where she is! Oh, am I too late? " 
 
 " My daughter disappeared mysteriously last 
 evening," replied the Burgomaster. 
 
 " Perhaps this piece of paper will throw some 
 light on the subject," said the young man, handing 
 the Burgomaster the memoranda which he had 
 found in the street of Brussels. 
 
 "Holy Virgin!" cried the father in distress. 
 " My child is in the clutches of the Inquisition." 
 He leaned his head on his hand and sobs shook his 
 great frame. It was an agonizing thing to witness 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S PROMISE 131 
 
 this man's sorrow. A woman sheds tears easily. 
 But a man's tears — and such a hard, cold man as 
 Anthony Van Straalen — such tears were like drops 
 of the heart's blood. 
 
 " Is your daughter formally betrothed to Chan- 
 cellor Maas? " asked the young advocate. 
 
 " No! Hilvardine was so uncivil to him that he 
 left her in a rage, vowing vengeance. I expect her 
 disappearance is some of his work." 
 
 " Heer Burgomaster, I will leave no stone un- 
 turned in order to rescue Hilvardine from her ene- 
 mies," said the young man, in a broken voice. 
 
 " God bless you for your words! " said Madam, 
 with streaming eyes. 
 
 " Heer Chenoweth," said the magistrate, thor- 
 oughly subdued by his sorrow, " if you will only 
 bring my beloved d-ughter back to my arms, she 
 shall be your wife. Forgive me the harsh words I 
 have used to you in days past." 
 
 Conrad caught the outstretched hand and wrung 
 it. " If need be," he said, " I will give my life to 
 rescue your daughter." 
 
 " Your words are brave," said the Burgomaster 
 in his accustomed tones, " but deeds go farther. 
 Lose no time, I beg of you, but hasten on your mis- 
 sion. You will have to work slowly and cautiously, 
 for you have wily foes to deal with, and your at- 
 tachment to my daughter is known." 
 
 Conrad rode to his father's house, feeling sadly 
 
132 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 in need of the strength and counsel of his parents. 
 He was surprised at the stillness and deserted ap- 
 pearance of the place. The door to the kitchen 
 stood open, but the servants were gone. Only old 
 Lysken remained, a look of terror on her usually 
 placid face. 
 
 " What has happened? " inquired Conrad. 
 
 " Did you not notice the King's seal over the 
 door? " answered the nurse. " The Familiars came 
 here last night, searched the house, and removed all 
 your father's private papers. The good doctor was 
 betrayed into the hands of the Inquisition by that 
 scoundrel Maurits, who has been seen prowling 
 about the premises. My master is lodged in prison. 
 Alas! " she wailed, " we shall never see his kind face 
 again! " 
 
 " My mother," said the young man hoarsely. 
 "Where is she?" 
 
 Lysken pointed to the door of Madam Cheno- 
 weth's chamber in silence. 
 
 Conrad knocked gently, and then entered the 
 room. His mother sat with little Elizabeth clasped 
 in her arms, her eyes closed and her lips moving as 
 if in prayer. The lonely vigil of the night which 
 had just gone, had in it for Agatha Chenoweth the 
 supreme anguish of death. Love has its Gethsem- 
 ane as well as its Mount of Transfiguration. But 
 the strong faith of this woman had sustained her 
 even in this trying hour. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S PROMISE 133 
 
 " Mother! " said Conrad. The sad eyes opened, 
 and Madam drew her son down to her and kissed 
 him tenderly. 
 
 " It is all right, my son," she said, with quivering 
 lips and eyes which were dim with gathering tears. 
 " The Lord loveth whom He chasteneth. He doeth 
 all things well." 
 
 " It is not right, it is not just," said Conrad pas- 
 sionately. " Father in prison and Hilvardine in 
 the hands of the Inquisition, and the whole body of 
 reformed Christians throughout the Netherlands 
 persecuted and killed! If we believe that the Prot- 
 estants are indeed the Almighty's chosen ones, it 
 is passing strange that He gives the victory to the 
 enemies of that faith. It is enough to make one 
 doubt God's goodness." 
 
 " Speak not thus, my son," said his mother. 
 " Your tongue has led you perilously near to blas- 
 phemy. God's ways are indeed inscrutable, but 
 they are always goodness and mercy to them that 
 fear His name. Yes, I believe it," she added, 
 " whatever the Lord of Hosts permits is right. 
 But you are sadly in need of rest and refreshments. 
 Go and eat the evening meal which Lysken has pre- 
 pared, and then try and sleep. To-morrow things 
 will look clearer and we can plan for the future." 
 
 Conrad obeyed, but he could not swallow food. 
 He cast himself on a couch, thinking to rest, but 
 not to sleep. Healthy youth knows not how to 
 
134 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 watch, even in moments of great stress, and soon 
 his heavy breathing told his mother that slumber 
 had locked his senses in a merciful oblivion. 
 
 Madam Chenoweth could not sleep. At length 
 her forced calmness gave way, and outraged nature 
 found its natural vent. Laying her head on ihe 
 table, she burst into tears. Sobs shook her frame, 
 and between her gasps for breath she cried aloud 
 to Him on whom her soul leaned for support. 
 " Lord, Lord, I am poor and needy. Hear the voice 
 of my supplication. Out of the depths do I cry 
 unto Thee. Hasten Thou to deliver me! " 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 WHAT THE STARS SAW AT OOSTERWEEL. 
 
 In the royal palace at Brussels all was confusion 
 and uproar. The news of the riot at Antwerp had 
 reached the capital, and wildly exaggerated reports 
 flew from mouth to mouth, until the truth was lost 
 in a mass of error. It was stated to the Regent that 
 the provinces of Hainault, Flanders and Artois had 
 been laid waste, and that a large army of Protes- 
 tants was already marching to Brussels to demand 
 restitution. 
 
 " My life is not safe for a moment here," said the 
 Regent as she paced the floor of her room half in- 
 sane with terror. " Troops, troops, gentlemen! 
 Give me troops, that I may exact blood for blood 
 from these scurrilous miscreants! " she entreated 
 the members of the State Council. It was in vain 
 that her advisers tried to pacify the thoroughly 
 frightened woman. 
 
 That very night, Viglius, the president of the 
 Council, forced his way into the Regent's chamber, 
 where he found the royal lady dressed in her trav- 
 
 135 
 
136 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 elling suit, and with all preparations made for a 
 clandestine departure from Brussels. 
 
 " Your Highness," said the aged Frisian sternly, 
 " you have lost your presence of mind. You can- 
 not be permitted to leave the government in the 
 hands of a disorderly mob." , 
 
 " What do you mean," cried the angry woman, 
 " by giving me commands? I shall not remain here 
 another hour. My life is in danger." 
 
 " You will not stir one step from this palace," re- 
 plied Viglius, respectfully but firmly. 
 
 Finding all appeals to reason unavailing, the 
 stanch old man said decidedly: " Your Highness 
 shall not be permitted to disgrace herself and the 
 State by such an act of cowardice. If you forsake 
 the post of duty which the King entrusted to your 
 hands, I will treat you as a rebel of his Majesty, and 
 will cause troops to be led against you." 
 
 These forcible words restored the hysterical 
 woman to her senses, and she remained that night 
 at the palace. The next morning she sent for the 
 members of the State Council to assemble. The 
 Prince of Orange had returned, in answer to the 
 despatches which had been sent him earlier. 
 
 The Regent saluted the Prince with a scant show 
 of courtesy. 
 
 " This riot is the result of your gentle measures," 
 she said, tauntingly. 
 
 " Nay, your Highness. It is because you did not 
 
WHAT THE STARS SAW 137 
 
 heed my counsel, but chose to adopt those rigorous 
 measures, that this outbreak has occurred. You 
 will kindly remember that I gave you fair warn- 
 ing." 
 
 " Yes, yes! " said the wily woman, changing her 
 tactics. " You gave us good advice. Would that 
 we had heeded it. Now, my kind friend and coun- 
 sellor, will you hasten at once to Antwerp and calm 
 these rioters. If Antwerp rebels, the government 
 is lost." 
 
 " The government, I trust, rests on a firmer foun- 
 dation," replied the Prince. " The rebellion of 
 Antwerp ought not to mean the downfall of the 
 government. Nevertheless, I will at once depart to 
 do your bidding." 
 
 The Prince was not deceived by Margaret's dis- 
 simulation. He had means at his command by 
 which the Regent's letters were opened before they 
 reached Madrid. Philip's replies were subjected to 
 the same system of espionage. William was aware 
 that the Regent was his enemy, yet he proceeded to 
 Antwerp at her request. But it was for the last 
 time. He found that Brederode, " the Beggar 
 Prince," had incited the people to an armed resis- 
 tance, and a force of thirteen hundred men, com- 
 manded byThoulouse,was organized and equipped. 
 Orange ordered the soldiers either to disband or to 
 encamp outside the city. They chose the latter al- 
 ternative, and set up their camp at Oosterweel. 
 
138 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Party feeling between the Catholics and Protes- 
 tants was running high. To quiet the tumult and 
 to restore peace was the mission of the Silent 
 Prince. 
 
 The true version of the riot had at length 
 reached Brussels. When the Regent comprehended 
 that it was but a handful of malcontents that she 
 had to reckon with, she roused her energies and 
 sent Philip de Lanoy with a thousand picked vet- 
 erans to crush the rebels. 
 
 The army which young Thoulouse commanded 
 was not one to excite the admiration of any one 
 possessed with a knowledge of military tactics. It 
 was almost entirely composed of the turbulent ele- 
 ments of Antwerp and the surrounding districts, 
 " beggars," in deed and truth. 
 
 The youthful commander sat in the front room of 
 a country house, which served as his headquarters, 
 reading, when de Lanoy, at the head of the Regent's 
 army, marched against Oosterweel. Half of his 
 forces were absent on marauding expeditions, and 
 the remainder were scattered about, wholly uncon- 
 scious of danger. 
 
 Thoulouse was an ardent Protestant, and wholly 
 devoted to this cause. He felt that the last step of 
 the followers of this cause had been over a preci- 
 pice. None regretted the actions of the iconoclasts 
 more than he, yet he remained stanch to the faith 
 and resolved to defend it to the death. Wind and 
 
WHAT THE STARS SAW 139 
 
 tide might be against him, but Thoulouse never 
 dreamed of deserting his colors. 
 
 A loud noise in the distance attracted his atten- 
 tion. Two soldiers ran into the commander's pres- 
 ence with the joyful announcement, " The Beggar 
 Prince is coming! Our friends are in sight! " 
 
 Thoulouse looked at the advancing host. There 
 were no banners visible, and there was nothing to 
 indicate that they were other than Count Bred- 
 erode's auxiliaries, whom he had agreed to send 
 from Holland. Great joy prevailed in the camp at 
 Oosterweel. " Allies are coming! Our victory is 
 assured! " the soldiers shouted joyously. 
 
 Only for a brief moment were they deluded. 
 The advancing host unfurled its standards, and 
 Spanish colors fluttered in the breeze! Trumpets 
 sounded the assault. On the still morning air rang 
 out the fierce battle-cry: "Santiago! Santiago! 
 Sancta Maria! On to victory! " And down the low 
 hill swept the Spanish cavalry like a wave of de- 
 struction. 
 
 Fear made cowards of the undisciplined rebels. 
 Like frightened sheep, a part of them obeyed the 
 instinctive desire to flee the danger, even though 
 flight was the one thing which would aggravate 
 their peril. 
 
 Thoulouse, with wonderful presence of mind, 
 gathered the remnant of his force together and 
 called out to the fugitives to keep within the shel- 
 
r40 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 ter of the forts, and to reserve their fire until the 
 enemy came within close range. He might just as 
 well have advised the winds, as to have issued com- 
 mands to that terrified host. They fired at random, 
 and then fled precipitately. There was no shelter 
 open to them. On the one side were the gates of 
 Antwerp inexorably closed. On the other side was 
 the Catholic army, which was loyal to the Spanish 
 King. The result was a wholesale massacre. Only 
 about the person of Thoulouse, who was sur- 
 rounded by a hundred intrepid soldiers, was there 
 the semblance of a battle. 
 
 Bravely did this little band defend themselves 
 against unequal odds. 
 
 " Will not the Prince of Orange send us help? " 
 asked one of the soldiers of Thoulouse. 
 
 " No, my men. The Prince has never regarded 
 the ' beggar movement ' favorably. Death is be- 
 fore us, and every man of you must make up his 
 mind to die." 
 
 A sigh escaped his lips. He was young, only 
 twenty years of age, and life was sweet. He had 
 left a beautiful young wife in Antwerp, — cruel Ant- 
 werp, that would not send succor in his extremity. 
 But he levelled his musket without a tremor, and 
 his unerring aim proved that his nerves were 
 steady. 
 
 These rough beggars were thoroughly sobered 
 
WHAT THE STARS SAW 141 
 
 at the prospect. The near approach of death in- 
 spired them with solemn emotions. The goal was 
 death, they knew it; but death on the battle-field 
 was preferable to death at the hands of the execu- 
 tioner. To their honor, be it said, they uttered no 
 idle complaints, but each man grasped his weapon 
 with the energy of despair. 
 
 The issue of this unequal warfare is well known. 
 History tells us that it was a cruel traffic in human 
 blood. 
 
 Sunset came. The western sky above the hill 
 was broken into rifts. Crimson lights ran up into 
 the sky, pierced the walls of purple cloud, and cast 
 a blood-red glow upon the clouds overhead. Amid 
 the glow of the sunset fires another lurid light 
 mingled. It was the flames of the country-house 
 where the commander of the rebel forces had made 
 his headquarters. Rather than be taken alive, 
 Thoulouse and a few survivors had entered the 
 house and fired it. 
 
 " Better perish in the flames than under the axe," 
 said the blood-stained commander as he stood for 
 a moment by the window and surveyed the scene. 
 Columns of flame and smoke hid his face from view. 
 Only his half-charred body fell into the hands of 
 the government. 
 
 The night winds whispered an awful secret. 
 " Alva is coming! Alva is coming! " they said. 
 
142 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Truly the time was ripe for Alva to come. The 
 hand of tyranny had this day struck a fatal blow, 
 and the name of Alva was soon to become a " ter- 
 ror-breeding watchword " throughout the length 
 and breadth of the Netherlands. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 HERO OR COWARD? 
 
 Antwerp was in a frightful tumult when the 
 noise of battle proclaimed the fact that the valiant 
 band of Protestants had been betrayed. Conrad 
 Chenoweth, feeling that his first duty was in Ant- 
 werp caring for his mother, became identified with 
 the crowd that watched the progress of the conflict 
 from the walls of the city. 
 
 Prominent upon this coign of vantage was the 
 young wife of Marnix Thoulouse. With pale face 
 and tearless eyes she followed the movements of 
 one beloved form. She listened to the commands 
 which rang out clear and incisive from that beloved 
 voice. When she saw him pressed on all sides and 
 menaced with death, she became like one dis- 
 traught. Running wildly from street to street, she 
 besought the burghers to help her husband. 
 
 The sympathies of a large part of the citizens 
 were with the young wife of Thoulouse, and in a 
 short time ten thousand men were assembled, 
 armed with axes, pikes, arquebuses and any imple- 
 ment which could be obtained on the spur of the 
 
 143 
 
144 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 moment. This band marched at once to the Red 
 Gate. 
 
 The Prince of Orange, anticipating some such 
 movement, reached the Gate before the armed but 
 undisciplined band of citizens. 
 
 " No one passes out the Red Gate! " was his im- 
 perative command. " Men of Antwerp, hsten to 
 me! Will you thus recklessly sacrifice your lives? 
 You do not know what you are asking when you 
 demand that yonder gate be opened. Outside is a 
 body of veterans, trained in military tactics, disci- 
 plined to act as one man. You are nothing but raw 
 recruits. I will not let you go forth to be slaugh- 
 tered in cold blood." 
 
 "Fool! Traitor! Die where you stand, miscre- 
 ant that you are! " and a loaded arquebusque was 
 levelled at the breast of the Prince. Conrad Chen- 
 oweth sprang forward and knocked the weapon 
 from the man's hand. 
 
 "Shame! Shame!" cried many of the citizens 
 who were still loyal to Orange. The burghers rec- 
 ognized the wisdom of William's temperate and 
 reasonable words, and all but five hundred acceded 
 to his wishes, and remained within the city. The 
 foolhardy band who dashed out of the gates re- 
 turned in a few moments only too glad to seek 
 safety within the friendly walls. The only effect 
 which their effort to help Thoulouse had upon the 
 enemy was to hasten the death of three hundred 
 
HERO OR COWARD 145 
 
 prisoners whom they had taken. Expecting the 
 battle about to be renewed, and having no means 
 to guard the prisoners, they were deliberately shot. 
 
 The news of the complete massacre of Thou- 
 louse's army caused the most intense excitement. 
 The Protestants had been betrayed! By whom? 
 By some Catholic, of course! " Death to the Catho- 
 lics! " said stern lips. 
 
 The young wife of Thoulouse realizing that she 
 was a widow, went about moaning in her anguish, 
 " O, why did you not save my husband, my brave, 
 my beautiful one? " 
 
 The Prince of Orange rode to the place where 
 the new-made widow was sobbing and wringing 
 her hands. He laid his hand tenderly on the bowed 
 head. 
 
 " Ask him your question, Madam Thoulouse," 
 said a burgher, pointing to the Prince. " Ask that 
 man why he refused to open yonder gate, when ten 
 thousand of us were ready to go to your husband's 
 relief. Yes, I say," he shouted angrily, " ask that 
 great reformer, that pretended adherent of the Prot- 
 estant faith, why he kept within the city and let 
 three thousand of his brethren seal their faith with 
 their heart's blood." 
 
 The young widow lifted her tear-gemmed eyes, 
 and gazed reproachfully at the Silent Prince. An 
 immense crowd had gathered meantime. Another 
 riot was imminent. The faces of the men were hard 
 
146 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 and bitter, and ever and anon rose on the breeze a 
 sound like the roar of an angry sea. " Death to the 
 Catholics ! " and the words were no meaningless 
 threat. 
 
 Every eye was fixed on the Prince. He raised his 
 hand and all kept silence. 
 
 " Lower your weapons! " 
 
 Every man obeyed involuntarily. 
 
 " Citizens, Protestants, what are you contemplat- 
 ing? Has not enough blood been shed, that you 
 threaten to spill that of thousands more of your 
 fellow countrymen? Does your gospel teach you 
 an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? Are you 
 the followers of Him who said, ' Bless and curse 
 not'? In what, pray, are you better than those 
 with whom you contend? " 
 
 "Coward!" hissed one. "Traitor!" yelled an- 
 other. " Would you sacrifice us as you did our 
 brethren at Oosterweel? " demanded a third. 
 
 The excitement grew intense. One man, shak- 
 ing with rage, seized the bridle of the horse on 
 which the Prince rode. "Where is my son?" he 
 cried. " Where is my daughter's lover? " A stern 
 voice close at his elbow called out in clear tones: 
 " Prince William, account to us for our dead at 
 Ooserweel, or your life shall answer for yesterday." 
 
 A dozen pikes were levelled at the breast of Or- 
 ange, and to-day no arm was raised to defend him. 
 Alone he stood facing thousands of infxu-iated men. 
 
HERO OR COWARD 147 
 
 His face was deathly pale and his lips trembled, but 
 it was not with fear. 
 
 " Burghers," said the Prince, " I will reply to 
 your first accusation as to why I permitted the 
 slaughter of yesterday to go unavenged. As to the 
 threat upon my life, I can say nothing. There are 
 thousands of you. I am alone! " 
 
 The proud dignity and quiet words of William 
 of Orange were more cogent than a sublime ora- 
 tion. The crowd began to look shamefaced. They 
 knew that the Prince was no coward. He was calm, 
 even though he knew the mob was capable of tear- 
 ing him in pieces. But they were not yet fully sat- 
 isfied. 
 
 " Prove your statement! " shouted one. 
 
 " Deeds, we want deeds! " said another. 
 
 " Citizens," said William, " do you think it cost 
 me nothing to sacrifice the brother of one of my 
 dearest friends, one who was dear to me for his 
 own sake, and to feel compelled to disappoint his 
 confidence? To be sure, you might have sallied 
 forth, and perhaps have rescued Thoulouse and his 
 men, and defeated the government troops. But at 
 what a cost! The city of Antwerp would imme- 
 diately have been subjected to all the horrors of 
 civil war. From that fate you were saved yester- 
 day. Was that the act of a traitor? Furthermore," 
 he added, " so long as I have a voice to advise, and 
 an arm to deter you, not a man shall draw a weapon 
 
148 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 upon one of his fellow citizens; within Antwerp 
 no fratricide shall be committed until that weapon 
 shall first have pierced my heart." 
 
 Again the mob recognized the voice of its mas- 
 ter. William of Orange must have possessed that 
 which we call " authority " in his face and speech, 
 that alone and unarmed he could awe that blood- 
 thirsty throng. They recognized that this courage- 
 ous man was in the right. At least, if he risked the 
 lives of others, he was equally ready to risk his own. 
 
 "Long live the Prince of Orange!" cried the 
 fickle populace. 
 
 " My children," said William persuasively, " dis- 
 band and go to your homes." 
 
 And the citizens of Antwerp obeyed, and peace 
 was secured. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A CANCELLED DEBT. 
 
 " I AM sorry, Heer Chenoweth, that I can do 
 nothing to secure your father's release," said the 
 Prince of Orange to the young advocate after the 
 tumult had subsided and terms of peace had been 
 accepted. " If your father had been arrested for 
 some civil offence, I could assist you. But unfor- 
 tunately he is a prisoner of the Inquisition, and to 
 attempt to interfere with this authority would mean 
 angering the Catholics and renewing the strife. It 
 would take but a spark to fan the flame of discord 
 into a mighty conflagration. To-morrow I shall 
 be an outlawed rebel. I have refused to take the 
 Regent's test oath of loyalty, and leave the Neth- 
 erlands to-day for my estates in Germany." 
 
 Conrad bade his friend and patron farewell with 
 regret, and with a sad heart returned to inform his 
 mother of the failure of his mission. 
 
 Concerning these days of darkness and anguish 
 
 we will keep reverent silence. Each disciple is 
 
 sooner or later called to keep vigil with his Master, 
 
 149 
 
ISO THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 by the bedside of the sick or dying, or on the battle- 
 field or in lonely exile, or beside the prison gate. 
 To each trembling child of sorrow has Jesus re- 
 peated the same compassionate saying: "The spirit 
 indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 
 
 One afternoon, as Madam Chenoweth sat with 
 her little daughter, a shadow darkened the door- 
 way. Glancing up, she saw a priest of the Order 
 of Jesus. An involuntary cry escaped her lips, and 
 her face grew a shade paler. 
 
 A bitter smile crossed the Jesuit's face as he said: 
 " I must, indeed, be sadly changed if Madam Chen- 
 oweth shrinks from me in fear. Has not Mistress 
 Van Cortlandt a place for me in her heart? or am I 
 totally forgotten? " 
 
 The priest cast aside his cowl, and stood where 
 the light from the window shone full upon his face. 
 
 " Louis Van Steen! " gasped Madam, a new and 
 terrible fear clutching at her heart. 
 
 " Ah, Madam, I am glad your memory has not 
 played you false. Yes, Louis Van Steen stands be- 
 fore you, but it is not the same wild, impetuous 
 youth who so passionately sued for your love, and 
 who cherished the rose which you discarded as if 
 it had dropped straight from Paradise. It is not 
 your playmate and your lover who stands before 
 you now, but a man who has learned in the school 
 of discipline to estimate feelings at their true value. 
 How is it with you. Madam Chenoweth? Has 
 
A CANCELLED DEBT 151 
 
 your marriage with that penniless Protestant 
 proved a failure? " 
 
 Madam Chenoweth arose, her queenly form 
 drawn to its full height, and her face glowing with 
 scorn and indignation. 
 
 " A failure, Louis Van Steen? Know you that 
 to-day John Chenoweth is dearer to me than aught 
 else save my love to Christ and my hope of heaven. 
 I have been honored above women by his choice. 
 I have tasted the sweetest cup of earthly joy by his 
 side." Then, fearing that she had said too much, 
 and not wishing to anger the man before her, she 
 added, " The playmate of my childhood had ever a 
 kind, generous heart. I cannot believe that he has 
 come to-day simply to taunt me in my grief and 
 loneliness." 
 
 " You are right, Madam. I have a mission to 
 perform, which I had well-nigh forgotten, in the 
 overwhelming tide of reminiscences which swept 
 over me when I saw your face. You are little 
 changed from the Mistress Van Cortlandt of other 
 days, save as the promise of youth has been glori- 
 ously fulfilled. It is not wise for me to dwell upon 
 the past. But there is one more circumstance 
 which I should like to recall to your mind. When 
 that ardent youth, Louis Van Steen, realized that 
 he was rejected by Mistress Van Cortlandt, think- 
 ing in his blind infatuation that nothing stood in 
 the way of his acceptance but the difiference in faith, 
 
152 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 he decided to become a heretic, and to cast aside 
 the ancient and revered faith of his fathers. Then, 
 when he besought you on his knees to accept this 
 impious sacrifice, and grant him favor, you utterly 
 refused to let this rash youth perjure himself. I 
 have to thank you to-day for saving my soul from 
 eternal death. The day that you became the wife 
 of Dr. Chenoweth I entered the school for novi- 
 tiates in Brussels, and in process of time became a 
 Brother of the Society of Jesus. All these years I 
 have blessed you for your decision, and never have 
 I omitted to remember your name in my prayers 
 from that day to this, beseeching God to open your 
 eyes, that you might be brought to a saving knowl- 
 edge of the truth before it is forever too late." 
 
 There was no doubt as to the sincerity of the 
 priest. His countenance showed that he was ter- 
 ribly in earnest. Madam Chenoweth gazed upon 
 that noble face, almost transparent in its color, and 
 she said to herself, " Poor Louis! And this is what 
 the cloister has made of you!" Aloud she said, 
 " I thank you, my friend, for your kindness, but 
 my faith is as dear to me as yours is to you. Noth- 
 ing will ever alter my convictions." 
 
 The priest sighed. Then he said, " I have long 
 desired to cancel my obligation to you. It is now 
 possible for me to do it. I have learned that both 
 you and your son have been denied admittance to 
 the prison where your husband is incarcerated. I 
 
A CANCELLED DEBT 153 
 
 can procure this favor for you. Come to-night to 
 the chapel which adjoins the prison and I will con- 
 duct you to your husband." 
 
 " I thank you, Louis, more than I can express — 
 but — " Madam Chenoweth hesitated and glanced 
 at Elizabeth. Was this not some net to ensnare 
 her and her children? She must not accept favors 
 from any Jesuit blindly. 
 
 " But what, Madam? " said the priest, a frown 
 gathering between his brows. " Why do you hesi- 
 tate? Do you not trust me? " 
 
 " Will my child be safe, and shall I be allowed to 
 return when the tryst is over? " inquired the anx- 
 ious mother. 
 
 The priest seemed to be aware of the child's pres- 
 ence for the first time. The little face under its 
 nimbus of gblden hair was almost ethereal in its 
 delicacy. 
 
 " Father Ryder would account me guilty of mor- 
 tal sin to neglect such an opportunity," muttered 
 the priest to himself. " But no, I cannot do it. It 
 is her baby." 
 
 Then Father Steen fixed his sad, unrestful look 
 on Madam Chenoweth. 
 
 " Fear not," he said, " either for yourself or your 
 child. I cannot find it in my heart to rob you of 
 a single hair of yonder golden head. As far as I 
 know, you are both safe for to-night. But after 
 
IS4 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 to-day I cannot assure you. It were better for you 
 to leave Antwerp for the present." 
 
 Madam Chenoweth still hesitated. " You refuse 
 to trust me!" exclaimed the priest. The color 
 rushed to his pale cheeks, which demonstrated that 
 the passionate spirit within was not wholly sub- 
 dued. "Very well! I can do no more to satisfy 
 your fears than to give you my simple word," and 
 he turned to go. 
 
 " Wait, Louis, one moment, I entreat you," said 
 Madam. " I do not distrust you, but your Order. 
 You have just given me your word of honor. Tell 
 me, is it the word of honor of a Jesuit, or a Flemish 
 gentleman? " 
 
 Their eyes met. There was no hesitancy in the 
 priest's answer. 
 
 " A Flemish gentleman addresses you, Madam." 
 
 " Thank you, Louis. My last fear is laid to rest. 
 Most gratefully do I accept your boon." 
 
 Father Steen encountered Conrad Chenoweth as 
 he was passing out of the house, and he stopped a 
 moment to warn him of impending danger. 
 
 " I did not dare to let your mother know the ex- 
 tent of the peril she was in, but another sunrise 
 must not find her and the little child in Antwerp." 
 
 " Our plans are all laid for an immediate depart- 
 ure," said the advocate. " I thank you for your 
 generous act." 
 
 " The indebtedness is still on my side," returned 
 
'is IT THE WORD OF HONOR OF A JKSUIT, OR A FLIiMISH GENTLEMAN?' 
 
 Page 154. 
 
A CANCELLED DEBT 155 
 
 the priest. " Perhaps you are not aware that your 
 movements are closely watched. You have enemies 
 in high places. I should advise you to leave this 
 section at once. But if you choose to remain, see 
 to it that you are so cleverly disguised that your 
 mother would not recognize you. Farewell." 
 
 Promptly at the hour of eight the young advo- 
 cate escorted his mother to the chapel confessional 
 of the church of Notre Dame. There was a dim 
 light burning, but no one was awaiting them. A 
 sickening fear crept over Madam Chenoweth. 
 Was her great love to be the snare which should 
 entrap her and those she held so dear? She be- 
 gan to doubt Louis Van Steen's word, in spite of 
 his pledges and solemn asseverations. 
 
 " It shall go hard with that priest if he has broken 
 faith with us," said Conrad. 
 
 Just then the door from the church opened and 
 Father Steen appeared. One glance at the anxious 
 faces before him revealed to the one who was ac- 
 customed to read men's minds like a printed page 
 their doubts. 
 
 A scornful smile curved his lips. " You see. 
 Madam, that even a Jesuit is not destitute of 
 honor," he said, with cutting irony. " Heer Qien- 
 oweth, it will be safer for you to wait outside the 
 building. In precisely one hour I will bring your 
 mother to you. I have prepared Dr. Chenoweth 
 
iS'6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 for this visit. Madam will be so good as to follow 
 me." 
 
 Taking a lighted candle the priest led the way 
 through the chapel, then down a flight of stairs, 
 through devious dimly lighted passages until the 
 cell of Dr. Chenoweth was reached. Unlocking 
 the door he set the candle down on a stone table 
 and withdrew, bolting the door after him. He 
 paused a moment outside. 
 
 " My love! My love! " sounded a woman's voice, 
 in such sweet tones of passionate longing that it 
 wrung his heart, not with rapture, but with the 
 pang of unrequited afifection. The priest fled pre- 
 cipitately, nor paused until he had reached the 
 chapel and cast himself on his knees before the 
 crucifix, to wrestle in bitter anguish of soul. 
 
 "Agatha, my precious wife!" said Dr. Cheno- 
 weth. 
 
 Bright grew the darkness around them, lighted 
 by the unquenchable fire of human affection. They 
 were together. All else for the time being was for- 
 gotten. The doctor was the first to rouse himself 
 from this blissful reality. " The moments are fly- 
 ing, my wife, and I have much to say to you. God 
 helping our endeavors, I expect to escape to- 
 night." 
 
 " To-night? " echoed his wife, in joyous tones. 
 
 " Yes, my love. The under-jailer, a secret fol- 
 lower of the Reformed religion, is going to assist 
 
A CANCELLED DEBT 157 
 
 me to escape, and will accompany me to Germany, 
 where we hope to be able to assist the Prince of 
 Orange in his preparations to defend the Nether- 
 lands. After my departure my family will be in 
 great danger. You must leave Antwerp to-night." 
 
 " That matter is all arranged, John. Nicholas 
 Mander has agreed to escort us to Friesland, where 
 Lysken's brother lives. Lysken assures me that he 
 will gladly give us shelter for a time. You can 
 safely trust us to the care of Nicholas Mander. He 
 is thoroughly devoted to your interests. Conrad 
 will try and rescue Hilvardine Van Straalen from 
 the hands of the Inquisition, and at the same time 
 he will be loyal to the interests of the Prince. From 
 his post in Brussels he may be able to give the ex- 
 iled William much valuable information regarding 
 the situation of afifairs." 
 
 " A great weight is removed by your words, 
 Agatha. Friesland is the nearest point to Ger- 
 many, and I can send letters to you quite easily. 
 There is comparatively little danger to be encoun- 
 tered in travelling from one end of the Netherlands 
 to the other. Only the seaports are guarded. You 
 must be well on your journey before sunrise. Now, 
 my beloved wife, let us commit ourselves and our 
 interests to God's care." They both knelt with 
 clasped hands, while the doctor uttered a simple 
 but earnest petition. 
 
iS8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 A tap on the door warned them that the hour 
 had expired. 
 
 " My love, we are in God's hands, whether for 
 life or for death. Let us trust Him," whispered the 
 doctor, as he kissed the lips which were quivering 
 with anguish. 
 
 Father Steen looked at Agatha Chenoweth's 
 face as she came out of that dungeon with aston- 
 ishment and feelings akin to awe. On that grandly 
 beautiful face was the light of love, of resignation, 
 and of high resolve. It was as if she had had a 
 glimpse of a beatific vision, instead of a noisome 
 cell — perchance an open grave! 
 
 To this weary devotee of the Church, striving 
 but never achieving, seeking peace and finding un- 
 rest; to this man, who considered love a crime and 
 joy an unpardonable sin, this look was a revelation. 
 It showed him heights of Christian attainment 
 which he had never scaled. 
 
 In silence the two retraced their steps to the 
 chapel door. In the shadow was Conrad Cheno- 
 weth. The priest took Madam's hand a moment 
 and pressed it gently. 
 
 " I have redeemed my pledge as a Flemish gen- 
 tleman," he said, placing the hand within Conrad's 
 arms. " I shall never permit myself to look upon 
 your face again. Farewell." Nor did he pause to 
 listen to the broken words of thanks which fell from 
 Madam's lips. 
 
A CANCELLED DEBT 159 
 
 The short summer night wore away. Upon the 
 deep purple sky myriad stars flashed like gems. 
 There was no sound on the perfumed air save the 
 whispering of the trees, as they told their secrets to 
 the night winds. The city slumbered in silence. 
 Now and then a falling star flashed into space and 
 then disappeared, leaving no trace behind, — a type 
 of the lives of many of the citizens of Antwerp 
 which the reign of Alva would ecHpse. But Venus 
 shone with a clear, steady Hght upon two bands of 
 fugitives, who left the city that night in safety. 
 They were Dr. Chenoweth and the under-jailer, 
 who sailed swiftly down the river Scheldt, and 
 Madam Chenoweth, her child and old Lysken, un- 
 der the leadership of honest Nicholas Mander. 
 
 Conrad Chenoweth, disguised as an old peasant, 
 was en route for Brussels, intent on finding the 
 Burgomaster's daughter. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE FLAME SCORCHES. 
 
 Katharine La Tour had now been three 
 months in her new home, and she was charmed 
 with her surroundings. To one whose Hfe had 
 been stormy, the quiet and seclusion of the convent 
 were very grateful. She even sighed at the thought 
 of leaving this haven of rest and once more ming- 
 ling in the gayeties of the world. 
 
 She was of a temperament to which the ritual of 
 the Roman Catholic Church strongly appealed. 
 Whenever she entered one of the old cathedrals, 
 an invisible spell held her senses. The ever-burning 
 lamps, the grand, deep-toned music, the shrines 
 which afifection had dedicated to the dear departed, 
 the mass which the priest recited daily and which 
 broke the terrible silence between the living and 
 the dead — all these influences seemed to deepen the 
 enchantment which lulled her doubts to repose. 
 
 Monseigneur Ryder had superintended her in- 
 struction in the doctrines of the Roman Catholic 
 Church, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that 
 his charge was convinced that she had found the 
 
 1 60 
 
THE FLAME SCORCHES i6i 
 
 true faith. He placed in her hands only those books 
 which would tend to deepen the ardor and inspire 
 the reverence of a noble nature: books written by 
 saints and martyrs, and the early fathers of the 
 Church. He met and answered all her queries, and 
 spun clever syllogisms, which seemed perfectly rea- 
 sonable to his listener. The girl was young, igno- 
 rant, trustful. She had learned to look with rever- 
 ence upon this holy father who took such a kind 
 interest in her spiritual welfare, and to her innocent 
 mind his word was both law and gospel. 
 
 The society of the convent was very congenial. 
 Many of the nuns were daughters of noble houses, 
 and were educated, refined gentlewomen. Kath- 
 arine was completely under the influence of the 
 Lady Abbess, and regarded her with loving ad- 
 miration. She was thrown intentionally into the 
 society of two of the Sisters: Sister Constance and 
 Sister Theresa. Sister Constance was an accom- 
 plished musician, and Katharine, being endowed 
 with musical abilities of a high order, gladly availed 
 herself of the nun's instruction. Sister Theresa was 
 the " Saint " of the convent, the one who could 
 dream dreams and see visions. She was ordered to 
 deepen the spiritual significance of Monseigneur 
 Ryder's instructions, and to converse daily with the 
 young guest on matters which pertained to the 
 faith and requirements of the Church. 
 
 The Abbess requested the Superior of the House 
 
i62 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 of the Jesuits to step into her room one morning as 
 he was about to leave the convent, after having 
 made his daily visit to his young charge. 
 
 " Julius," she said, " you must go more slowly 
 or you will spoil everything by haste. The girl 
 was frightened the other day by your looks and 
 your familiar mode of address. Positively, you 
 wear your heart on your sleeve." 
 
 " How long is it, fair cousin, since jou were ap- 
 pointed my confessor? " returned the Superior 
 angrily. " I know what I am about. And Agnes, 
 if for a moment you think I am smitten by la grande 
 passion, you are mistaken. The difference in our 
 ages ought to teach you that I regard Katharine 
 La Tour as a father might regard his young daugh- 
 ter." 
 
 " Excuse me," said the Abbess, laughing. " I 
 perceive that I have made a mistake! A fatherly in- 
 terest! That is very good, Julius. However, it is 
 no business of mine. Only heed my warning if you 
 wish the girl to take the veil willingly." 
 
 After the Superior reached the privacy of his 
 own room, he sat down and faced the problem 
 which his cousin had propounded. Was he, 
 Monseigneur Ryder, the cold, unimpressionable 
 Superior of the House of the Jesuits, the cynic, in 
 love? He scofifed at the idea. But his reason told 
 him plainly that the pleasure he took in the society 
 of Katharine La Tour was not because of the 
 
THE FLAME SCORCHES 163 
 
 wealth which he hoped to secure by making her a 
 nun, neither was it the unselfish affection which the 
 thought of snatching a soul from eternal misery- 
 would inspire. It was human love which made the 
 sound of her voice linger in his memory like sweet 
 music, and which made her face seem infinitely 
 more attractive than the inanimate representations 
 of life which looked down upon him from the walls. 
 
 But the Superior's creed was elastic enough to 
 cover this defection. " And what if I do love this 
 girl? " he mused. " Where is the harm? Have not 
 cardinals, bishops and even popes loved in their 
 day? And was it sin in these holy men? Certainly 
 not! To the pure all things are pure. And as- 
 suredly, if I keep my feelings locked within my own 
 breast, no one will be the wiser." 
 
 Thus did the Superior quiet his conscience. And 
 daily he repaired to the convent to give the young 
 novice instruction. 
 
 One beautiful evening,^ after vespers, the Lady 
 Abbess invited Katharine to enjoy the view from 
 the roof of the convent. The sun was sinking in 
 the west. The sounds of busy life in the streets be- 
 low, the tramp of hurrying feet, the bustle and con- 
 fusion, were strangely at variance with the quiet of 
 the convent. 
 
 " I shall be sorry to leave this beautiful spot," 
 said the girl with emotion. " The convent has been 
 like a home to me, and you, reverend Mother, have 
 
i64 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 lavished loving care and attention upon me without 
 stint. Monseigneur told me this morning that our 
 legal claims were adjusted and that we could depart 
 at our option." 
 
 " Have you ever thought, my child, of devoting 
 your life to God in a retreat hke this? " 
 
 " Yes, reverend Mother, the thought has oc- 
 curred to me many times since coming here. But 
 tell me, do not those who become nuns ever regret 
 it? Does not the desire to see the world and form 
 human companionship enter the heart and make 
 life miserable? " 
 
 " I cannot speak, my child, for other convents, 
 but I do know that not one of the Sisters here 
 would go back to the world, even if such a course 
 were possible. From my own experience I can ' 
 truly say, that this spot has become the only home 
 I have known." The Abbess did not consider it 
 necessary to add that her haughty spirit had ever 
 rebelled against the limitations of her sphere. 
 
 " Look yonder, Katharine. There are discord, 
 strife, turmoil, bitterness of soul. Here are peace, 
 rest, quietness of spirit. Which will you choose, 
 my child? " 
 
 The girl was silent. " I am young, reverend 
 Mother, and I fear that I should, by and by, long 
 for the activities of a worldly career," she said at 
 length. 
 
 " You would be permitted activity here," replied 
 
THE FLAME SCORCHES 165 
 
 the Abbess. " There are the poor and sick to be 
 visited and comforted. Besides, we have schools 
 connected virith all our convents, where little chil- 
 dren are instructed. I think all the activity that 
 your heart could desire you would find here. Give 
 the matter your prayerful consideration, my child," 
 she said affectionately, as they returned below. 
 
 There was one person who regarded Katharine's 
 leanings towards a conventual life with the keenest 
 disapproval, and that was Madame La Tour. Hav- 
 ing been informed that the property was secured to 
 herself and daughter, she was anxious to depart. 
 The seclusion and monotonous routine of the place 
 had become inexpressibly tedious. She urged, en- 
 treated and commanded her daughter to break 
 away from the snare which was being laid for her 
 feet, and to use her reason and common sense. 
 Katharine was completely under the influence of 
 Monseigneur Ryder and the Lady Abbess. She 
 saw the matter through their eyes. For the first 
 time in her life she refused to obey her mother's 
 commands. 
 
 Wearied at length by the controversy and har- 
 assed by ill-health, Madame La Tour determined 
 to take her portion of the property and go to Eng- 
 land. But before the day arrived for her departure 
 she was dead. She had long been a sufferer from 
 heart trouble, and the disappointments of her life 
 hastened her end. 
 
i66 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Such pressure was now brought to bear upon 
 the sorrowing daughter that she readily consented 
 to take the veil and to become a Sister of this 
 Order. Fearing that she might alter her mind after 
 her sorrow for her mother had abated, Monsei- 
 gneur Ryder shortened the time of her novitiate 
 and bade the girl prepare to take the veil within a 
 few weeks. 
 
 To this Katharine gave a willing consent. With- 
 out a home, and with no relatives to whom she 
 could apply, it was natural that she should accede 
 to the wishes of those who had professed such a 
 keen interest in her welfare. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A FORETASTE OF TERROR. 
 
 In the grounds adjoining the barracks at Calais 
 paced a young officer. He had a noble, thoughtful 
 face, just such z. face as Rembrandt delighted to 
 portray. He was strongly built but thin of flesh. 
 A nascent force characterized his every movement. 
 To be near him was like coming within the radius 
 of a strong electric current. 
 
 There was little to occupy the attention of the • 
 garrison in this sleepy old town. Colonel Reynold 
 Van Straalen caught himself in the act of suppress- 
 ing a yawn. 
 
 " Things are growing intolerable," he said to 
 himself. " We shall soon be useless ships if we are 
 always to ride at anchor. Would that I could hear 
 from home." 
 
 Some one beckoned to him from the barracks. 
 " There is a stranger who wishes to speak with 
 you," said the guard with a salute. 
 
 An elderly man in humble apparel stood before 
 the young officer. 
 
 " Colonel Van Straalen does not remember me, 
 
 I see," said the stranger. " It is no wonder, for I 
 
 167 
 
i68 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 have grown old so fast these last few years. I am 
 Jacob Vermer, your father's builer." 
 
 "You are welcome," said the young man, eagerly 
 grasping the hand of the old servant. " Now I shall 
 hear from my friends. Are they well? " 
 
 " This packet will explain everything to you, 
 sir," replied the butler evasively. 
 
 Forebodings of evil tidings paled the ofificer's 
 cheek. Bidding the guard give the butler some 
 refreshments, the young man excused himself and 
 hastened to his own room to peruse the contents 
 of the packet. There were two letters, one from 
 his friend, Conrad Chenoweth, and the other from 
 his father. He read the latter one first. It was as 
 follows: 
 
 "My dear son: 
 
 " When you receive this communication I shall 
 be no more. To-morrow I am to be executed like 
 a common criminal, by the order of Alva's Blood 
 Council. I, the Burgomaster of Antwerp, a loyal 
 citizen and a sincere Catholic, to die like a felon — 
 the thought is intolerable. I had hoped that your 
 service to the State would save me from such a ter- 
 rible doom, but this is the way Philip rewards his 
 loyal subjects. Your mother died a few weeks ago 
 of a broken heart. Hilvardine has been abducted, 
 and is either in the hands of the ruthless Chancellor 
 of Brabant or in the grasp of the Inquisition. 
 
A FORETASTE OF TERROR 169 
 
 " My son, return to the Netherlands and avenge 
 the wrongs done to your family. I can write no 
 more. Jacob has promised to see that my last 
 words reach you in safety. I do not wonder now at 
 your Protestant leanings. Were I to live my life 
 over again, I would espouse that cause. God bless 
 you. Farewell. 
 
 "Anthony Van Straalen." 
 
 Reynold Van Straalen let the letter fall from his 
 hands, and sat as if carved out of stone. When the 
 heart is suddenly stricken with a great grief, it is 
 at first stunned into insensibility, and seems scarcely 
 conscious of life. But presently, like a lava torrent, 
 sufifering courses through the throbbing arteries, 
 sufifering so exquisite that death alone seems ca- 
 pable of aflfording relief. 
 
 The young man bowed his head upon the table, 
 and bitter, scalding tears coursed unchecked down 
 his cheeks — burning tears, every one of which left 
 a scar upon his heart. Mechanically he opened his 
 friend's letter. 
 
 "My dear Reynold: 
 
 " I do not know whether you are aware of the 
 reign of terror which has been instituted since the 
 Iron Duke arrived with the flower of the Spanish 
 army. Death, desolation and panic follow in his 
 wake. He is here for a purpose — ^to subjugate the 
 
170 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Netherlands. I deeply regret the terrible sorrows 
 which have been laid upon you. Your father exe- 
 cuted by Alva, your mother dead, your sister in the 
 hands of enemies. You may not be aware of the 
 fact that your father promised me the hand of your 
 sister in marriage if I would rescue her from her 
 fate. I am searching for Hilvardine day and night, 
 but so far with no success. 
 
 " My father was a prisoner of the Inquisition for 
 a short time, but made his escape and fled to Ger- 
 many. My mother and sister are in Friesland. The 
 Prince of Orange is an outlawed rebel, and is try- 
 ing to raise an army with which to succor the Neth- 
 erlands. May God bless his endeavors to save our 
 unhappy country. 
 
 " Your devoted friend, 
 
 " Conrad Chenoweth." 
 
 A hasty summons from the commanding officer 
 roused the young man from sad reflections. He 
 found general Berlaymont reading some des- 
 patches. 
 
 " Van Straalen," he said, " here are some letters 
 for you which were inclosed in one of my father's 
 letters. I was requested that they be delivered to 
 you in safety, as they were important." 
 
 Colonel Van Straalen opened one document, 
 which proved to be from the Chancellor of Bra- 
 bant, and stated that the house owned by the late 
 
A FORETASTE OF TERROR 171 
 
 Burgomaster, Anthony Van Straalen of Antwerp, 
 had been purchased by a Catholic, who was willing 
 to assuijie all risks. The heirs to the estate both 
 being heretics, the court had decided that they had 
 forfeited all right to the estate of the said Burgo- 
 master. The personal property of the deceased, 
 which was considerable, would revert by law to the 
 State. This was in substance the contents of the 
 letter. 
 
 The other document bore an imposing mitre on 
 the seal. The contents were as follows: 
 
 "To Heer Reynold Van Straalen, Colonel in His 
 Majesty's army, stationed at Calais. 
 " Sir: By special indulgence, I have given 
 Mademoiselle La Tour permission to write you for 
 the last time before becoming a nun at the convent 
 of the Sacred Heart at Brussels. She takes the veil 
 in a month. After that ceremony, all her relations 
 with the outside world will cease. 
 " A servant of Jesus, 
 
 " Julius Ryder, 
 "Superior of the House of the Jesuits at Brussels." 
 
 " Have you had bad news? " asked General Ber- 
 laymont, Tioticing the officer's agitation. 
 
 " Yes," replied his companion, and he briefly re- 
 lated the misfortunes which had befallen him. " I 
 beg you to excuse me from duty to-night." 
 
172 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 In the privacy of his own room he examined the 
 letter of Katharine La Tour. It was a reflection of 
 the Superior's letter, telling him of her purpose to 
 become a nun, and relating the circumstances 
 which had led, her to make this decision. 
 
 " I hope, Reynold," she concluded, " that you 
 will not feel that I have broken faith with you. You 
 are still the dearest earthly friend I now have. Our 
 faiths are so radically different, that it would not be 
 wise for us to wed. I am a sincere Roman Catho- 
 lic, and you are equally sincere as a Protestant. A 
 husband and wife ought to walk hand in hand the 
 pathway to heaven. So it seemed best for me to 
 break this attachment of my childhood. 
 
 " I am happy in my choice of a home. If I could 
 be assured that my act was not giving you a lasting 
 pang, I should sing for joy at the prospect of a life 
 wholly devoted to God. I shall always remember 
 my friend and brother before the throne of grace. 
 " Katharine La Tour." 
 
 The young man crushed the letter in his hand. 
 " This is madness," he said angrily, " fanaticism 
 run to seed. That wily priest has Katharine wholly 
 under his influence." The next morning Reynold 
 Van Straalen sought his commanding officer. 
 
 " I wish to return to Brussels at once to find my 
 sister and to remove her to a place of safety. I 
 herewith resign my commission in the King's army. 
 
A FORETASTE OF TERROR 173 
 
 Please furnish me with the necessary passports 
 which will enable me to reach the capital in safety." 
 
 The superior officer was full of sympathy for his 
 friend. Although the son of Baron Berlaymont, 
 he was tolerant, and he had learned that Protestants 
 made more reliable soldiers than the Catholics. 
 
 " Have you friends of influence in Brussels who 
 can assist you? " he inquired. 
 
 " I place great hopes on Count Egmont. He 
 has always befriended me since I served under him, 
 and his influence at court is considerable." 
 
 " If my father were not a fanatic, he might help 
 you to secure your father's estate, which is legally 
 yours by the ancient law of the land. But why do 
 I speak of him? He regards every heretic as a 
 sworn enemy to the government. He has tried in 
 vain to thrust his popish ideas down my throat. I 
 know that the Protestants are as sincerely attached 
 to the government as the oath of allegiance can 
 make them. All they want is liberty of worsiiip, 
 and by the mass they have a right to demand that! 
 Suppose the Regent should try to force the Catho- 
 lics to worship^omel)tHer way r What a howl of 
 execration would ascend all over the land! Go, by 
 all means, Van Straalen, and I will help you all that 
 I can." 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 A GRIM PAGE OF HISTORY. 
 
 Alva was bent upon proving himself an accom- 
 plished financier, as he was indisputably a skilful 
 commander, and he promised his sovereign an an- 
 nual income of five hundred thousand ducats from 
 the confiscations which were to follow the execu- 
 tions. For this purpose the Council of Blood was 
 organized, which terrible tribunal has had no equal 
 in the annals of history. So thoroughly did this 
 institution perform its self-appointed task, that in 
 less than three months from the time of its erection 
 eighteen hundred human beings had sufifered death. 
 The Duke of Alva was president of this Council, 
 and his coadjutors were appointed by himself. 
 Noircarmes and Berlaymont, and two Spaniards, 
 Del Rio and de Vargas, composed the working 
 force of the Council. To each of these men the 
 shedding of blood was an exhilarating pastime. 
 
 The greatest terror prevailed. The grass began 
 to grow in the streets of the cities. All business 
 was suspended. The country was like a vast sepul- 
 chre. Everywhere firesides were desolated. Surely 
 
 174 
 
A GRIM PAGE OF HISTORY 175 
 
 the image-breaking was amply revenged. At tlieu 
 bar of divine judgment, where ajingle-taRnatTlife 
 is counted of more vahi£JchSnany''1:^£s^iiowey&r 
 _r£i&Fed, perhaps tHTs terrible account will be justly~ 
 balanced. 
 
 It is not our purpose to drag the reader through 
 the seas of blood, which the savage bigotry of that 
 age caused to be spilled. The most meagre details 
 of this human butchery are sufficient. But the 
 finger of History points to a page in her record 
 darker than the rest : it is the invasion of the Neth- 
 erlands by the Duke of Alva. The deeds of atrocity 
 and fiendish hate which are herein recorded are un- 
 paralleled. The records of this period are numer- 
 ous, and the truth is stated in unequivocal terms 
 by both Dutchman and Spaniard. In the last 
 analysis, it is out of the mouth of the Spaniard that 
 the Spaniard is judged and condemned. 
 
 Who can forget Naarden? Alva and his soldiers 
 entered the town. The three thousand starved 
 men, women and children were persuaded to lay 
 down their arms and surrender peaceably, trusting 
 to the fair speech of their conqueror. 
 
 " Place yourselves at once under my protec- 
 tion! " said Alva. " I will conduct myself toward 
 you as God shall give me grace. Do otherwise, 
 and you can have neither truce nor friendship with 
 me." 
 
 And how did the Iron Duke keep his promises? 
 
176 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Only sixty out of the three thousand human beings 
 escaped. Every house was burned to the ground. 
 This merciless butchery was accomphshed to the 
 sound of that terrible battle-cry, " Santiago! San- 
 tiago! Espafia! Espaha! a sangre, a carne, a 
 fuego, a sacco!" (St. James, Spain, blood, flesh, 
 fire, sack!) 
 
 And who can forget Mookerhyde, where the gal- 
 lant Louis of Nassau fell, and Antwerp, and Haar- 
 lem, and Ley den? Call them battles, if you please, 
 if battle it is when sick men, helpless women and 
 little children kneel to receive the death blow! At 
 every step which Alva and his soldiers took, the 
 lust for slaughter found ample satisfaction. 
 
 Let us hasten from these scenes. The sickening 
 smell of blood is everywhere, and God's pure air is 
 polluted by the odor. 
 
 In the reception-room formerly used by the 
 Regent for private audiences, sat the Duke of Alva 
 and Baron Berlaymont. 
 
 The pen-pictures of Alva, which history has kept 
 alive, lead one to infer that he was a repulsive, 
 blood-thirsty villain in appearance. Such was not 
 the case. It is true that Alva possessed few virtues, 
 and for a kind of patient vindictiveness and ferocity 
 he was not excelled by the beasts of the forest, and 
 but rarely equalled by any human being. Still there 
 was nothing forbidding in his personal appearance. 
 
A GRIM PAGE OF HISTORY 177 
 
 He was tall and spare, with the precision of move;- 
 ment and erectness of figure which characterized 
 the soldier. His complexion was sallow, and his 
 eyes deep-set and gray. As he sat onposite Baron 
 Berlaymont, his brow wrinkled with thought, he 
 looked more like a scholar than a general. A long 
 silvery-white beard descended in two streams upon 
 his breast, and added to the dignity of his presence. 
 
 " The people of Antwerp desire mediation," the 
 Baron was saying. " Would it not be well to relax 
 severity, at least for a time? I judge the miscreants 
 are thoroughly subdued." 
 
 Alva regarded his companion haughtily. " Me- 
 diation," he said at length, in a harsh voice, " I 
 came to the Netherlands to conquer, not to me- 
 diate! Do you think I am afraid of the burghers 
 of Antwerp? In my day I have crushed men of 
 iron. Shall I fear these men of butter? As to the 
 other matter about which you spoke a few moments 
 ago: you wish me to grant you certain powers, 
 which will enable you to conduct a system of es- 
 pionage disastrous to the enemies of the King." 
 
 " That is what I stated, your Excellency." 
 
 " I am not sure that this is a wise thing for me 
 to do," said Alva thoughtfully. " I have always 
 been in the habit of attending to hazardous exper- 
 iments myself. I do not like to trust such matters 
 to unknown hands." 
 
 " I feel confident that I could greatly assist your 
 
178 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Excellency if you would favor me with your con- 
 fidence. I have the advantage over you in one par- 
 ticular: I know these heretic rebels thoroughly. I 
 understand their methods and their motives better 
 than a stranger and a foreigner possibly could. 
 And as to my loyalty to the King, the odium which 
 attaches to my name on my native soil ought to 
 assure you on that point." 
 
 Alva was silent for a few moments, then he said, 
 " Do you think that you could decoy the Prince of 
 Orange back to Holland? If we do not catch that 
 man we have accomplished nothing." 
 
 " I cannot hope to succeed where the Duke of 
 Alva has failed," replied the Baron. " There is one 
 thing to be said in favor of Prince William: he is 
 not in leading strings. He knows his own mind, 
 and no man living can sway him against his will." 
 
 " You are right. Would that I could capture 
 that smooth-tongued, lying hypocrite, pretending 
 to be a loyal subject of Philip and concocting trea- 
 sonable schemes in his fertile brain all the while. 
 Place that man within my grasp. Baron Berlay- 
 mont, and you shall name your own price for your 
 services." 
 
 " I cannot do that," said the Baron. " It would 
 be folly for me to hold out any such prospect to 
 you. Prince William is in Germany on his own es- 
 tates. We cannot so much as lay a finger on him. 
 But fortunately for us, the Prince's followers are 
 
A GRIM PAGE OF HISTORY 179 
 
 less sagacious. I can find out the plans of the 
 Prince and foil them, which will answer our pur- 
 pose quite as well as to secure the person of 
 Orange. He is too far away to exert his wonder- 
 ful influence upon the people, and really at his dis- 
 tance I regard him as comparatively harmless. But 
 you must grant me freedom of action along this 
 line of tactics, else I can accomplish nothing. 
 Grant me this, and I will guarantee to alienate the 
 Prince and his followers." 
 
 " Very well. Baron. Consider yourself as en- 
 dowed with the necessary power. See that you 
 make good use of it, for the authority of God and 
 the supremacy of the King." 
 
 " Thanks, your Excellency." 
 
 The Baron retired after saluting the Duke. 
 
 Alva immediately summoned his confidential ad- 
 viser, Juan Vargas, and laid the matter before him. 
 " It goes against the grain," said the Duke, " that 
 I am compelled against my better judgment to take 
 this Fleming into my confidence." 
 
 " Perhaps he will be able to serve you," returned 
 Vargas. 
 
 " That is just the point. He can serve me, and I 
 do not wish to be under obligations to a single 
 Netherlander, good or bad." 
 
 " When you are through using him you can 
 easily put him out of the way," suggested Vargas. 
 
 " I do not feel so sure of that. If this man were 
 
i8o THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 not so prominent socially, the matter would be less 
 difficult. But he is a rich nobleman, a loyal subject 
 of the King, and a devoted Catholic. What just 
 cause could I have for removing him? It is expe- 
 dient for us to at least keep up the semblance of 
 justice." 
 
 " I have a plan," said Vargas. " Betray the 
 Baron into the hands of the heretic rebels. They 
 will be only too glad to give him a short shrift." 
 
 " That is precisely what we will do, Vargas. An 
 unfortunate accident which leads us to send the 
 Baron Berlaymont into the hands of his enemies 
 ,will be a matter which the Netherlanders can dis- 
 cuss at large. I shall thereby gain my end, and my 
 hand will be invisible. We will spare him for a 
 time, as he promises to be a valuable tool." 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 WHAT THE MORROW BROUGHT. 
 
 After the first few hours of bitter anguish were 
 over, Reynold Van Straalen rose up a new man. 
 No vain regrets, no curses passed his lips. The 
 terrible weight of sorrow which had overtaken him 
 was to him as the accolade of knighthood, singling 
 him out because of his mighty sorrow and mighty 
 wrong, as the outspoken champion in the cause of 
 liberty and truth. 
 
 Before his departure he was summoned again to 
 meet his superior officer. 
 
 " I have been thinking, comrade, what I can do 
 to help you. Your case is desperate! Why do you 
 not give up your Protestant notions and join the 
 winning side? " 
 
 " Because I have a conscience, and I must heed 
 its dictum or sufifer." 
 
 " I expected some such reply as that," said the 
 general, good humoredly. " You will die for a 
 scruple yet. Now as to myself, the few prayers I 
 say in the course of a year could be spoken in one 
 
 i8i 
 
i82 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 church as well as another. But probably we shall 
 always ditTer on that point. Seriously, I think your 
 chances of fulfilling your mission are rather slim, 
 but if any one can help you find your sister, it is 
 that charming creature Doha Isidore de Cisneros." 
 
 " A Spanish lady! " said Reynold in dismay. " Is 
 there a Spaniard in whom one can put faith? " 
 
 " You can trust Dofaa Isidore," replied General 
 Berlaymont. " She lives in Brussels with her sis- 
 ter, who married a wealthy Fleming. They are all 
 stanch Catholics. If Doiia Isidore espouses your 
 sister's cause, as I expect she will, your success is 
 assured. She is a born schemer, and her beauty, 
 wealth and wit have made her a leader in the best 
 society in Brussels." 
 
 " She will hardly interest herself in a stranger, 
 and a heretic at that," replied Reynold. 
 
 " Please give Dofia Isidore this letter which I 
 have written, and I shall be greatly disappointed if 
 she does not interest herself in your affairs. See 
 here, unbeliever," he added, throwing back his coat 
 and exhibiting a knot of scarlet ribbon fastened 
 with an opal, " I am privileged to wear Dona Isi- • 
 dore's colors, and if she has remained faithful, she 
 will be ready to do me this slight favor." 
 
 " I thank you, general, for your kind interest 
 in my case, and hope that success will crown your 
 scheme. I have your permission to depart to- 
 day? " 
 
WHAT THE MORROW BROUGHT 183 
 
 " Certainly, but return to me just a^ soon as your 
 commissions are executed." 
 
 " That is impossible. I herewith tender my res- 
 ignation as ofificer in the King's army. If my sword 
 leaves its scabbard again, it will be to help drive 
 the hated Spaniard from our free soil. It will never 
 be drawn in the service of a perjured and ungrate- 
 ful King. Hold my resignation a month, and if at 
 the expiration of that time you hear nothing from 
 me, send it to headquarters. I must use my mili- 
 tary dress to help me pass unquestioned over the 
 country." 
 
 " I am sorry to lose you. Van Straalen. I am 
 just ordered to send what men I can spare for an 
 expedition into France, to help Catharine de 
 Medici subjugate 'he Huguenots. I had thought 
 of entrusting you with this mission, although I 
 fancy it would not be to your liking." 
 
 " Decidedly not! I should much rather join 
 hands with the Huguenots than to fight against 
 them. It is time that I left the army, for I cannot 
 slay the defenders of the faith I profess. I will now 
 say good-by, and hasten on my journey. My 
 father's servant will accompany me." 
 
 Had the country been free of access to travellers, 
 the distance from the French frontier to Brussels 
 could have been traversed in a comparatively short 
 time. The chief danger lay in encountering bands 
 of common soldiers, who were reconnoitering the 
 
i84 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 country and seeking to cut off communication be- 
 tween the towns and cities. These reckless sol- 
 diers had but little love for officers of the army or 
 navy, and would have considered it a huge joke to 
 run across a solitary officer and hang him to the 
 limb of a tree. 
 
 Both Colonel Van Straalen and the butler were 
 well mounted, and they rode over the French bor- 
 der without encountering any opposition. 
 
 The first day and night passed without incident. 
 As they journeyed through Holland, Alva's foot- 
 prints were clearly defined in the desolate towns 
 and the ruins of comfortable homes. What had 
 once been a thrifty and populous country was rap- 
 idly becoming a wasted and ruined region. 
 
 The travellers avoided the main road and fol- 
 lowed a circuitous route to avoid observation. The 
 country roads were rough, and their progress was 
 necessarily slow. Toward sunset of the second day 
 a sound of horses' feet in their rear startled them. 
 Looking back they espied a party of soldiers. The 
 fugitives urged their horses forward, but the jaded 
 beasts could not respond. The soldiers gained on 
 them, and a shot rang out on the still air. 
 
 " I am wounded, Master Colonel," said the but- 
 ler. " Press forward without me." 
 
 " Never, Jacob. Keep in the saddle a few mo- 
 ments longer, if possible. Our only safety lies in 
 leaving the highway." 
 
WHAT THE MORROW BROUGHT 185 
 
 A bend in the road concealed them from obser- 
 vation. The twihght approached rapidly in this 
 latitude, and it was with some difficulty that Rey- 
 nold spied a faint path leading apparently into the 
 depths of a forest. The increasing darkness would 
 cause this retreat to be overlooked by the soldiers, 
 and without any hesitation both men plunged into 
 the friendly shadows. 
 
 After following the windings of the trail for quite 
 a distance, and hearing no indications of pursuit, 
 they dismounted, it being too dark and the path 
 too uneven to continue riding. The sombre shade 
 of interlacing boughs made the darkness intense, 
 and not a sound broke the stillness. After stum- 
 bling about in the hope that the path must end 
 somewhere, they came at length upon a little clear- 
 ing with some indications of civilization. Before 
 them were a few fields, at some time under cultiva- 
 tion, but now neglected and grown up to brush and 
 weeds. In the centre of this clearing were the 
 blackened ruins of what had once been a farm- 
 house. The chimney and part of the walls remained 
 standing, and the charred fragments of what was 
 once the roof still clung to one corner of the ruins. 
 
 In spite of the gruesome look of the place, both 
 men hailed its appearance with thankfiilness. It 
 would afford them a comfortable shelter for the 
 night. The butler had taken the precaution be- 
 fore starting of providing himself with flint, steel 
 
i86 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 and tinder, and Reynold, seizing some 'half-burnt 
 fragments of wood and bits of brush and leaves, 
 soon had a cheerful fire blazing on the wide hearth. 
 The butler had fallen half unconscious to the 
 ground, faint from the loss of blood. Reynold made 
 a hasty examination of the wound. A glance con- 
 vinced him that the injuries were fatal. It was a 
 question if the old man would ever regain con- 
 sciousness. 
 
 Reynold poured a spoonful of brandy between 
 the closed lips, but the wounded man only moaned. 
 Covering him with his own cape the young ofificer 
 paced back and forth. The trees rustled softly in 
 the night wind, the stars twinkled overhead, and no 
 sound of life was heard except the occasional neigh- 
 ing of the horses tethered near by. A bat flitted 
 by, chasing moths. The owls began to hoot in the 
 trees; the weird churring of the night-jar and the 
 call of quails in the distant fields thrilled through 
 the air. His reflections were sad. " How strangely 
 ordered are the lives of men and women," he 
 thought. " These walls once sheltered a happy 
 household. Now their home is a pile of blackened 
 ruins and its inmates are scattered or dead." Then 
 he thought of his own home in the possession of 
 strangers; his father and mother dead and his sis- 
 ter perhaps drinking a cup of anguish bitterer than 
 death, while the woman he loved was sundered for- 
 ever from him. 
 
WHAT THE MORROW BROUGHT 187 
 
 He groaned as he realized his powerlessness to 
 reheve the terrible situation. " O God! " he cried, 
 " dost thou set no limit to the power of cunning 
 wickedness to entrap and slay the unwary weak? 
 Would that I could avenge my wrongs! " 
 
 The words came to him on the night wind, 
 "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord 
 of Hosts." 
 
 A sound from within caused him to hasten to 
 the servant's side. By the flickering light of the 
 fire he saw that the old man was dying. He lifted 
 his head, and Jacob opened his eyes. 
 
 " I thought it was morning! " he murmured in 
 weak tones, and all was over. It truly was the 
 morning for him, on whom the brightness of ever- 
 lasting day was dawning. * 
 
 A slight noise from outside caused the ofificer to 
 glance around. Peering into the ruins was the 
 face of a man, wild, vicious and unkempt, his rem- 
 nants of clothes hanging in tatters about his wasted 
 body. The semblance of manhood was well-nigh 
 obliterated from the gaunt face, and his expression 
 was that of a famished wild beast, crouching to 
 spring upon his prey. Drawing his sword Reynold 
 advanced upon the strange apparition, which fled 
 with a mocking laugh into the depths of the forest. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 DONA ISIDORE. 
 
 Through the rest of that long night Colonel 
 Van Straalen did not dare to close his eyes in slum- 
 ber. The thought that some living being was in 
 his vicinity disquieted him. He stirred the fire 
 again and sat down before the glowing embers. 
 He thought of Katharine La Tour. Should he ever 
 see her sweet face again? Yes, perhaps in far off 
 years, when she had become a Sister of some Or- 
 der, as far removed from him as heaven from earth. 
 " By all that was right and true, she should have 
 been mine!" he said half aloud. But now! She 
 was his as a dream might be, something intangible, 
 something he possessed but could not hold. Her 
 sweet face seemed to mock him from out the fire- 
 light, like a ghost of the past, and the echo of her 
 musical laugh seemed borne to his ears on the 
 night wind. He realized as never before the power 
 of love, and his heart grew sick as he set this ecstasy 
 over against the misery and loneliness which 
 stretched before him like a desert. 
 
DONA ISIDORE 189 
 
 With the first streak of dawn, he hastily dug a 
 grave and laid the body of the faithful servant to 
 rest. Then mounting his horse he retraced his way 
 to the road which he had left the night previous. 
 The country was yet wrapped in repose. Not a 
 breath stirred the leaves of the trees, not a sound 
 broke the stillness. Then the sun awoke, the birds 
 carolled their matins, the trees rustled, and the offi- 
 cious chanticleer announced that another day was 
 born. 
 
 As the young officer rode through the desolated 
 towns and villages, these words came unbidden to 
 his lips: 
 
 "The hunting tribes of air and earth, 
 Respect the brethren of their birth; 
 Man only mars kind Nature's plan, 
 And turns the fierce pursuit on man." 
 
 All nature was at peace. Only the slow circling 
 of vultures, whose heavy movements bespoke sa- 
 tiety, told of the terrible carnage which they had 
 eagerly witnessed. 
 
 Entering Brussels the next morning, Reynold 
 was surprised to find that some event of importance 
 was being celebrated. In the Great Square three 
 thousand Spanish troops were drawn up in battle 
 array about a scaffold. In this Square all the great 
 public events were celebrated, from brilliant tour- 
 naments to ghastly executions. It was evident that 
 
190 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 an execution had just taken place, for tears, groans 
 and execrations rose from the mass of human be- 
 ings who crowded about the scaffold. Two heads 
 were placed on pikes and exposed to the public 
 gaze. 
 
 " Who are these unfortunate victims? " asked the 
 young officer to a man standing by his side. 
 
 " You must be a stranger in Brussels to ask such 
 a question ! " was the reply. 
 
 " I am." 
 
 " Then I will tell you. Yonder is the foulest act 
 which tyranny has dared to inflict on this suffering 
 people. Counts Egmont and Horn, both devoted 
 Catholics and loyal soldiers, have been beheaded by 
 the order of the Duke of Alva," 
 
 " What crime had they committed? " asked Rey- 
 nold, in dismay. 
 
 " None. Alva has always been jealous of Eg- 
 mont since his brilliant military victories at St. 
 Quentin and Gravelines. These victories were 
 gained contrary to Alva's advice. He has hated 
 Egmont ever since. Count Horn was Egmont's 
 most intimate friend, so he had to die. The Prince 
 of Orange would share the same fate, if Alva could 
 only induce him to return to the Netherlands." 
 
 " Accursed be the day when the Spaniards set 
 foot upon this soil! " said another bystander. 
 
 From the outskirts of the throng came the sound 
 of a woman's voice, low and sweet, singing a hymn: 
 
DONA ISIDORE 191 
 
 " The Spaniards are come, 
 
 And the night's dark and dreary; 
 Now watch all ye pious, 
 
 Steadfast and unweary. 
 Despond not, my people. 
 
 The Lord is your stay; 
 He hears the afflicted 
 
 And soon breaks the day ! " 
 
 The voice ended in a mournful wail. Colonel 
 Van Straalen started to find the singer, but a de- 
 taining hand was laid on his arm. 
 
 " Come away at once, my friend. You are at- 
 tracting too much attention. Yonder poor woman 
 is past help. It is crazy Margaret, who haunts the 
 Square every time there is a public execution. Poor 
 woman. Her husband and father were executed, 
 and her babe sickened and died." 
 
 As they passed near the poor creature, Reynold 
 noticed that she was young, and would have been 
 beautiful had not sorrow and madness wasted her 
 frame. 
 
 "The time is so long. Seigneurs!" she said 
 plaintively, as her eye fell on their compassionate 
 faces. " Will not the good Lord come soon and 
 redeem His people, as He has promised? " 
 
 "Yes, poor woman, I hope so, I believe so!" 
 said Reynold. " This nation will not always sub- 
 mit to the rule of tyranny." 
 
 " Despond not, my people, 
 The Lord is your stay; 
 He hears the afflicted 
 And soon breaks the day ! " 
 
192 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 These words rang in his ears, not as the feeble 
 plaint of a suffering woman, but as a prophecy of 
 victory. 
 
 " Colonel Van Straalen, we must hasten," said 
 his companion. " You are in great danger of be- 
 ing recognized, and if so, your arrest would speedily 
 follow." 
 
 " How does it happen that you know me? " said 
 Reynold. 
 
 " I am Conrad Chenoweth! " was the whispered 
 reply. " Let us talk no more until we are safely in 
 my quarters." 
 
 They threaded the streets of Brussels in silence, 
 until they came to the part inhabited by the poorer 
 classes. They entered a long, dark alley, which had 
 many crooked turns, and paused before one of the 
 poorest houses. The advocate knocked gently 
 three times. The door was opened cautiously by a 
 stout Flemish woman. On seeing Conrad she bade 
 him enter. They both went inside and the door 
 was securely bolted. 
 
 " Gretchen," said Conrad, " I have brought a 
 dear £riend, who, like myself, is a fugitive. Can you 
 give him shelter? He is a Protestant." 
 
 " Yes, Heer Chenoweth. I will gladly shelter 
 any of the persecuted followers of the reformed 
 faith, and any of your friends are thrice welcome. 
 I have not forgotten when we lived in Antwerp 
 how your good father took care of us in our sick- 
 
DONA ISIDORE 193 
 
 ness and trouble, and never would accept a riks- 
 daler from us in payment for his services. As long 
 as I have a shelter, you and your friends can share 
 it." 
 
 " I thank you for your generosity, my good 
 woman," said Colonel Van Straalen. " I hope to 
 execute my mission here as soon as possible and 
 then join the army of our noble Prince." 
 
 As soon as the two young men were alone, Rey- 
 nold said eagerly, " Conrad, have you found Hil- 
 vardine yet? I know she is the lodestone which 
 keeps you as well as myself from immediately join- 
 ing the army of the Prince." 
 
 " Alas, no! " said his friend. " She was abducted 
 from her home and brought to Brussels at the in- 
 stigation of the Chancellor of Brabant, but farther 
 than that I can learn nothing. All clue to her 
 whereabouts is carefully concealed. I have haunted 
 the premises of the Chancellor, have made- myself 
 on good terms with some of the servants in his 
 household, but either they cannot or will not di- 
 vulge the secret." 
 
 " Then nothing remains for us except to try and 
 interest Dofia Isidore de Cisneros in the case," said 
 Reynold. 
 
 " I know the lady well by sight," said Conrad, 
 " but she is inaccessible." 
 
 " I am assured that this will find a way to her 
 heart," said Reynold, producing General Berlay- 
 
194 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 mont's letter, and relating the conversation which 
 had passed between himself and his commanding 
 officer. 
 
 Conrad's face brightened perceptibly. " Who 
 knows but what a woman's wit will unravel the 
 mystery. Let us wait upon this lady this evening." 
 
 About eight o'clock they started on their errand. 
 The streets were in semi-darkness, for the great 
 gloomy houses were but dimly lighted, in order not 
 to attract attention. A Spanish patrol was the only 
 sign of life in the deserted streets. They succeeded 
 in avoiding this officer of the law, and ascended the 
 steps of an elegant mansion. 
 
 The butler informed them that Doiia de Cisneros 
 was within and at leisure. They gave the servant 
 their names, and were ushered into the reception- 
 room to await her appearance. 
 
 A rustle of draperies announced her coming, and 
 directly the lady was in the room. Certainly Gen- 
 eral Berlaymont had not exaggerated when he pro- 
 nounced her beauty unusual, even in a land famous 
 for its beautiful women. She was in the flower of 
 youth, and certainly no artist could do justice to 
 the creamy softness of her skin, the dark lustre of 
 her hair, and the elusive depths of her black eyes. 
 Altogether she was a brilliant and charming Span- 
 ish lady. 
 
 Both gentlemen arose and saluted h6r. 
 
DONA ISIDORE 195 
 
 " This is Dona Isidore de Cisneros? " said Rey- 
 nold. 
 
 " Yes, Seigneur. To what am I indebted for the 
 honor of your acquaintance? " she added, with a 
 dehghtful accent. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A WOMAN OF TACT. 
 
 For answer, Conrad Van Straalen handed the 
 lady the letter which General Berlaymont had writ- 
 ten. 
 
 A slight fiush crept into Dona Isidore's face as 
 she read the contents. Then she said: "Seigneurs, 
 my friend is pleased to place a high value on my 
 powers of diplomacy. I shall be glad to serve you 
 in so interesting a matter. You are the brother of 
 Mistress Van Straalen? " 
 
 The officer bowed. 
 
 " And" Heer Chenoweth is her lover, I surmise. 
 Here are all the materials for a charming romance. 
 Nothing so amuses me as intrigue, and I pledge 
 myself to do my best for you." 
 
 " We cannot thank you enough, Doiia de Cis- 
 neros," began Conrad, but the Spanish lady cut 
 short his expressions of gratitude. 
 
 " Wait, I beg of you," she said, " before you 
 
 thank me. Perhaps I shall fail, after all. Please 
 
 call in two days and learn of my success or failure." 
 
 196 
 
A WOMAN OF TACT 197 
 
 " May the good Lord reward your efforts," said 
 the officer. 
 
 After the departure of her visitors, Doiia Isidore 
 called her confidential maid. 
 
 " Rita, you are well acquainted with the ser- 
 vants in Chancellor Maas' family. Did you ever 
 hear them say anything about Hilvardine Van 
 Straalen, the daughter of the Burgomaster at Ant- 
 werp? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, Doiia. The Chancellor fancied him- 
 self in love with the girl's pretty face; but Mistress 
 Van Straalen had such a sharp tongue and abused 
 him so soundly that he tired of her directly and 
 gave up all thoughts of wedding the maiden." 
 
 " Is she still a prisoner in the Chancellor's 
 house? " 
 
 " Oh, no! She remained there only a short time. 
 At the advice of Monseigneur Ryder she was thrust 
 into the prison of the Inquisition, because she was 
 a heretic. Whether she is still there or has been 
 condemned and executed, I know not." 
 
 " How did you learn all this, Rita? " 
 
 " From one of the servants at the Chancellor's. 
 She played the eavesdropper and learned the se- 
 cret." 
 
 " That will do, Rita! " said her mistress. 
 
 Doiia Isidore sat for some time lost in thought. 
 Then she said decidedly, " If that girl is in prison, 
 she cannot be released without an order from Alva. 
 
198 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 I must visit his Grace to-morrow morning and ob- 
 tain an order from him, which will set the maid at 
 liberty. He is a hard, person to deal with, but he 
 shall grant my request or my name is not de Cis- 
 neros! " 
 
 The Duke of Alva was sitting at a table with 
 some charts and writing materials before him. He 
 was in excellent humor, having just crushed an in- 
 cipient rebellion in Friesland. 
 
 An attendant announced that a lady desired to 
 see him. 
 
 " Admit her! " said the Duke. An elegant figure 
 swept into the room, dressed in rich yet tasteful 
 garments. As she threw aside her veil the stern 
 features of the Iron Duke relaxed. 
 
 " I am highly honored by the presence of Dofia 
 de Cisneros," he said gallantly. " Be seated, my fair 
 countrywoman." 
 
 " I called, your Grace, especially to congratu- 
 late you on your signal victory in North Holland, 
 also to join your hosts of admirers in praising the 
 statue which has been reared to commemorate ^that 
 event." 
 
 It was true that after this victory Alva caused a 
 colossal statue of himself to be erected at Antwerp, 
 with this inscription on the pedestal: 
 
 " To Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of 
 Alva, Governor of the Netherlands under Philip 
 the Second: for having extinguished sedition. 
 
A WOMAN OF TACT 199 
 
 chastised rebellion, restored religion, secured jus- 
 tice, established peace. To the King's most faith- 
 ful minister this monument is erected." 
 
 Alva could rightfully take his place beside that 
 imperious representative of royalty, Louis XIV, in 
 his worship of self. 
 
 The Duke, thawing before the charms of this 
 beautitul young Spaniard like an icicle in an April 
 sun, was soon showering compliments in the florid 
 language of his native land. 
 
 " I shall consider it a pleasure to grant you any 
 favor as a token of my esteem," he said. 
 
 Who can explain the fascination which beauty 
 ever inspires in the hur^an breast? It has wielded 
 a tremendous power for good and evil since the 
 world began. Dona Isidore was conscious of her 
 power, and she exerted herself to bring the Iron 
 Duke into her train of satellites. 
 
 " I will take you at your word, your Grace," said 
 the lady. " I have become interested in the condi- 
 tion of one of the captives in yonder prison, a 
 maiden named Hilvardine Van Straalen. I desire 
 very much her pardon, for I have set my heart on 
 having this girl for my companion." 
 
 A haughty look came into the Duke's face. He 
 was not used to being sued for favors of this nature. 
 For a moment he hesitated. Then a glance at his 
 lovely petitioner decided him. 
 
200 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " You have asked a singular request, fair lady. 
 Presumably the girl is a heretic." 
 
 " I think it more than likely, your Grace, but I 
 will see to it that she is speedily converted. She 
 will be so grateful to me for her release that I doubt 
 not she will readily do me the small favor of turn- 
 ing Catholic." 
 
 " It is establishing a bad precedent. Were this 
 matter to become known, I should directly be over- 
 whelmed with petitions of a similar nature." 
 
 " I assure your Grace that I will act with the 
 greatest discretion. The matter can be done 
 quietly, and no one need be the wiser. She can be 
 removed from prison in the night, and I will see 
 that she is many leagues from here the next day. 
 Really, Duke, I shall take it to heart if you do not 
 grant my request." 
 
 " How did you learn the girl's history, Dofia? " 
 asked Alva, suspiciously. 
 
 " My maid was gossiping about the afifair. It 
 seemed a pity that one so young and who had suf- 
 fered so much should languish in prison. I assure 
 your Grace that it was human kindness, pure and 
 simple, that brought me hither, and I trusted in 
 your goodness and sense of justice to grant my re- 
 quest." 
 
 There has never been a tyrant who did not like 
 to be called good and just. These words appealed 
 to the Duke of Alva. Judicious flattery was the 
 
A WOMAN OF TACT 201 
 
 one lever which could raise this piece of granite 
 from its foundations. 
 
 He drew his writing materials toward him and 
 wrote a few lines on a piece of paper. 
 
 " There,_ Dofia de Cisneros, the girl is yours. 
 You are an eloquent pleader. I do not think that 
 I have done a wise thing, but I simply cannot re- 
 fuse you." 
 
 " You are very gracious and very kind," said the 
 lady, giving her hand to Alva, which he gallantly 
 kissed. " I trust that all your schemes for over- 
 throwing the Dutch may prosper. For my part, I 
 am sick of this amphibious country, with its dikes, 
 its canals, and its flatness. I long for beautiful, 
 sunny, mountainous Spain!" 
 
 " You fairly make me homesick, Doiia," said the 
 Duke. " I hope to subjugate the country soon, 
 that I may return to my native land." 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 A WATCH IN THE NIGHT. 
 
 The Superior of the House of the Jesuits sat in 
 his sanctum lost in thought. The beautiful faces 
 from the walls smiled a gracious welcome, and the 
 grand tones of the cathedral organ still floated in 
 the air, but he heeded them not. Looking impa- 
 tiently at the clock, he muttered, " It is time he 
 were here! " 
 
 As if in answer to his summons, the figure of a 
 man appeared at the open door. He stood with 
 cringing servility before the Jesuit. It was the sol- 
 dier to whom Monseigneur Ryder had given a 
 commission on the night of Princess Elizabeth 
 Stuyvesant's death. 
 
 "Ah, Caspar Swarte! I should think it about 
 time that you appeared to give an account of your- 
 self. Why have you dallied so long? Know you 
 not that the business of the Church requires 
 haste? " 
 
 "Pardon, your reverence! Believe me, I have 
 not wasted the time. For months I have followed 
 Francis Junius about, but each time, when I 
 
A WATCH IN THE NIGHT 203 
 
 thought his capture certain, he sHpped from my 
 grasp. He must be in league with the devil, for he 
 has the faculty of making himself invisible at any 
 time." 
 
 "Enough of this!" said the Jesuit impatiently. 
 " Make no more excuses, but come to the point in 
 hand. Why are you here to-night? " 
 
 " To tell you that the Huguenot preacher is ar- 
 rested, and to-morrow he dies." 
 
 The stern look on the priest's face changed to 
 one of satisfaction. 
 
 "This is good news indeed, Swarte! You are 
 pardoned for your long silence and your delay in 
 executing my command. Receive your reward," 
 he continued, handing the man a bag of florins. 
 " Continue your faithful services to the Church 
 and you shall receive ample compensation in this 
 world's goods. Go, my son, and my blessing at- 
 tend your steps." 
 
 The soldier departed with a smiling face. 
 
 Hugo Berlaymont was sitting in his uncle's li- 
 brary, his head bowed with grief, and the tears 
 coursing down his cheeks at the news which Fritz 
 had brought him of the capture of Junius and his 
 execution on the morrow. 
 
 " It cannot be, it must not be! " said Hugo be- 
 tween his sobs. " My dear pastor shall not die 
 like a felon. I will plead with my uncle for his life." 
 
204 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Although carefully nurtured in the lap of luxury, 
 Hugo Berlaymont had his trials. Many of the 
 members of the reformed faith frowned upon him 
 because he had not come out boldly and espoused 
 their cause. 
 
 " A man cannot be called a Christian who fears 
 to acknowledge himself as one: who places the 
 opinions of his fellows, or his own human interests 
 and afifections, before the glory of God," they said. 
 
 Hugo was a sensitive lad, and he felt these words 
 of reproof keenly. He was strong to suffer himself, 
 but he could not bear to inflict sufifering tipon 
 others. He loved his uncle truly, and he knew that 
 to avow himself a Protestant would be to fill his 
 uncle's heart with the bitterest anguish. He had 
 talked the matter over with Junius. 
 
 " I have often felt, my good pastor, that this de- 
 ception was not becoming in a follower of Christ; 
 but by making a confession of my faith I shall not 
 only redouble my uncle's persecutions, but I shall 
 also be deprived of the power of assisting the breth- 
 ren when they come to me secretly, as they have 
 felt free to do. I want to do right. Decide the 
 question for me, dear pastor Junius." 
 
 The preacher looked into the guileless face of 
 the boy who had grown very dear to his heart, and 
 placed his arm about his shoulder. 
 
 " My dear lad, I feel that you are not doing 
 wrong, considering the peculiar circumstances in 
 
A WATCH IN THE NIGHT 20s 
 
 which you are placed. You are still under age, and 
 subject to the authority of your uncle. Your con- 
 duct must be governed largely by his commands. 
 If your conscience does not condemn you, continue 
 for the present in the same course. But remember 
 this, my boy: when God's call comes to you to con- 
 fess Him before men, you cannot mistake His voice. 
 Then see to it that you heed that voice and obey 
 that summons, even though it costs you your life." 
 
 A footstep sounded in the hall, and presently 
 Baron Berlaymont entered the library. 
 
 " How is this, Hugo? Moping in the dark, as 
 usual? " 
 
 The servants brought in candles and stirred the 
 dying embers of a wood fire into a cheery blaze. 
 
 "Tears, nephew! Tears, I verily believe. How 
 can you weep when the Church is on the eve of a 
 splendid victory? Do you not know, my boy, that 
 Francis Junius has at last been betrayed into our 
 hands, and to-morrow he dies? Yes, thank God, 
 that dangerous heretic dies. Would that I could 
 be there to witness the execution, but an order 
 from Alva demands my presence elsewhere." 
 
 " Uncle, I have a favor to ask of you," said 
 Hugo, rising and standing with shining eyes before 
 the Baron. 
 
 " Name it. I am in a mood to grant almost any 
 reasonable request," was the reply. 
 
2o6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Spare the life of Francis Junius, and I will bless 
 you and serve you all my days." 
 
 "The life of Francis Junius!" echoed his uncle 
 in amazement. " Boy, are you mad? What is that 
 Huguenot preacher to you, that you should dare 
 to plead for his worthless life? " 
 
 " Uncle, he once saved me from a horrible 
 death," was the reply, and then Hugo related the 
 mishap which he had met with his horse, which 
 came so near ending his career. " I cannot see my 
 benefactor die and not lift a finger to save him. I 
 love him for this act of kindness. It was at the 
 peril of his own life that he rescued me. O, spare 
 him, uncle, for my sake! " 
 
 "Peace, foolish boy!" said the Baron. "I 
 should be glad to grant you any ordinary request, 
 but you have asked an impossibility; Alva signed 
 the death-warrant with his own hand. Besides, I 
 am convinced that the heretic deserves death, and 
 no word of mine shall stay the hand of the execu- 
 tioner. I am glad if the miscreant performed one 
 good act in his life. It will be so much to his credit 
 in the other world. Come, cheer up, my lad, and 
 cease shedding tears like a woman." 
 
 With a heavy heart Hugo retired early to his 
 room. He drew a copy of the New Testament, 
 which Junius had given him, from its hiding-place, 
 and began to read. He turned the pages over and 
 
A WATCH IN THE NIGHT 207 
 
 over, and these words seemed written in letters of 
 fire on every page: " Stand Forth! " 
 
 Whichever way he turned, those words were be- 
 fore his eyes. Had God's call come to him at last? 
 Did God bid him to stand forth on the morrow, and 
 testify for Him in the market-place? He fell upon 
 his knees and offered up this prayer: " O Lord, 
 help me to save pastor Junius. Permit me, weak 
 and unworthy though I be, to suffer in the place of 
 that noble minister, and forgive my sincere but mis- 
 guided uncle." 
 
 Hugo rose from his knees with his burden light- 
 ened. In some way he felt that his prayer would 
 be answered and that the arm of Omnipotence 
 would enable him to save his friend. How he was 
 to accomplish this he did not know. He believed 
 that God would show him the path of duty so 
 clearly that he would make no mistake. With this 
 thought he laid himself down to rest, and slept the 
 tranquil sleep of a child. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 A LIFE FOR A LIFE. 
 
 The morning for the execution of Francis 
 Junius dawned clear and bright. Hugo Berlay- 
 mont arose with the sun. He hardly knew what 
 he was about to do, but he felt that God was lead- 
 ing him and would show him each step of the way. 
 
 Fritz was surprised at the interest which his 
 young master evinced in the approaching execu- 
 tion. Hitherto the young lord had listened shrink- 
 ingly to any details of these affairs, and had even 
 begged him to refrain from alluding to them in his 
 presence. The sight of Hugo preparing to go to 
 the market-place filled him with amazement and 
 disgust. 
 
 " Really, I did not know before that my young 
 master had a taste for blood. He has inherited it, 
 I suppose. They say such things will crop out 
 sooner or later." Aloud he said, " Is it wise for 
 you to go and see the sentence executed, Master 
 Hugo? The patrols are strengthened, and the offi- 
 cers fear a riot. It is no fit place for you." 
 
 Hugo looked at his servant with eyes which 
 
 208 
 
A LIFE FOR A LIFE 209 
 
 seemed to see not. But the sound of a tolling 
 bell in the distance awoke him from his dreams. 
 Seizing his cap, he started on the run for the city. 
 On sped the boy, as if on wings. He felt no fa- 
 tigue. The thought uppermost in his mind was to 
 get there before the prisoner arrived and somehow 
 to rescue him. That noble man from whose lips 
 he had heard the words of eternal life must not suf- 
 fer death. His blood at least should not be upon 
 his uncle's head. 
 
 A large crowd had already gathered, when Hugo 
 arrived on the scene. It was with great difficulty 
 that he forced himself through the dense throng, 
 and at last stood before the horrible instrument of 
 death. He gave one shuddering glance at the 
 stake, the chains and the faggots, and then awaited 
 the approach of the prisoner. The patrol of Span- 
 ish soldiers about the stake was comparatively 
 small. A large company had been drawn up on 
 the outskirts of the crowd, but there were whis- 
 pered words which reached Hugo's ears to the 
 efifect that the military force about the prisoner 
 was inadequate to secure him if the people could 
 be aroused to action. 
 
 The sound of drums was heard. " He is coming! 
 Junius is coming! " The voices in the crowd were 
 awed into silence. A_ path was made by the sol- 
 diers through this seething mass of human beings, 
 and the Huguenot preacher, securely bound and 
 
2ro THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 gagged, made his appearance* He looked worn 
 and exhausted. Argument and even torture had 
 been employed to make him recant, but his eyes 
 glowed with the same old fire. Just now they 
 were full of compassion as they rested on the grief- 
 stricken multitude. Never again would they hear 
 the old keen satire, the profound logic, the over- 
 whelming tide of eloquence. These great literary 
 and intellectual gifts were about to be hushed for- 
 ever. 
 
 By the side of Junius walked no less a personage 
 than Monseigneur Ryder, who had exerted every 
 art to try and bring this notorious heretic into the 
 fold of the Church. He had been defeated, and a 
 look of hatred gleamed in his eyes. He read the 
 warrant, and then delivered the preacher over to 
 the secular arm for punishment. The crowd surged 
 back and forth in impotent rage and grief. 
 
 At that moment a youthful figure sprang for- 
 ward and stood beside the condemned man. . 
 
 " Men of Brussels," cried a passionate voice, " if 
 you be men in truth, help to liberate this godly 
 man! " 
 
 The clear young voice rang out like a trumpet- 
 call. Every eye was fastened on the beautiful face, 
 which was aglow with a lig'ht not of earth. A ray 
 of sunshine touched the bronze rings that curled 
 over his fair brow, and his clear eyes gazed indig- 
 nantly upon the silent, submissive crowd. 
 
'hold, men!" Page; 
 
A LIFE FOR A LIFE 211 
 
 An electric current seemed to run through the 
 hitherto passive spectators, and every eye was riv- 
 eted on the daring speaker. He seemed to be little 
 more than a boy in years, but ripened by religious 
 enthusiasm into manhood. A half-suppressed 
 sound swept over that dense throng — an ugly 
 sound to hear from human throats, for it was the 
 angry growl of the wild beast which lies sleeping 
 but not dead in the breast of every man, civilize 
 him as best you may. 
 
 At first the burghers as well as the soldiers were 
 paralyzed by the sudden apparition. Then the peo- 
 ple roused themselves, and cries of " Freedom for 
 the Protestants! Down with the papist blood- 
 hounds! " were heard. That young voice and in- 
 spired face had broken the spell, and as hot, pas- 
 sionate words poured from the lips of this apos- 
 tle of freedom, every one hung spellbound on his 
 words. Yet no one dared to act. Terror paralyzed 
 every arm. It was only when, snatching a knife 
 from a burgher's belt, Hugo cut the cords which 
 bound the prisoner, that the people responded. A 
 mighty shout went up, "Saved! Saved!" as they 
 seized Junius and passed him rapidly into the m'dst 
 of the crowd. Once lost in that seething mass of 
 humanity, there was little danger of recapture. 
 
 But what of Hugo? 
 
 The soldiers roused from their stupor. Not rec- 
 ognizing in the bold defender of the heretic 
 
212 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 preacher the timid, shrinking nephew of Baron 
 Berlaymont, the captain of the guard shouted, " Ye 
 fools! Will you let both the prisoner and his lib- 
 erator escape? Shoot him down like a dog, boy 
 though he is! " 
 
 The men hesitated to obey this command. Then 
 one of them said, " It is Baron Berlaymont's 
 nephew. I dare not shoot the lad." 
 
 " Is that so? " said the captain. " Hold, men! I 
 retract my order! Hold, for Jesus' sake! We will 
 have the matter investigated. There must be some 
 mistake." 
 
 But this last command came too late. A shot 
 rang out on the startled air, and Hugo Berlaymont 
 sank lifeless to the ground. 
 
 Truly was it said, " Greater love hath no man 
 than this: that a man lay down his life for his 
 friend." 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 LEAVES FROM A JOURNAL. 
 
 An abiding faith in God will make an ordinary 
 life sublime. Agatha Chenoweth's religion was no 
 half-hearted, conditional faith, no haggling across 
 the counter of Infinity for the good things of this 
 world, but a silent confidence in an overruling 
 Providence, a submissive filial obedience, quiet in 
 its development, yet including the whole divine 
 mystery of spiritual growth. God was to her an 
 all-wise Father, loving her while He chastened her; 
 and her answering love was perfect in its childlike 
 simplicity and trust. 
 
 Such thoughts occupied Conrad Chenoweth's 
 mind as he read a packet of letters he had just re- 
 ceived from his mother. To his surprise they were 
 dated at Leyden. 
 
 "My dear Conrad: 
 
 " It has seemed wise for me to keep a journal of 
 
 the events as they occur from time to time, so that 
 
 if we are ever reunited we may look these records 
 
 over, and recall the wondrous ways through which 
 
 213 
 
2(4 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 God has led us. It will also help to relieve the 
 tedium of the weary days and weeks of waiting-. 
 
 " Of the journey to North Holland, I will say but 
 little. It was long and comparatively uneventful. 
 We came near falling into the hands of Spanish 
 troopers, but were rescued each time by the 
 ' Gueulx.' When we reached the river, which sepa- 
 rated us from our destination, the ferryman utterly 
 refused to be bribed to carry us across, fearing 
 thereby he should lose his head. But a ' Wild Beg- 
 gar ' rowed us over, for he declared his life was 
 worthless, and he was willing, even proud, to risk 
 it in so good a cause. 
 
 " We reached in time the old farmhouse on the 
 Zuyder Zee, where Lysken's brother lived. It was a 
 long, low building, close to the great dyke, against 
 which the sea ever roared and tumbled. Lysken's 
 relatives were Lutherans, and kind, hospitable peo- 
 ple have we found them to be, not indulging in the 
 feeling of animosity toward the Calvinists which 
 so disturbed the two bodies of Protestants in Ant- 
 werp. 
 
 " To your little sister, our life in Friesland was 
 one long holiday. She walked over the farm daily 
 with old Job Segerson, fed the chickens and calves, 
 and never wearied of watching the almost human 
 solicitude of the parent storks for their young. 
 These birds had erected a huge nest on the large 
 chimney of the house. 
 
LEAVES FROM A JOURNAL 215 
 
 " I am using the past tense advisedly, for a ter- 
 rible misfortune befell us and all who lived in our 
 vicinity. A great deluge has wiped out the whole 
 of Friesland, and at least twenty thousand persons 
 in this province alone have been drowned. Some- 
 times it would seem as though for our sins God had 
 turned His face from us. But, my dear son, the 
 wrath of God is light, compared with the fury of 
 man. He has sorely stricken us, but it is God's 
 hand still — and it is right. 
 
 " It was All Saints' Day when the gale, which 
 had been blowing for a week from the northeast, 
 reached a climax. We knew that Job Segerson's 
 farm and all the farms about were many feet below 
 the sea level, and for days the wind had blown the 
 spray completely over the dyke into the meadows 
 beyond. Still, we did not fear any immediate dan- 
 ger. This great dyke had withstood the gales of 
 centuries, and we felt confident it would weather 
 this one. Besides, the wind could not always blow 
 from the northeast. 
 
 " Despite our hopes, the storm continued un- 
 abated. Day after day the wind blew steadily from 
 the same quarter, as if deterrtiined to bring death 
 and destruction. The relentless waters of the At- 
 lantic Ocean were piled up against the dyke, and 
 we all felt that we must prepare for the worst. The 
 cattle were turned loose from the barn to make shift 
 for themselves. The members of the family went 
 
2i6 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 to the upper rooms of the house. Boats were sus- 
 pended from the windows. 
 
 " Over and above the roar of the wind we heard 
 the artillery of the great waves laying siege to the an- 
 cient dyke. Yet we were not afraid. Job read to us 
 from his old Dutch Bible consoHng words of Scrip- 
 ture, and commended us all to the mercy of God. 
 We all felt that we were in the hands of a loving 
 Father, who would care for us even in this dire ex- 
 tremity. We feared the violence of man, but the 
 roaring and thundering of the mighty sea did not 
 terrify our hearts, although it filled us with awe. 
 The One who commanded the winds and the waves 
 was our friend. We could safely trust Him. The 
 crash came at last. The great dyke gave way, and 
 the raging waters soon swept away everything in 
 their path. 
 
 " When Job's house began to tremble on its 
 foundations, the boats were lowered and we all em- 
 barked on the seething waters. We were rescued 
 by a schooner commanded by de la Marck, and on 
 board this ' Water Beggar ' were conveyed to Ley- 
 den, where we have taken up our residence for the 
 present. I have enclosed some extracts of your 
 father's letters, which doubtless you will be glad to 
 read." 
 
 "... I have already written several letters to 
 you, my beloved wife, but have as yet received no 
 reply. This is not strange, considering the unset- 
 
LEAVES FROM A JOURNAL 217 
 
 tied condition of the times. We are all rejoicing 
 over the great victory of Louis of Nassau at Heili- 
 ger Lee. This wooded eminence was old historic 
 ground. Centuries before, a German warrior 
 crushed Roman tyranny on this very spot. Again 
 a battle was fought, this time not only for father- 
 land but for conscience. Surely God was with us, 
 for Alva's choice army was utterly routed. His 
 veterans had not reckoned on the disadvantages 
 they would have to meet. They soon floundered 
 helplessly in the deceitful morasses, or fell into 
 huge ditches with which the pastures were sur- 
 rounded. The Prince's army has won its first vic- 
 tory in the Netherlands! " 
 
 "... The Prince is engaged in strenuous efforts 
 to raise more men and more money. The Land- 
 grave of Hesse and the Elector of Saxony have 
 promised substantial aid. The Prince has given all 
 his ready money, sold his plate, jewels, and costly 
 tapestries, and staked his all upon this hazardous 
 enterprise. The people are giving as they did in 
 Bible times — the rich sparingly and the poor liber- 
 ally. The Prince has set a noble example, which I 
 hope will be followed by the prosperous cities." 
 
 "... We have sustained a crushing defeat. 
 How can I write you about the fearful massacre at 
 Jemmingen? 
 
 " The Duke of Alva was surprised to find that 
 the veteran army of Spain was not invincible. 
 
2i8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 When he recovered from his temporary amaze- 
 ment, his wrath was terrible. He decided to take 
 the field in person and crush the rebellion. He 
 did so, and Louis of Nassau lost at Jemmingen all 
 that he had gained at Heiliger Lee. The poorly- 
 paid and underfed patriot troops mutinied and 
 would not fight. Being hotly pushed, they fled. 
 Seven thousand were either butchered or drowned. 
 Louis, with a few survivors, escaped to Germany. 
 But the Prince is not discouraged, for his trust is in 
 God, and he firmly believes our cause is just. Do 
 not become disheartened, my beloved wife. The 
 darkest hour is just before the dawn." 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 PLUMING FOR FLIGHT. 
 
 " To-morrow Katharine La Tour becomes a 
 nun. You have succeeded admirably, cousin 
 Agnes. I am more than gratified at the result of 
 your labors." 
 
 " I really am troubled, Julius," replied the Lady 
 Abbess, " at your treatment of my young novice. 
 What will be the efifect of this tissue of lies on that 
 sincerely honest and innocent girl, when she dis- 
 covers the truth? She believes us to be but little 
 removed from angels, and she does not for a mo- 
 ment imagine that we really deny ourselves but 
 few of the world's pleasures." 
 
 " I care not what she thinks, after her vows are 
 
 once spoken," replied the Superior. " She will then 
 
 be bound to us by irrevocable ties, and she will 
 
 have to accept the condition of things as she finds 
 
 them. But my influence over her is so unbounded 
 
 that I am confident she will consider that whatever 
 
 I advise is right. I never was so interested in a 
 
 woman before. But how can one behold Katharine 
 
 La Tour, with her candor, her intelligence, her 
 
 2ig 
 
220 THE SILENT FRINGE 
 
 spirituality, her charms of person and manner, with- 
 out admiring such a lovely creature! " 
 
 " You are waxing eloquent, Julius," said the 
 lady, with curling lips. " And yet, cousin, do you 
 not see that you are seeking to destroy in this ad- 
 mirable young person those very qualities of heart 
 and mind which are her chief attraction? It almost 
 rouses a conscience within me, to see the looks of 
 love and reverence with which she regards both 
 you and me." 
 
 " Let us make an end of this fruitless discus- 
 sion," said Father Ryder, rising and trying vainly 
 to suppress a yawn. " It is nearly my dinner hour, 
 and I feel the need of refreshment. I will see my 
 novice at four o'clock this afternoon, to prepare 
 her for the ceremonies of the morrow." 
 
 Monseigneur was feeling elated at the success of 
 his schemes, and in consequence he allowed himself 
 considerably more wine with his dinner than he 
 was in the habit of taking. He became unusually 
 genial and communicative. It was in this con- 
 dition that he sought an interview with the pros- 
 pective bride of Christ. 
 
 As the young novice entered the room at the 
 summons of her confessor, Father Ryder was again 
 impressed with the loveliness of her person, the 
 charm of her exquisite grace. There was a con- 
 scious purity in her presence, which effectually 
 shielded her even more than her novice's garb. She 
 
PLUMING FOR FLIGHT 221 
 
 was now dressed in the long flowing black robe of 
 the Order, and wore a white veil, which to-morrow 
 would be replaced by one of sombre black, typify- 
 ing her death to the world. 
 
 The generous wine was coursing through the 
 Superior's veins, and for the moment he was not 
 guarded in his speech. 
 
 " Sweet Katharine," he said, " how lovely you 
 look to-day! By your serene expression I judge 
 that life in the convent is thoroughly congenial to 
 you." 
 
 The novice stared in amazement at this unusual 
 language from her stately and dignified confessor. 
 The Superior realized instinctively that he had 
 made a serious blunder. Collecting his scattered 
 wits, he began again: 
 
 " My daughter, how do you feel in reference to 
 the momentous step -vhich you are about to take 
 to-morrow? " 
 
 " Holy Father," faltered the girl, " I have doubts 
 and fears, and I think I am unfit for the conventual 
 life. I have longings after the world and its pleas- 
 ures. I do not know how to stifle these sinful de- 
 sires." 
 
 " You do not need to silence them, my little 
 friend. They are not sinful, as you imagine, and 
 the Church will not frown them down. The 
 Church is not so ascetic as you have been taught. 
 Far from it! She imposes secrecy upon her fol- 
 
222 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 lowers, that their indulgences may not be known 
 to the outside world, to mar their influence; but 
 she grants her faithful children all the pleasures 
 that life can offer." 
 
 Katharine was amazed at these doctrines, which 
 were so unlike the catechism she had studied within 
 these walls. Recovering herself with an effort, she 
 said, " If your words are true, Father, why do I 
 need to leave the world and become a nun? I 
 thought that the worship and service of God were 
 the chief objects in life, to those vvho entered holy 
 houses." 
 
 " My little friend, do not misunderstand me. We 
 do worship God. Our masses, our festivals, our 
 fasts are all evidences of our solemn adoration of 
 God. But as a reward for separating ourselves 
 from the world, and cutting ourselves ofif from the 
 amenities of life, the Church grants us indulgences." 
 
 " It seems to me," said Katharine, with gather- 
 ing courage, " that it is an insult to the Almighty 
 to ofifer Him merely lip-service and a divided heart. 
 Did not Christ denounce those who kept the out- 
 side of the platter clean, while the inside was filthy? 
 It cannot be that you are talking seriously. Father." 
 
 " I never was more serious in my life, my fair 
 reasoner," replied the Superior, completely off his 
 guard. " You have treasured in your mind the 
 words of Christ. It is well! Let me quote others 
 to you, not only from the lips of the Master, but 
 
PLUMING FOR FLIGHT 223 
 
 from those of His holy apostles: ' To the pure all 
 things are pure.' ' Love one another.' ' A bishop 
 shall be the husband of one wife.' You look as- 
 tonished, my sweet Katharine, at such astounding 
 words; but I tell you this Church of ours sanctions 
 marriage amongst the priesthood, secretly, to be 
 sure, but it makes such a state possible by special 
 dispensations, and that without violating con- 
 science. You must have known, Katharine, that T 
 loved you. Perhaps I have obeyed the Master's 
 command too literally, in your case, but the fact 
 remains unaltered — I love you. The other fact re- 
 mains unaltered, that Christ sanctioned the mar- 
 riage of priests. When He selected His apostles. 
 He made choice of men who had wives. Is not 
 Peter's wife made a personage of special note by 
 an allusion to her in the Sacred Word? And Peter 
 is the rock upon which our Church is built, and to 
 whom she looked in those days as to her spiritual 
 head. Marriage was not forbidden priests until the 
 thirteenth century, and this command is an arbi- 
 trary one, which can easily be evaded. When I 
 receive that cardinal's hat which the Pope has 
 promised me, I can also procure a special dispensa- 
 tion which will permit our union." 
 
 " Stop! " cried Katharine, in a voice of indigna- 
 tion, her cheeks crimson with wrath and shame. 
 " Say not another word at your peril. Is this your 
 professed holy life, this life which you admit is a 
 
224 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 tissue of lies from beginning to end? If I had en- 
 tertained thoughts of marriage, think you I would 
 have entered a convent, or have wounded the heart 
 of my noble friend and lover by rejecting his suit? 
 Merciful God, save me from these pitfalls ! " 
 
 This cry of anguish sobered the Superior. Re- 
 alizing that he had gone too far, he sought to oblit- 
 erate the unfortunate impression he had made. 
 
 " My daughter," he said, in his accustomed dig- 
 nified manner, " the test is over, and you have not 
 faltered in your loyalty. Did you believe I could 
 be in earnest? I sought but to prove your sincerity 
 of purpose. You have passed the ordeal triumph- 
 r.ntly. Now kneel! " he said authoritatively, " and 
 make your last confession before assuming the 
 vei!." 
 
 Katharine was powerless to resist the stern, im- 
 perious personality of the priest. She fully realized 
 her dangerous position. She knew that if she 
 would escape from this place the utmost discretion 
 was necessary, in order that her confessor might 
 not suspect her purpose. She therefore obeyed sub- 
 missively the command of Monseigneur Ryder. 
 
 In conclusion, the Superior said, " I shall exact 
 a penance, my daughter, for entertaining such re- 
 bellious feelings as you have described and for 
 doubting the word of your confessor. You will re- 
 main'before the altar in the chapel until midnight, 
 reciting the prayers which I will mark in the bre- 
 
PLUMING FOR FLIGHT 225 
 
 viary. I trust that by that time your mind will have 
 become tranquillized, and that thoughts of the cere- 
 monies of the morrow will bring you only joy and 
 peace. Farewell." 
 
 Fully confident in his power over the novice, and 
 never doubting but what she was thoroughly 
 grounded in her desire to take the veil, the Superior 
 departed. Had his sensibilities not been dulled, he 
 would quickly have noted that the calmness of his 
 charge was forced. 
 
 Until eight o'clock in the evening Katharine re- 
 volved in her mind the chances of escape. She was 
 fully resolved to leave these hateful walls that very 
 night, and to seek shelter elsewhere. Never would 
 she wilHngly submit to the life which Father Ryder 
 had so graphically described. She fell upon her 
 knees and besought God to avert the impending 
 danger and to aid her escape. 
 
 She repaired to the chapel at the time appointed. 
 It was the hour for quiet meditation in the convent, 
 and the halls were deserted. As Katharine knelt 
 before the altar, she felt a soft touch on her shoul- 
 der. Looking up she saw the impassive face of 
 the portress. Over her arm she carried a peasant's 
 coarse cape and rough hood. 
 
 " Rise, child," she said kindly. " I listened to 
 your prayers for deliverance this afternoon. I saw 
 your tears of distress, and I pitied you. I would 
 save you from the fate which has been mine. The 
 
226 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Church has sadly changed since the days of my 
 youth. I have always loved and reverenced her, 
 and I do so still. It is only those things within her - 
 which are not holy that I would see changed. May 
 God in His own good time purge her from all her 
 spots and stains, and bring her forth as gold puri- 
 fied by the refiner's fire. But enough of this. The 
 convent is no place for you. If you remain, you 
 will be sadly persecuted. I have come to set you 
 free. Hasten! there is no time to lose! " 
 
 So saying, she wrapped the bewildered girl in the 
 coarse garments and led her to the postern gate of 
 the convent. As she opened the gate she said, 
 " Go along the Westernstrasse until you come to 
 Canal Street. In the third house from the corner 
 on the right lives my sister, Betgen Faber. She 
 will shelter you to-night for my sake. Farther than 
 this, the blessed Mother must direct your steps." 
 
 With these words she gently thrust the trem- 
 bling girl into the dark street of the city. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 " NOT AS TO A FLEMING, BUT AS TO A TRAITOR." 
 
 After the death of his nephew, Baron Berlay- 
 mont redoubled his persecution of the Protestants. 
 He saw to it that the gibbet and the stake were 
 daily supplied with victims. One morning he en- 
 tered the strongly-guarded palace where Alva re- 
 sided, and passing unchallenged through the rooms 
 where soldiers were stationed to guard the person 
 of the Duke, he was ushered into the presence of 
 the governor of the Netherlands. The Duke was 
 in high spirits, having just been made the recipient 
 of a jewelled hat and sword from the Pope, in rec- 
 ognition of his services for the Church. An auto- 
 graph letter accompanied the gift, in which his 
 Holiness urged Alva to remember that when he 
 put the hat on his head, " he was guarded with it 
 as with a helmet of righteousness and with the 
 shield of God's help, indicating the heavenly crown 
 which was ready for all princes who support the 
 holy Church and the Roman Catholic faith." The 
 
 sword was ornamented with the following Latin 
 
 227 
 
228 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 inscription: " Accipe sanctum gladium, muniis a 
 Deo, in quo dejicies adversaries populi mei Israel." 
 — " Receive the sacred sword, a gift from God, in 
 whom you will overthrow the adversaries of myi 
 people Israel." 
 
 Alva greeted the Baron almost cordially. " Your 
 investigations have proved a mine of wealth," he 
 said. " I am glad I accorded you those privileges." 
 
 The Baron could not conceal his pleasure at this 
 praise. " I still have information, which is at your 
 disposal," he said. 
 
 " Then let us proceed to business," replied Alva. 
 
 The Baron produced a chart, and laying it before 
 Philip's viceroy said, " Louis of Nassau is contem- 
 plating another invasion of the Netherlands, much 
 against his brother William's judgment. He in- 
 tends to make Utrecht his objective point. There 
 are many conspirators there. He will proceed to 
 Amersfoort, and in case he is repulsed there he can 
 fall back on Het Loo. He evidently expects to be 
 supported by the ' Beggars of the Sea,' for he keeps 
 in close proximity to the ocean." 
 
 Alva glanced at the plans critically. With his 
 superior knowledge of military tactics, he saw the 
 weak points in the scheme at once. " Poor fools! " 
 he said at length. " They seem anxious to thrust 
 their heads into the lion's mouth. It is well for us 
 that these rebels are not sagacious enough to follow 
 their Prince's advice. I do not wonder Orange 
 
AS TO A TRAITOR 229 
 
 discouraged the campaign. What an insane idea 
 of falling back on Het Loo, that unfortified village! 
 Our work will be easy. The rebels will soon get 
 tired of being annihilated. Now, as to some com- 
 pensation for your services, Baron. I will repre- 
 sent your case to his Majesty, and recommend a 
 suitable reward." 
 
 " There is only one reward that I will for a mo- 
 ment consider! " said Baron Berlaymont. 
 
 The Duke eyed his visitor keenly. 
 
 " And that? " 
 
 " The office of Stadtholder of Brabant. I under- 
 stand the place is vacant." 
 
 The Duke crimsoned with anger. " Your re- 
 quest is certainly not lacking in boldness. The 
 office you covet is next in rank to the regency." 
 
 " I am aware of that fact," replied the Baron 
 coolly. " You are the Regent of the Netherlands. 
 No man after yourself has done more toward sup- 
 pressing heresy than I have. I consider no one 
 n-ore worthy of the position of Stadtholder." 
 
 " What if I do not choose to recommend you to 
 this place?" said Alva. 
 
 " Then I shall cease my investigations in the in- 
 terests of the government, and I shall warn the 
 rebels of your moves. You know well enough that 
 I should prove a dangerous enemy." 
 
 Alva did know this to his cost, and he chafed 
 furiously. 
 
230 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Very well, Baron! " he replied grimly. " You 
 shall have your wish." 
 
 " Thanks. With your permission I should like 
 this contract in writing." 
 
 The Duke hesitated a moment, then seizing a 
 pen he dashed off a few lines on a sHp of paper, to 
 which he affixed his seal. He handed it to the 
 Baron. 
 
 The latter looked at the writing, then folded the 
 paper and placed it carefully in his pocket 
 
 " Many thanks, your Excellency." 
 
 " I desire to be alone! " said Alva. And without 
 deigning his visitor so much as a nod in farewell, 
 the Duke resumed his study of a chart. In a few 
 moments he summoned Vargas. 
 
 " Did you notice my visitor? " he began ab- 
 ruptly. 
 
 " Yes. It was Baron Berlaymont." 
 
 " What do you think that conceited Nether- 
 lander wants for his services? " 
 
 Vargas looked interested. 
 
 " He wants nothing less than the position of 
 Stadtholder of Brabant — a position which was even 
 denied William of Orange! " 
 
 Vargas held up his hands in horror. 
 
 " Juan Vargas? " 
 
 " Yes, your Excellency! " 
 
 " That man has outlived his usefulness. He has 
 dared to threaten me. He is dangerous. What 
 
AS TO A TRAITOR 231 
 
 shall we do with him? How shall we manage to 
 put him out of the way, and still not have Alva ap- 
 pear to have been a party to his death? " 
 
 The Spaniard thought for a few moments. 
 
 " You say he has incriminating papers on him? " 
 
 " Yes, he has the plan of the proposed campaign 
 of Louis of Nassau in his pocket." 
 
 " Then he shall die, and that at the hands of the 
 rebels," replied Vargas. 
 
 " Do you think you can manage the affair dis- 
 creetly? " 
 
 " Certainly. Your Excellency may safely entrust 
 all details to me," said Vargas. 
 
 " Very well! Then I will dismiss the matter from 
 my mind." 
 
 The next morning the citizens of the capital 
 were electrified by the news that the "Tiger of 
 Brussels " had been foully murdered. His body 
 was found riddled with bullets, and on a paper 
 which was pinned over his breast were these words: 
 " Not as to a Fleming, but as to a traitor and a 
 spy!" 
 
 The hours which elapsed before Conrad Cheno- 
 weth could visit Doiia Isidore de Cisneros dragged 
 their slow length along. He vainly wished that the 
 moments would speed faster, but Nature was too 
 wise a mother to alter her times and seasons at the 
 entreaties of anxious lovers. Well she knew that 
 
232 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 the world was full of such, and had been, since the 
 day when Jacob tended the flocks of Laban and 
 sighed for Rachael. 
 
 At last the appointed hour came, and Conrad and 
 his friend set out for the home of the Spanish Dona. 
 She met them with smiles and with the welcome 
 assurance that Hilvardine was safe in her posses- 
 sion. She prepared them for the changed appear- 
 ance of the girl, as she had been ill of prison fever. 
 
 Reynold Van Straalen was first summoned to 
 her presence. He was merciful to his friend, and 
 did not prolong his interview. In less than a half 
 hour he returned, with the welcome announcement 
 that Hilvardine was feeling stronger and would 
 see Conrad at once. A moment more and he was 
 in her presence. Hilvardine's face, wasted and 
 worn by sorrow and sickness, still retained its love- 
 liness. Her hair had been cut, and clung in short 
 raven curls close to her face, giving it a look of ex- 
 treme youthfulness. Her face was chastened in its 
 expression, but her eyes shone with a happy light 
 as she caught sight of Conrad. 
 
 He held out his arms, and straight as a homing 
 dove she went to meet him. No words were 
 needed. Time for them had no existence. Pain, 
 fatigue, anxiety — all were forgotten in the felicity 
 of this hour. 
 
 " God has been very good to me," whispered Hil- 
 vardine. 
 
AS TO A TRAITOR 233 
 
 " He has been better to me than my fears," re- 
 plied Conrad. " May He forgive me that for a time 
 I doubted His love." 
 
 A tap sounded on the door, and the face of Doiia 
 Isidore appeared. 
 
 " I shall have to interrupt you. Seigneur Chen- 
 oweth," she said. " You have been here more than 
 an hour, and my charge will not be in good condi- 
 tion to travel to-morrow unless she sleeps soundly 
 to-night. Bid her adieu for a short time." 
 
 Conrad immediately took leave of his lady, with 
 loving assurances of a speedy reunion in Leyden. 
 He felt confident that his mother would welcome 
 his promised wife with great joy. 
 
 Conrad took Doiia Isidore's hand before leaving 
 the house, and pressed a kiss upon it. " I cannot 
 now express my gratitude to you in fitting words," 
 he said, in a broken voice. 
 
 " Believe me, it has been a pleasure to assist one 
 so good and so beautiful as Mistress Van Straalen. 
 I am glad that I have been permitted in this small 
 way to atone for some of the cruelty of my fellow 
 countrymen." And the dark eyes of the charming 
 Spanish Doiia were full of tears as she spoke. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE FUGITIVES. 
 
 Peter Claesen, Gretchen's son, made it a prac- 
 tice to steal unobserved from his home after night- 
 fall to visit friends of the faith and to render them 
 what assistance he could. On the riight in which 
 Katharine La Tour made her escape from the con- 
 vent, Peter was abroad, as usual. Coming into the 
 Westernstrasse he noticed a young woman a little 
 in advance of him, who walked timidly and with an 
 air of uncertainty as to her direction. Believing 
 this to be some person in distress, Peter followed at 
 a respectful distance. Hearing sounds of pursuit, 
 the young woman quickened her pace. Peter fol- 
 lowed, and kept the frying feet and fluttering dress 
 well in sight. Hardly had the fugitive reached 
 Canal Street when, overcome by fright and exhaus- 
 tion, she sank on the pavement in a faint. Peter 
 was by her side in a moment. Fortunately for both 
 parties the street was deserted. Lifting the un- 
 conscious woman in his strong arms, Peter took a 
 shorter route to his mother's house, where he ar- 
 rived in safety. 
 
 234 
 
THE FUGITIVES 235 
 
 Gretchen, who never turned a needy human be- 
 ing from her doors, hastened to unfasten the heavy 
 cape from the slender shoulders. The coarse hood 
 fell from the face and revealed the nun's attire. 
 
 "A Sister!" said Gretchen, in amazement. 
 " Why is she abroad at such an hour? " 
 ********* 
 
 Colonel Van Straalen gave one look at the beau- 
 tiful face. 
 
 " It is Katharine La Tour! " he said to Conrad. 
 "What are we to understand by this? She must 
 have fled from the convent." 
 
 " She is not yet a nun! " said Conrad, pointing 
 to the white veil. " I imagine she has run away 
 to escape taking her vows." 
 
 " God grqnt it may be so," replied his friend. 
 
 The young novice was laid upon a bed, and, un- 
 der Gretchen's skilful ministrations, she was able 
 in a short time to sit up and relate her story to that 
 good woman. 
 
 Hearing the sound of voices in the adjoining 
 room, Katharine inquired if there were visitors in 
 the house, and if her presence was known? 
 
 Gretchen gave an amused laugh. " My child," 
 she said, " set your fears at rest. The gentlemen 
 whose voices you hear do me the honor of lodging 
 in my humble tenement. I am told that they are 
 friends of yours and their names are Colonel Van 
 Straalen and Heer Conrad Chenoweth." 
 
236 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 The young officer now knocked at the door, and 
 begged permission to see Mademoiselle La Tour 
 a few moments, if she were able to grant him a brief 
 interview. 
 
 " Allow my friend to come in, please," said 
 Katharine, a soft flush creeping into her pale 
 cheeks. 
 
 " Mademoiselle La Tour — Katharine," said the 
 young officer, advancing and holding out his hand. 
 If ever honest, faithful love was reflected in a man's 
 eyes, it shone in his at this moment. Katharine 
 was conscious of no feeling either of surprise or 
 embarrassment at the sight of her friend. An un- 
 utterable sense of peace and security came over her. 
 
 " Katharine," continued Reynold Van Straalen, 
 " I have loved you always, love you now as a man 
 loves but one woman in his life. Will you give me 
 the right to protect you from your enemies? " 
 
 And Katharine La Tour listened well pleased to 
 this oft-told tale, old- as humanity, everlasting as 
 the hills, changeless as the ocean. The look with 
 which she laid her hand in his firm clasp was beau- 
 tiful in its humility and trustful love. 
 
 " My noble friend, can you forgive me for hav- 
 ing rejected in days past your protection and your 
 love, and for trying to stifle my heart's affections 
 in yonder convent? " 
 
 " Say no more, my love. There is naught to for- 
 
THE FUGITIVES 237 
 
 give. Henceforth you are mine, and I will protect 
 yt)U or die in the attempt." 
 
 " But I ought not to remain longer here," said 
 Katharine. " By midnight my flight will be dis- 
 covered, and Monseigneur Ryder will leave no 
 stone unturned to force me to return. I am strong 
 now. Let us fly! " 
 
 " We will return to our friends and talk the mat- 
 ter over with them," said Reynold. 
 
 Every one present rejoiced at the young girl's 
 escape, and none more so than Conrad Chenoweth 
 as he saw his friend's happiness, which was but a 
 reflection of his own. Immediate flight seemed to 
 be the unanimous verdict of the little company. 
 Gretchen's son, who had been a silent spectator' 
 hitherto, now spoke: 
 
 " If I mistake not, I discovered to-day, about 
 two miles out to sea, one of the ships of the ' Wild 
 Beggars.' It is commanded, I surmise, by William 
 de la Marck. He will harbor any fugitives gladly, 
 as he knows no fear. If the Colonel will trust him- 
 self and the young lady to my guidance, I am sure 
 I can help him out of his difficulty. But there is 
 no time to be lost. The Admiral is quite likely to 
 sail just before dawn, and to be many leagues from 
 here by sunrise." 
 
 Reynold Van Straalen gladly availed himself of 
 this generous offer. It was decided that he should 
 accompany his betrothed to Leyden, where he 
 
238 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 could leave her under the protection of friends, and 
 from there he could make his plans to join the 
 Prince of Orange. He took leave of his hurpble 
 friends with profound emotion. He bade Conrad 
 a brief farewell, as he fully expected his early ar- 
 rival in Leyden. 
 
 After a hurried repast, the fugitives followed 
 their guide through the deserted streets of the city, 
 and successfully avoided the night-watchmen who 
 were on duty. At last they reached one of the 
 canals, and rousing a sleepy ferryman, with whom 
 Peter was acquainted, they entered one of those 
 brown slipper-like boats, which glide picturesquely 
 about the Ouderhaven. A slight haziness, which 
 was not exactly a mist, hung around the old houses 
 and half veiled the bridges. The water lapped lazily 
 about the tall gray posts. They drifted, rather than 
 rowed, past timber rafts, huge canal boats, under 
 bridges, past gloomy archways and the reflected 
 shadows of tall houses, until they reached the har- 
 bor. Here they were obliged to land, as the ferry- 
 man refused to carry them farther. 
 
 Peter took the matter in hand. Finding the 
 owner of a rowboat, he tried to hire him to row the 
 party to the suspicious looking craft, which for sev- 
 eral days had been lurking in the neighborhood. 
 The boatman was timid, and did not dare to evade 
 the law. Peter finally persuaded the man to loan 
 him the use of the boat for a couple of hours, and 
 
THE FUGITIVES 239 
 
 he boldly offered to row the party himself. The 
 officer was loath to accept so generous an offer, but 
 seeing no other avenue of escape, he suffered Peter 
 to have his own way in the matter. 
 
 The sea was rough and the wind strong, but 
 Peter had stout arms and rowed with no apparent 
 effort. In due time they came astern the schooner 
 Goodspeed, and shipped oars. 
 
 A call sounded from above. 
 
 " Who goes there? " 
 
 " Friends of the Beggars! " was the reply. 
 
 "All right!" 
 
 A rope ladder was swung over the side of the 
 schooner. After pressing some gold into Peter's 
 reluctant hand. Colonel Van Straalen assisted 
 Katharine up the ladder, and then mounted himself. 
 
 A ferocious looking man, with shaggy, unkempt 
 hair and beard, greeted them roughly. 
 
 " Whom have we here? " 
 
 Reynold briefly related his own story and that of 
 Katharine. 
 
 De la Marck, for it was he, spoke in kinder tones. 
 " You are welcome. I will drop you in Leyden on 
 the morrow." 
 
 Savage and brutal in manner as persecution had 
 made this man, he was loyal and kind-hearted, and 
 never stopped to weigh personal interests where 
 his Protestant fellow countrymen were concerned. 
 He had made a vow not to use a razor until the 
 
240 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 death of his kinsman, Egmont, was avenged. His 
 deeds of outlawry had been condemned by the 
 Prince of Orange; still, in defiance of strict orders, 
 he continued to cruise upon the high seas, and to 
 wreak his vengeance upon his hated foes. 
 
 The sailors comprised men in the different ranks 
 of life, but all were dressed alike in the gray suits 
 of mendicant friars, with beggars' wallets, a wooden 
 bowl and spoon hung over the back, and a staff in 
 each hand. In addition, however, to these peace- 
 ful accoutrements, each sailor was provided with 
 a sword on his thigh and pistols at his belt. Each 
 man wore a singular necklace: a chain to which 
 a gold Gueulx penny was attached. On one side 
 of the penny was the likeness of Philip II, and over 
 it was this inscription: " Fideles au roi! " [Faithful 
 to the King.] On the reverse side of the coin was 
 a fac-simile of a beggar's wallet clasped in the 
 hands, and above this were the words: " Jusques 
 a porter la besace " [even to the carrying of a wal- 
 let]. 
 
 Comfortable quarters were provided Katharine 
 in the Admiral's cabin, and after a long rest, in 
 which she slept the tranquil sleep of perfect confi- 
 dence and security, she was awakened by the sound 
 of her lover's voice. 
 
 "Arise, and come on deck, Katharine, as speedily 
 as possible. The spires of Leyden are in sight." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH. 
 
 Conrad Chenoweth lay in a dungeon in the 
 prison at Brussels, condemned to suffer death on 
 the morrow. 
 
 Paul Buys, pensionary of Leyden, was in the 
 secret service of the Prince, and employed agents 
 in all parts of the Netherlands to help carry on the 
 work begun by William of Orange. An extensive 
 secret correspondence was conducted between all 
 the large cities and towns of the kingdom. Con- 
 rad Chenoweth, as a valued friend of the Prince, 
 was entrusted with important letters for several 
 rich cloth merchants in Brussels, and the object of 
 these letters was to secure money or pledges for the 
 raising of more troops for the Prince. 
 
 The real names of the principal personages des- 
 ignated in these letters never appeared; but other 
 names were substituted, which soon became famil- 
 iar terms, not only in the Netherlands, but also in 
 France, Germany and England. The Prince of 
 
 Orange was always known as Martin Willemzoon; 
 
 241 
 
242 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 the Duke of Alva as Master Powels van Alblas; 
 Queen Elizabeth as Henry Philipzoon; the King 
 of Denmark as Peter Peterson. 
 
 The twelve signs of the zodiac were used to in- 
 dicate the twelve months of the year, and various 
 other devices, suggested by ingenious minds, were 
 used in this secret correspondence. 
 
 While leaving the house of one of these cloth 
 merchants, Conrad Chenoweth was suddenly seized 
 from behind by two powerful ruffians, and his arms 
 pinioned before he could defend himself. He was 
 thrown into prison, and his trial delayed for some 
 weeks until Alva returned from suppressing the re- 
 bellion incited by Louis of Nassau. 
 
 On the Duke's return Conrad was brought be- 
 fore the Blood Council. Scorning to lie about the 
 papers found concealed about his person, or to be- 
 tray his relations to the Prince, he was summarily 
 sentenced to death upon the gallows. 
 
 And now the last day of his earthly life was draw- 
 ing to a close, and the twilight was falling. The 
 vesper bells answered each other with silvery 
 chimes, then ceased. The throbbing heart of the 
 city grew still. The darkness and the silence, like 
 something tangible, began to press upon heart and 
 brain. The words which Conrad had often heard 
 his mother repeat, and which formed the bed-rock 
 of her faith, came to him in the gloom: " God will 
 do whatever is best; and His will is always right." 
 
UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH 243 
 
 "The best?" murmured Conrad. "What is 
 best? " 
 
 Without were life, freedom, love, happiness; and 
 Conrad Chenoweth was young. Youth, health and 
 rich capacity for enjoyment were his. Within was 
 darkness and the shadow of death. Yet he knew 
 that in life or in death the everlasting arms were 
 always underneath. His soul sought the covert 
 which has been the shelter of innumerable hearts 
 from the " windy storm and tempest," and he cried 
 out in his extremity, " O God, we are Thy servants. 
 Be it done unto us according to Thy word! " 
 
 Bright grew the gloom about him, brighter than 
 the sunrise on the hills, which he would never tread 
 again. 
 
 An hour passed, and the sound of footsteps was 
 heard approaching the cell. Conrad listened indif- 
 ferently. The steps came nearer and nearer. The 
 door of the dungeon was unlocked, and a priest en- 
 tered, bearing a lighted candle in his hands. He 
 threw aside his cowl, and the face of Father Steen 
 was revealed. 
 
 Conrad grasped his hand eagerly. " I am glad, 
 reverend Father, that you were allowed to come to 
 me instead of a strange priest. You have ever been 
 my friend." 
 
 The Jesuit looked at the glowing face, and a sigh 
 escaped his lips. " You have your mother's eyes," 
 he said, half to himself. " Her son must not die 
 
244 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 like a felon. Conrad Chenoweth, you saved my life 
 once. I have come to save yours. There is no time 
 to waste in words. Attire yourself in this suit as 
 quickly as possible." 
 
 He handed the young man the long black robe 
 and cowl of a priest. When Conrad had donned 
 the suit the Jesuit said briefly, 
 
 " Now follow me! " 
 
 " Where? " 
 
 For answer, the priest took the candle and 
 walked to the farther side of the dungeon and ex- 
 amined intently the solid wall of stone masonry. 
 He passed his fingers slowly along the huge blocks 
 of stone. Presently he found a slight depression in 
 the rock, and using his strength he bore down upon 
 this spot, but without any result. 
 
 " Give me the benefit of your youthful muscle," 
 he said to the young man. " As I press this spring, 
 bear down with your shoulder upon this block of 
 stone." 
 
 The spring had evidently grown rusty from dis- 
 use, and it took several attempts with the united 
 strength of both men before the massive block slid 
 from its position and revealed a narrow passage be- 
 yond. 
 
 " How came you to know of this means of exit? " 
 inquired Conrad. 
 
 The priest smiled. " Some ten years ago I was 
 called to confess the head jailer of this prison, who 
 
UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH 24S 
 
 was dying. He revealed the secret of this passage 
 to me, and said that after his death I was the only 
 living person aware of the existence of this secret 
 exit from the prison. He confessed that he had 
 committed many foul aiid bloody wrongs in this 
 underground alley. Follow me, my son, without 
 fear. I know every inch of the way." 
 
 Taking the candle they walked for quite a dis- 
 tance between narrow walls, and finally came upon 
 an obstruction which seemed to Conrad to be in- 
 capable of removal. It proved to be an ingeniously 
 contrived trap-door, which the priest, who seemed 
 familiar with its workings, easily opened, and they 
 came out into an open field. 
 
 " My plan for your escape is this," said Father 
 Steen. " I will see that you pass the city gates in 
 safety. A half mile beyond, in the clump of firs on 
 the right, you will find a swift horse. Ride for your 
 life till sunrise, but remain in concealment during 
 the day. You will find provisions in the saddle- 
 bag, as well as a brace of pistols. A man will be 
 guarding the horse, but when you give him the 
 password, ' Loyola,' he will allow you to take the 
 horse without any further conversation. The fel- 
 low is close-mouthed, and you do not need to fear 
 that he will take you to be other than you appear 
 — a Jesuit in good and regular standing." 
 
 "My kind, generous friend!" said Conrad, 
 grasping the priest's hand. " Will not your noble 
 
246 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 act involve you in difficulties? I cannot accept 
 your aid if it costs you your life." 
 
 " Be not needlessly alarmed, my son, I have not 
 been a Jesuit all these years in vain. My tracks 
 are thoroughly covered. The jailer does not know 
 me, as I was careful to conceal my face when I en- 
 tered the prison to-night. Before sunrise I shall 
 be en route for Rome, whither my Superior has 
 sent me on a special commission. No one in the 
 House knew that I left that place this evening. 
 Monseigneur Ryder is a keen man, and he may 
 have his suspicions when he learns the fact of your 
 escape, but he will protect the interests of his Or- 
 der." 
 
 " You are a noble man! " said Conrad. " Would 
 that you were one of the pioneers of the Reforma- 
 tion, instead of a Jesuit." 
 
 Conrad had gone too far. The priest's face 
 hardened. 
 
 " There cropped out the fanaticism of John 
 Chenoweth!" he said sternly. "But enough of 
 this! What I am, I am. The years will leave me 
 as they found me. I am striving after hoHness, and 
 if at the last I fail of attaining it, it will not be from 
 lack of endeavor." 
 
 "Forgive my hasty words!" said Conrad. "I 
 trust you are a sincere follower of Christ, although 
 you are a Jesuit." 
 
UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH 247 
 
 They had now reached the city gates, and Father 
 Steen roused the sleepy guard with these words: 
 
 " Open in the name of the Church. My brother 
 in Christ is obhged to depart at once on important 
 business." 
 
 The guard opened the gates as he was bidden, 
 and Conrad Chenoweth stepped forth a free man. 
 
 Before he could cast about in his mind for suit- 
 able words with which to acknowledge a gift so un- 
 speakable, the Jesuit said, " Make haste, brother, 
 and may God speed you on your way." Father 
 Steen then turned on his heel and walked rapidly 
 in the opposite direction. 
 
 A week later, in a pleasant house in the suburbs 
 of Leyden, a double wedding was consummated. 
 Francis Junius read the solemn words of the 
 marriage service which united the lives of Reynold 
 Van Straalen and Katharine La Tour, and Conrad 
 Chenoweth and the Burgomaster's daughter Hil- 
 vardine. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth was in Leyden with his wife, re- 
 covering slowly from the effects of an ugly wound 
 in his side. There were no witnesses to the mar- 
 riage outside of the family. It was a joyful, yet 
 solemn occasion, for on the morrow the two young 
 men were to join the army of the Prince on the 
 French frontier. 
 
 The Huguenot preacher surveyed the little group 
 
248 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 before him with solemn prescience. Lifting his 
 hands in benediction, he said, " Fear not, little 
 flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give 
 you the kingdom; and God remembers His cov- 
 enant forever; the word He has spoken to a thou- 
 sand generations." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 THE MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN. 
 
 It was the spring of 1574. William of Orange 
 sat in a room, in his spacious mansion at Delft, read- 
 ing despatches. One in particular seemed to touch 
 him. It was an announcement from a Protestant 
 clergyman, stating that as soon as he could make 
 his way through the enemy's lines he would present 
 in person the contribution which his needy flock 
 had gathered together for the Prince. 
 
 The unequal contest between the people of the 
 Netherlands and the Spanish government con- 
 tinued unabated. The Duke of Alva in his greed 
 had at last overreached the mark. He levied a tax 
 of the tenth penny upon every article of merchan- 
 dise or personal property, to be paid as often as it 
 should be sold, said tax to be perpetual. No one 
 was exempt. This was a blow which struck home 
 to every fireside. If enforced, commerce would be 
 paralyzed. Religious persecution had failed to 
 unite these provinces. Alva's oppression accom- 
 plished this union, and the different States were 
 
 249 
 
2SO THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 unanimous in their opposition and purpose to re- 
 volt. 
 
 About this time Admirals Treslong and De la 
 Marck took possession of the towns of Brill and 
 Flushing-. A small but important seaport was also 
 taken, and half the island of Walcheren renounced 
 the yoke of Spain. Enkhuizen, the key to the Zuy- 
 der Zee, followed suit, and with a great burst of 
 enthusiasm rose and threw off the tyrant's yoke. 
 Amsterdam was the only town in Holland remain- 
 ing loyal to Spain; and in Zealand only Middle- 
 burg and Tergoes were submissive to Spanish rule. 
 Louis of Nassau secured Mons, and one by one the 
 important cities and towns throughout the Neth- 
 erlands accepted garrisons of the Prince's army. 
 
 But the success of the patriots was capricious. 
 Terrible reverses followed. The gallant Louis was 
 defeated and killed at Mookerhyde and his army 
 scattered. The army of the Prince, harassed by 
 Alva's tactics, poorly paid and starving, mutinied 
 at last. The massacre of St. Bartholomew put to 
 flight all hopes of a Huguenot reinforcement which 
 had been promised Orange. The terrified cities 
 and towns of Belgium once more placed their necks 
 under the heel of the conquering Alva. Tyranny 
 was again triumphant. 
 
 But the Silent Prince remained calm and hopeful 
 in the midst of crushing defeat. He was submissive 
 to the will of God. " Nevertheless," he says, " since 
 
THE MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN 251 
 
 it has pleased God to disappoint us, it is necessary 
 to have patience and not to lose courage, conform- 
 ing ourselves to His divine will, yet proceeding 
 onward in our work with his almighty aid." Wil- 
 liam's faith was sublime. He did not waver an in- 
 stant, even when the storm was wildest and the 
 night darkest. " The God of armies is with us," he 
 wrote, " and he will fight in the midst of his forces." 
 
 With a small army of chosen followers. Orange 
 went to Holland, the only province now which re- 
 garded him as protector and sovereign. When he 
 reached Holland he both expected and prepared 
 to die. " Here will I make my sepulchre," he said, 
 in the touching words of Scripture. If he could not 
 efifect the liberation of Holland he was ready to 
 share her fate. 
 
 And Holland received with tears of gratitude and 
 words of affection the unsuccessful and proscribed 
 Prince of Orange. With heart and soul the peo- 
 ple obeyed William's commands implicitly, and be- 
 gan to raise money and levy troops for the final 
 desperate struggle for liberty. 
 
 Alva, finding to his cost that these " men of but- 
 ter " could offer prolonged resistance, wearied al 
 length of the contest, and resigned the governor- 
 ship of the Netherlands. Requesens was appointed 
 to fill his place. 
 
 Part of the Prince's forces were at Delft and part 
 at Rotterdam. 
 
252 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 Such was the condition of affairs when the inci- 
 dent about to be related took place. 
 
 The room in which the Prince of Orange sat was 
 scantily furnished. The silver plate which he pos- 
 sessed in such abundance had long ago been sold 
 to pay his soldiers. Very little now remained to 
 remind one of the magnificent style in which the 
 Prince once Hved. He had literally sacrificed all 
 for his country. 
 
 " Please make several copies of this letter," he 
 said to his secretary, Conrad Chenoweth, " they 
 must be sent by morning. I think I will retire early 
 to^iight, as I am tired." 
 
 A stout Dutchman was stationed outside the 
 door of the Prince's bedchamber, for there had al- 
 ready been several attempts upon the life of Or- 
 ange. 
 
 After a short time the Prince reappeared in the 
 doorway. " Chenoweth," he said, " I am unac- 
 countably nervous to-night. Would you mind 
 bringing your writing in here? I shall quickly fall 
 asleep if my faithful friend is near." 
 
 Accordingly, Conrad complied with the Prince's 
 request, and placing a dark screen before the light 
 he began to write. The deep breathing of the 
 Prince soon showed that he was asleep. After a 
 time Conrad heard a strange sound. As the hour 
 was now late, he paused a few moments to rest. As 
 it was no unusual thing for couriers to arrive in the 
 
THE MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN 253 
 
 night on urgent business, the young man gave no 
 further heed to the noise. Again it sounded, and 
 nearer this time, and he imagined he could distin- 
 guish a stealthy footfall close to his ear. He low- 
 ered the lamp-wick and looked about the chamber. 
 
 It contained one costly painting, which extended 
 from floor to ceiling, representing the coronation 
 of the fair Jacqueline, that ill-starred heroine of so 
 many Netherland ballads and dramas. In one part 
 of the picture was an assassin, dagger in hand, sent 
 by the Duke of Burgundy to murder his cousin. 
 The gleam of the dying embers in the grate shot 
 forth a lurid, fitful glare, and the light falling on 
 the dagger and on the life-sized figures in the pic- 
 ture made them seem real. To the highly wrought 
 imagination of the young man the scene was once 
 more enacted. 
 
 Again he heard that curious, muffled sound, ac- 
 companied by a clicking noise. Was he dreaming 
 or not? The picture seemed to move inward like 
 a door! Conrad placed his hand on his trusty 
 sword and watched. Soon he saw the dark face of 
 a man peering cautiously into the room. Reassured 
 by the heavy breathing of the Prince, the man ad- 
 vanced. He was a powerfully built Spaniard, and 
 in his hand was a gleaming dirk. 
 
 Conrad saw at a glance that in open contest the 
 ruffian was more than a match for him. There was 
 little time to consider what was the best mode of 
 
254 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 procedure. He waited until the assassin was well 
 inside the room, and was creeping stealthily toward 
 the bed, when he suddenly sprang upon him with 
 his sword, at the same time calling loudly upon the 
 night watchman. The Spaniard uttered an oath, 
 and struck at Conrad with his dagger. The young 
 man sank to the floor unconscious. The sentinel 
 was in the room, however, together with several 
 others, who had heard the noise of the scuffle, and 
 the villain was soon bound. 
 
 William, aroused by the noise, sprang to Con- 
 rad's side. 
 
 " Has my faithful friend sacrificed his life to save 
 mine? " he said. 
 
 Placing his hand over the young man's heart, he 
 felt a faint pulsation. He ordered him to be laid 
 on the bed, and a surgeon was soon in attendance. 
 He declared that the wound was not necessarily 
 fatal, but had the dagger entered the side a fraction 
 of an inch lower down it would have found the 
 heart. 
 
 William now looked at his would-be assassin. 
 " Why do you hate me so? " he said, with more 
 of sorrow in his tones than anger. " I have never 
 done you any harm! " 
 
 " I neither hate nor love you! " replied the Span- 
 iard. " I was in a sore strait for money, and 
 Monseigneur Ryder ofifered me four hundred 
 ducats if I would do this job. Part of this sum he 
 
THE MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN 255 
 
 paid me in advance, and I was to have received the 
 remainder to-morrow when I returned to Brussels." 
 
 " Take the prisoner and lock him up securely for 
 the night," said the Prince, " but see that he is 
 treated kindly. To-morrow we will decide what is 
 best to do with him." 
 
 The guard obeyed reluctantly. They desired to 
 execute the fellow on the spot, before he did any 
 more mischief, but William's commands were final. 
 
 The next morning found Conrad Chenoweth 
 much improved. The Prince sent for the soldier 
 who had charge of the prisoner, and said, " Let him 
 go his way. He has not committed murder, and I 
 do not wish to deprive a man of life when he is but 
 the irresponsible tool of others." 
 
 The soldier began to argue in favor of a speedy 
 execution, but William answered him kindly but 
 decidedly, " If I can forgive this man certainly you 
 ought to be able to do so. Obey my command! " 
 
 Greatly to the surprise of the Spaniard, he was 
 simply escorted to the boundaries of the town and 
 told that it meant instant death for him to so much 
 as show his head in the place again. 
 
 This occurrence was soon banished from the 
 minds of all by the return of Reynold Van Straa- 
 len, who brought the sad news that the Spanish 
 troops had laid siege to Leyden. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 SHUT IN. 
 
 Leyden was one of the most beautiful cities in 
 the Netherlands. It was situated on a tributary of 
 the river Rhine, and was interlaced with canals, 
 upon whose sides were rows of stately poplar and 
 lime trees. The houses were elegant, the public 
 buildings imposing and substantial, the streets 
 wide, and public gardens and squares numerous. 
 The pastures reclaimed from the ocean were filled 
 with sleek cattle, and the kitchen gardens and the 
 orchards bore witness to the thrift and prosperity 
 of the people. 
 
 "Leyden is besieged!" was the startling an- 
 nouncement which Dr. Chenoweth brought to his 
 little household one morning. " The Spaniards 
 have surrounded us with a cordon of forts and re- 
 doubts!" 
 
 The faces of the women blanched. The Spanish 
 army lay between them and their dear ones. The 
 Prince of Orange would therefore be powerless to 
 aid them. 
 
 256 
 
SHUT IN 257 
 
 " Is all lost? " said Madam Chenoweth, in falter- 
 ing tones. 
 
 "No!" said her husband. "All is not lost so 
 long as there is an almighty arm above to defend 
 us and Prince William lives. I shall never despair 
 while that noble man is alive. He has sent a mes- 
 sage to the citizens of Leyden, saying that if they 
 can hold out three months he will rescue them." 
 
 The people were strong and courageous, and 
 stimulated by the heroic conduct of their military 
 commandant, John Van der Does, they fully re- 
 solved to resist all overtures on the part of the 
 enemy and to trust to the word of the Prince. 
 
 A liberally-baited trap in the form of a gracious 
 amnesty was presented the city by the Grand Com- 
 mander Requesens. The sole condition of mercy 
 was to return to the mother Church*. 
 
 " As long as there is a man left in Leyden we will 
 contend for our liberty and our religion," was the 
 reply of the people. 
 
 The only two persons in Leyden who availed 
 themselves of the offer of pardon were a brewer 
 and the son of a refugee pedler. 
 
 The garrison within the city consisted of a small 
 corps of volunteers and five companies of burghers. 
 Fierce combats and sorties occurred daily, and 
 many shells were thrown into the city, causing ter- 
 rible havoc. The culverines from the bastions of 
 the forts belched forth their message of defiance 
 
2S8 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 and death. But there was no time for tears. All 
 able-bodied persons were needed to render assist- 
 ance. 
 
 Madam Chenoweth accompanied her husband to 
 the hospital and even to the ramparts, where she 
 moved about quietly, heedless of the rain of bullets 
 as though they had been sjiowflakes, while she ten- 
 derly assisted her husband in the care of the 
 wounded. 
 
 The brave women of Leyden rendered valuable 
 service. Strong Frisian arms trundled wheelbar- 
 rows filled with stones to repair the breaches in the 
 wall, or melted pitch for the burning hoops, which 
 they hurled into the midst of their assailants, or 
 loaded muskets and helped to remove the wounded 
 to a place of safety. 
 
 The city was full of lamentation. There were few 
 households that escaped the horrors of the siege. 
 There was no " beacon height of lonely suffering " 
 here. One touch of nature had made all Leyden 
 akin. 
 
 Hilvardine Chenoweth took charge of the orphan 
 children who had flocked into the city from Haar- 
 lem just before the siege. Katharine assisted in 
 the hospital, where her sweet face and gentle words 
 administered comfort to the sufiferers. She had 
 developed a courage foreign to her nature. As 
 with the wife of one of the Frisian martyrs, " fear 
 seemed to have fallen from her like a garment." 
 
SHUT IN 2S9 
 
 There were few who spoke such words of power 
 to the dying. Under the light of a pure gospel her 
 whole nature seemed at rest. 
 
 But while the bloody hand of war held the city 
 in its grasp, another grim foe threatened Leyden, 
 namely, famine. The city had been but scantily 
 stocked with provisions at the outset, and the citi- 
 zens had immediately been put upon short rations. 
 Two of the three months allotted them by the 
 Prince had now expired. Bread was a thing of 
 the past, and malt cakes were used as a substitute. 
 Horse-flesh was the only meat available, and of 
 these provisions only a scanty allowance was ap- 
 portioned each one. 
 
 From his bed of sickness in Rotterdam, where 
 the Prince of Orange languished with a fever, the 
 devoted patriot dictated encouraging messages, 
 which were delivered to the citizens of Leyden 
 either by carrier pigeons or by swift couriers, called 
 " jumpers." 
 
 " We are straining every nerve to help you," he 
 wrote. " All Holland is exerting herself to save 
 you. An army can accomplish nothing in your ex- 
 tremity. Our hope is from the sea." 
 
 The Prince held the cities of Delft and Rotter- 
 dam, and between these the fortress of Polderwaert. 
 This gave him control of the dykes in this vicinity. 
 William felt confident that the only salvation for 
 Leyden lay in piercing the dykes and flooding the 
 
26o THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 •J 
 
 country about the besieged city. Leyden was not 
 on the ocean, but the ocean could be brought to 
 Leyden. He therefore pierced the dykes in six- 
 teen places, and likewise ordered the sluices at Rot- 
 terdam, Schiedam and Delfthaven opened. 
 
 " Better a drowned land than a conquered land! " 
 cried the sturdy patriots, as they saw their fruitful 
 orchards and growing crops overwhelmed by the 
 flood. A fleet of vessels was prepared and stocked 
 with provisions, which should be brought to the 
 succor of Leyden as soon as the waters were high 
 enough to float the ships. 
 
 Starvation now stared the people of Leyden in 
 the face. Malt cake and horse-flesh were both con- 
 sumed. Only a few dried biscuit remained, and 
 such remnants of vegetation as would have been 
 repugnant to the human palate in days of plenty. 
 
 Another tempting offer of peace was held out by 
 the Spaniards. But the poor sufferers, with 
 pinched faces and skeleton frames, cried out, " We 
 will not surrender! " They remembered Naarden 
 and Haarlem, and they refused to beheve the fair 
 speech of the enemy. 
 
 Another pitiful despatch was sent the Prince: 
 " We have kept our promise. We have held out 
 two months with food and one month without 
 food. In a few days we shall all be dead." 
 
 The cheering announcement came back that the 
 waters were rapidly rising, and about Leyden they 
 
SHUT IN 261 
 
 had reached the depth of ten inches, and were se- 
 riously inconveniencing the enemy. As if to mock 
 the misery of the people, the plague broke out in 
 the city and swept away thousands. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth's family had all survived, but the 
 unflagging zeal of Katharine Van Straalen had 
 finally brought on a fever, and it seemed hardly 
 possible that she could survive. No one would 
 have recognized the hollow faces in this home, so 
 changed were they by want and suffering. Every 
 day Dr. Chenoweth went to the round tower in the 
 centre of the city to look out over the country and 
 to note if the sea was coming to bring them deliv- 
 erance. 
 
 The waters rose but slowly. The taunting cries 
 of the Spaniards reached the ears of the citizens. 
 " Where is your Prince? Where are the waters 
 which are going to cover the dry land? If the 
 Prince promised to pluck the stars from heaven or 
 to stay the march of the sun and moon, you poor 
 fools would believe it." 
 
 The discouraged watchers in the tower of Hen- 
 gist began to lose faith in both God and man. 
 
 " Oh! " cried Madam Chenoweth, " for one hour 
 of the east wind which flooded Friesland and swept 
 so many homes from the face of the earth! " 
 
 Old Lysken, who had been a tower of strength 
 in this little household, at last succumbed to dis- 
 ease. 
 
262 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 " Do not weep for me! " she said to her beloved 
 mistress. " Old Lysken is too feeble to smooth 
 her lady's hair or to make the frocks for the child. 
 She is worn out. There will be one less mouth to 
 feed, one less to drain your scanty hoard. I shall 
 soon be in that city where the inhabitant shall never 
 , say ' I am sick,' or ' I am hungry.' You should re- 
 joice and not weep! " 
 
 And little Elizabeth! The rounded cheeks grew 
 painfully hollow, the blue eyes were sunken, and 
 one morning she could not be awakened to the 
 dreary noises of earth. This pure white lily had 
 floated to the sands of the eternal shore. 
 
 The watchman in the tower brought the news 
 that the fleet had reached the Land Scheiding, a 
 dyke within five miles of Leyden, but at this point 
 its progress was arrested. 
 
 The famished crowd who waited for tidings gave 
 a cry of execration at this announcement. Then 
 they went to the house of the Burgomaster, Adrian 
 Van der Werf, and demanded that he should sur- 
 render. 
 
 The Burgomaster came to the door in response 
 to this appeal. He was a gaunt, wasted man, but 
 there was a look of dauntless courage in his eyes. 
 
 " Friends," he said, " my life is at your disposal. 
 Take my sword, plunge it into my body, and di- 
 vide my flesh among you. I can die but once, and 
 whether by your hand or by God's hand I care not. 
 
SHUT IN 263 
 
 Your threats move me not. Starvation is better 
 than a dishonorable capitulation. I shall not sur- 
 render! " 
 
 These heroic words calmed the starving wretches, 
 who again renewed their pledges of fealty, and then 
 dispersed. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE PRINCE TO THE RESCUE. 
 
 On board the flotilla, manned by Admiral Boisot 
 and eight hundred bold Zealanders, who neither 
 gave nor received quarter, the sailors watched with 
 eager interest the condition of the clouds and the 
 waves. 
 
 It was now a week since the great dyke had been 
 pierced, and the rise of the waters was stayed. The 
 flotilla remained motionless, having accomplished 
 but two out of the fifteen miles which separated 
 it from the starving city. The wind remained east- 
 erly, which was unfavorable. The waters fell to 
 a depth of nine inches, and it required eighteen or 
 twenty inches to float the vessels. 
 
 A gale arose, however, and for three days and 
 
 nights the wind blew from the northwest. The 
 
 waters rose rapidly, and the vessels passed all the 
 
 barriers until they reached North Aa, where they 
 
 were stopped by the dyke called the Kirk-way. The 
 
 gale had now subsided, and the wind once more 
 
 changed to easterly. 
 
 The sailors were frantic at their enforced idleness. 
 
 264 
 
THE PRINCE TO THE RESCUE 265 
 
 The pitiful messages which the carrier pigeons 
 brought them made them utter wanton curses. 
 Leyden was subhme in her despair. She had re- 
 solved to die rather than surrender to the Span- 
 iard. 
 
 The Prince of Orange, but just on his feet from 
 a severe illness and hardly convalescent, insisted 
 on accompanying Admiral Boisot to the succor of 
 the beleaguered city. His physicians implored him 
 to stay away from that plague-stricken spot, but 
 the noble Prince replied, " I am in the hands of 
 God. If He has ordained me to perish, be it so! 
 My duty is with my suffering people." He rebuked 
 the sailors for their profanity, and inspired fresh 
 confidence by his mere presence. 
 
 Admiral Boisot and the Prince paced the deck. 
 
 " If the spring-tide now to be expected should 
 not come immediately, and with it a strong and 
 favorable wind, this expedition will shortly have to 
 be abandoned," said the Admiral. 
 
 " I have seen many hours as dark as this," re- 
 plied William, " but I have never lost my faith in 
 the sovereign goodness of God. If Leyden falls, 
 all is lost. Victory for Spain means a victory for 
 Rome. It means the triumph of the Inquisition 
 and of priestly tyranny. Victory for the Nether- 
 lands means liberty of conscience, an unchained 
 Bible, free thought. It has seemed to many as 
 though God was deaf to the cries of His children, 
 
266 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 — that He holds aloof from the petty affairs of 
 earth. But I still believe that He ruleth in the 
 heavens, and that He will give to every man and to 
 every nation according to their works." 
 
 As if to ratify this sublime faith, that very night 
 a violent equinoctial storm blew from the south- 
 west. The waters of the North Sea piled up against 
 the coast of Holland, and the sea rode triumphantly 
 over the ruined dykes. On swept the fleet, borne 
 aloft on the great waves. 
 
 The Spaniards, seeing that the ocean now fa- 
 vored these sturdy Dutchmen, fled precipitately 
 from their forts in the night, and in the morning a 
 death-like stillness prevailed where the Admiral 
 had expected a salvo of artillery. 
 
 The silence was sickening. Both the Prince and 
 Boisot suspected treachery, and the fleet was an- 
 chored at a respectful distance from the frowning 
 fortress. The watchman at length espied a solitary 
 boy, who had climbed to the summit of the fort, 
 and leaning over the narrow parapet waved his cap 
 and cheered. 
 
 In an instant the Prince grasped the situation. 
 
 " Admiral Boisot," he said impressively, " last 
 night you doubted the goodness of God. The 
 Spaniards far outnumbered us, and perhaps would 
 have ruined this enterprise had they been per- 
 mitted. But God, who holds the sea in his hand 
 and who sends the tempest and the mighty wind. 
 
" MV CHILDREN, KNEEL NOT TO MK." Page 267, 
 
THE PRINCE TO THE RESCUE 267 
 
 sent terror into the craven hearts of our enemies. 
 The Spaniards have fled! The fort is deserted! 
 Leyden is saved! " 
 
 With a mighty cheer the flotilla was borne to 
 the very gates of the starving city. The quays were 
 lined with famished men, women and children. 
 Loaves of bread were flung from the vessels into 
 the midst of the crowd. The Prince and the Ad- 
 miral stepped ashore, and the great throng of 
 gaunt, wasted creatures, with tears and with pray- 
 ers of thanksgiving, knelt in the streets before their 
 noble deliverer. 
 
 The tears rolled down William's cheeks as he 
 saw how these brave citizens had suffered. Then 
 he said with love and tenderness: 
 
 " My children, kneel not to me, but to the 
 heavenly Prince who has enabled you to endure to 
 the end. Let us return thanks to God." 
 
 A solemn procession was formed, and all that 
 famished throng who were able to walk, together 
 with the Prince, the Admiral, and the fierce Zeal- 
 and sailors, repaired to the church, where the 
 Prince gave thanks to God for this signal proof of 
 his love and goodness. Then a hymn was raised, 
 but only a line had been sung in weak, trembling 
 voices, when the great congregation gave way to 
 tears, but they were tears of joy. 
 
 Then loaves of bread were distributed — bread, 
 
268 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 the staff of life — the manna in the wilderness — 
 God's unfailing gift to men, bread in abundance ! 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth was the only one able to leave 
 his home and represent his household at this im- 
 pressive service. He quickly returned, bearing the 
 precious loaves of bread, and better yet, he was ac- 
 companied by his son and Reynold Van Straalen. 
 
 Conrad took his beloved wife in his arms, but 
 not a word did either of them speak. There is a 
 kind of joy which expresses itself either by an elo- 
 quent silence or by tears. 
 
 " Where is Katharine? " asked Colonel Van 
 Straalen. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth led the way into the chamber 
 where the young wife still lay battling for life. The 
 fever flush had faded from her cheek, but her pulse 
 was failing, and she had lain for hours in a stupor. 
 
 "Speak to her!" said Dr. Chenoweth, as the 
 anguished husband knelt by the bedside, and with 
 rigid, stony face gazed at the sick girl. 
 
 " Katharine! My love! " he cried, in tones pierc- 
 ing and tremulous with agony. 
 
 The sound of that voice roused the sleeper. She 
 uttered a deep sigh, and the blue-veined eyelids 
 quivered for an instant. 
 
 " Katharine ! Speak to me ! " The large, wistful 
 eyes opened. 
 
 " Reynold ! " she whispered, with a look full of 
 
THE PRINCE TO THE RESCUE 269 
 
 content. Then her eyes closed again, but this time 
 it was to fall into a natural slumber. 
 
 "Thank God, she is saved!" said Dr. Cheno- 
 weth. 
 
 For hours Katharine slept, rousing at intervals, 
 when a strong stimulant was administered. When 
 she finally awoke from this refreshing slumber she 
 found her husband still by her side. 
 
 " My precious wife," said Colonel Van Straalen, 
 " God has spared us to each other. We shall yet 
 thank him and serve him together." 
 
 Prince William remained a few days in Leyden, 
 stimulating and encouraging the people. 
 
 " We have had the honor," he said, " of doing 
 what no nation ever did before us: we have defended 
 and maintained ourselves, unaided, in so small a 
 country, against the tremendous efforts of such 
 powerful enemies. So long as the poor inhabitants 
 of Holland, though deserted by all the world, hold 
 firm, it will cost the Spaniards the half of Spain in 
 money and men before they can make an end of 
 us." 
 
 To this heroic and loyal city the Prince offered 
 as a reward for their fidelity the choice of two 
 things: perpetual exemption from taxation, or the 
 founding of a university, which should be known 
 as the University of Leyden. 
 
 To their lasting credit, be it said that the Dutch 
 
270 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 citizens of Leyden chose the latter gift;' and as soon 
 as they had recovered their health, and to some de- 
 gree their former prosperity, a gala day, garnished 
 by stately processions, martial music and ornate 
 speeches, inaugurated the founding of this historic 
 seat of learning. 
 
 Holland, Zealand and Friesland were now united, 
 and an assembly of delegates, meeting in Novem- 
 ber, 1574, implored William to assume absolute 
 control of these estates, under whatever title he 
 pleased — either governor, king or emperor. 
 
 The Prince of Orange accepted this honor, al- 
 though he resolutely put aside the diadem which 
 the Congress of Delft offered him. It was enough 
 for him to be recognized as the Father of his 
 country. The title, " Father William," by which 
 he was universally known, pleased him best. He 
 cared nothing for mere titles of honor. He was ab- 
 sorbed in the greater question as to how best he 
 might uplift his nation. 
 
 Upon only one question did the Prince issue per- 
 emptory commands. He insisted that there should 
 be no persecution of the Roman Catholics in those 
 provinces under his control. " My purpose," he 
 said, " is to strangle the Spanish Inquisition, not 
 to institute a Protestant Inquisition for the sup- 
 pressing of those who differ from us in matters of 
 conscience. I will never meddle with a man's re- 
 ligious thoughts. They are between himself and 
 his God." 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 THE DEATH OF THE SILENT PRINCE. 
 
 Ten years passed, and still the war continued. 
 But it was conducted in a languid and desultory 
 manner, and therei were many intervals of peace. 
 The Grand Commander Requesens had been suc- 
 ceeded by Don John of Austria, and he by Alex- 
 ander of Parma. 
 
 The provinces of Holland and Zealand were 
 united in one great hatred and one great hope. 
 They determined to regain their ancient privileges 
 and to expel the detested foreigners from their soil. 
 Brave little Holland was the leader in this enter^ 
 prise. Think for a moment of that narrow strip 
 of sand and half-submerged earth, only one hun- 
 dred and twenty miles in length, and from four to 
 forty miles in width, and of that one man, with a 
 backing of only a few cities, waging war for ten 
 years with the most powerful despot of the age! 
 
 In the breathing space now afforded them, the 
 people of Holland and Zealand repaired the dykes 
 which they had destroyed in self-defence. It was a 
 
 271 
 
272 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 stupendous task, but the Prince encouraged the 
 people by his presence and his energy. Yearly the 
 Prince made a tour of the provinces. His coming 
 was heralded by the spontaneous homage of grate- 
 ful hearts. William did not appear before his fel- 
 low countrymen as a vulgar potentate seeking ad- 
 miration. He was like a beloved father visiting his 
 children, and happy and honored were those who 
 heard his voice or grasped his hand. No one was 
 too humble or too ignorant to approach him. His 
 gracious words and outstretched hand were for all. 
 
 In 1579 the "Union of Utrecht" occurred, 
 which was the corner-stone of the Net'herland Re- 
 public. Nine provinces out of the seventeen had 
 ranged themselves on the side of the Prince of Or- 
 ange, and now they formally banded themselves 
 together for mutual protection and support. They 
 agreed to defend each other " with life, goods and 
 blood " against all force broug'ht to bear upon them 
 by the King of Spain. This union placed the Re- 
 formed religion on a level with the old. Protes- 
 tantism was no longer proscribed. From out of 
 subterranean cellars, forests, caves, and secret con- 
 venticles, the heretics who had worshipped God 
 with fear and trembling came out boldly into the 
 light of day, and voiced their devotions in lan- 
 guage consonant with their beliefs. 
 
 There had been many attempts on the. part of 
 Spain to treat with the Prince of Orange, but he 
 
THE DEATH OF THE SILENT PRINCE 273 
 
 Spurned the proffered hand of majesty. " There 
 can be no friendship between the destroyer and the 
 protector of a people/' he said. 
 
 At the instigation of Cardinal Granvelle, whose 
 hatred of the Prince of Orange was of ancient date, 
 Philip very readily consented to set a price upon 
 the head of Orange. " It will be well," he wrote 
 Parma, " to offer thirty thousand crowns or so to 
 any one who will deliver the Prince, dead or alive. 
 Thus the country will be rid of a man so per- 
 nicious." Accordingly, the famous Ban was ful- 
 minated against the foremost statesman of the age, 
 and would-be assassins vied with each other for the 
 coveted reward. 
 
 The Silent Prince treated this official document 
 with the contempt it deserved. He replied to it in 
 his " Apology," which was one of the most mem- 
 orable documents of history. 
 
 In 1582, at a public festival, in which the Prince 
 took an active part, his life was attempted. A 
 young man approached him and handed him a peti- 
 tion. As William began to read it, the youth drew 
 a pistol and discharged it at the head of Orange. 
 The ball passed into his neck, and entering the 
 mouth came out under the left jawbone. For four 
 weeks the condition of the Prince was critical, but 
 he recovered. 
 
 When William was restored to consciousness, 
 his first words were, " Do not kill him! I forgive 
 
274 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 him my death!" referring to his murderer. But 
 these words of mercy came too late. The miHtary 
 guard had fallen upon the criminal on the spot, and 
 immediately despatched him. 
 
 In the pockets of the murderer were found a 
 Jesuit catechism, a prayer-book, an Agnus Dei, a 
 crucifix, and tablets covered with prayers addressed 
 to the Virgin, the Saviour, and the Saviour's Son (!) 
 imploring their combined aid in bringing this 
 murderous deed to a safe and sure accomplishment. 
 This poor fanatic had furthermore ofifered to 
 bribe the heavenly host, from Christ down to the 
 Virgin Mary, if they would mercifully preserve his 
 life. To the Saviour he promised " a coat of costly 
 pattern," to the Virgin at Guadalupe " a new 
 gown." To the " Mother of God " at Montserrat 
 " a crown, a gown and a lamp," and so on through- 
 out the heavenly household. 
 
 And what of our friends, the Chenoweths and 
 Van Straalens? After the siege of Leyden, Dr. 
 Chenoweth received a letter from a former patient 
 who had emigrated to South Africa some years 
 previously. In this letter, Heer Ogier described 
 the fertility of the coast country, the salubrious cli- 
 mate and the tropical vegetation, and he urged the 
 doctor to come out there with his family, as the 
 conditions for a permanent and prosperous settle- 
 ment were highly favorable. Already many re- 
 
THE DEATH OF THE SILENT PRINCE 275 
 
 fugees from France, Germany and the Low Coun- 
 tries had gone thither, and the nucleus of a colony 
 was already on the ground. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth laid the matter before his house- 
 hold. The male members at once declared em- 
 phatically that it would be cowardly to desert their 
 native land in her time of need. Madam Chen- 
 oweth, in whom the sentiment of patriotism was a 
 passion, warmly approved this decision. The 
 young wives, Hilvardine and Katharine, were not 
 cast in the same heroic mould. They would have 
 preferred quiet homes and the joys of domestic 
 life. 
 
 " Why do you object to emigration? " said Hil- 
 vardine to her husband when they were alone. 
 " Surely in times of war an army is often obliged to 
 retreat before overw'helming forces. Such a course 
 is not only permissible, but honorable." 
 
 " But you forget, my dear," said Conrad, " that 
 it would be a dastardly act to depart and leave the 
 Prince to bear the brunt of the storm. I once told 
 you that I was willing to sacrifice everything for 
 you, save honor." 
 
 Hilvardine said no more. In the course of time 
 Conrad and his friend Reynold resumed their posi- 
 tions in the army of Orange. 
 
 Dr. Chenoweth was too infirm to engage in mili- 
 tary duties, and he had built a house in Leyden 
 similar to the one he had occupied in Antwerp. 
 
276 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 The building, from its tiny windows to its brass 
 bell and the scraper on the stoep, was scrupulously 
 clean and trim, and here, amid joy and pain, the 
 bittersweets of life, which are included in that one 
 word, home, dwelt our friends. Time had dealt 
 gently with them all. Dr. Chenoweth's hair had 
 silvered, and he walked with less vigorous tread; 
 but as he sat on his vine-covered porch, beside his 
 still comely wife, he was the picture of stately rest 
 after labor. 
 
 One afternoon in July, 1584, the family were sur- 
 prised by the unexpected appearance of Conrad 
 and Reynold. Their faces were grief-stricken, and 
 they made no attempt to conceal their profound 
 emotion. 
 
 " What has happened? " inquired Dr. Cheno- 
 weth. 
 
 Conrad could not answer, for tears choked his 
 utterance, and Reynold replied, " William, Prince 
 of Orange, has at last been assassinated." 
 
 "Assassinated?" echoed his listeners, with 
 blanched faces. 
 
 " Yes," was the reply. " There have been five 
 attempts to murder the Prince within the last two 
 years. The sixth attempt was successful." 
 
 " Tell us the particulars of this foul deed! " said 
 Dr. Chenoweth, in a broken voice. 
 
 " A young man came to the house of the Prince 
 in Delft, and represented himself as Francis Guion, 
 
THE DEATH OF THE SILENT PRINCE 275 
 
 a Protestant, and the son of a Calvinist who had 
 been martyred for his faith. He desired to serve 
 the Prince, and although he possessed a villainous 
 countenance the Prince, always loath to believe a 
 man to be other than he claimed to be, took him 
 into his household. On the tenth of July, as the 
 Prince was coming up the stairs to his chamber, 
 having just dined, a man suddenly appeared on the 
 stairs within a few feet of him and discharged a pis- 
 tol at William's heart. Three poisoned balls en- 
 tered his body, and the Prince, feeling that death 
 was near, exclaimed, ' O God, have mercy upon 
 my soul! Have mercy on this poor people! ' These 
 were the only words he spoke. In a few moments 
 he breathed his last in the arms of his wife. His 
 murderer was in reality Balthazar Gerard, a fanati- 
 cal Catholic, who believed it to be his mission to 
 rid the world of that ' foul heretic,' William of Or- 
 ange. He confided his diabolical scheme to the 
 Regent of the Jesuit College at Treves, whose 
 name history has not preserved. That dignitary 
 gave Gerard his blessing, and told him that if he 
 performed his mission he should be enrolled with 
 the martyrs." 
 
 " And what became of Gerard? Was he allowed 
 to escape? " 
 
 " No. He was speedily captured, and was Ht- 
 erally torn in pieces. This cruel execution was an 
 
278 THE SILENT PRINCE 
 
 insult to the memory of the noble man whose death 
 the Netherlanders sought to avenge." 
 
 After tea the reunited household gathered on 
 the piazza. The air was spicy and fragrant with 
 the perfume of a thousand blossoms. The sun was 
 fast nearing the horizon, a red disk in an amber 
 sky. 
 
 Conrad had just been speaking of the grief of the 
 people at the death of their beloved leader, and say- 
 ing that in Delft, when the calamity became known, 
 the little children cried in the streets. 
 
 " What was the secret of our Prince's great- 
 ness? " inquired Katharine Van Straalen. 
 
 Dififerent opinions were expressed, extolling his 
 love of freedom, his spirit of self-abnegation, his 
 charity for the opinions of others, and his faith in 
 God. 
 
 " I think these qualities can all be summed up in 
 one sentence," said Madam Chenoweth. " I can 
 express myself no better than by appropriating the 
 strong Saxon phrase of the ancient apostle. The 
 quality which the Silent Prince possessed, and 
 which was the foundation of all his eminent virtues 
 was, 'the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ.' " 
 
 " The people of Holland have lost their Father," 
 said Conrad, " and the human race a devoted cham- 
 pion of liberty. God be praised that our fallen 
 
THE DEATH OF THE SILENT PRINCE 279 
 
 leader lived to see the dawn of freedom, and the 
 day-star of joy and peace arise upon the nation." 
 
 " Yes," replied Dr. Chenoweth, " there is no 
 assassin strong enough, and no weapon deadly 
 enough, to quench the inextinguishable spark of 
 liberty in the human breast. The friends of liberty 
 die, but liberty itself, a fruit of the Gospel, is im- 
 mortal." 
 
 THE END, 
 
 ROBERT DRUMMOND, PRINTER. NEW YORK. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT^. 
 
 The author begs to acknowledge the following 
 sources of information or suggestion: 
 
 " The Rise of the Dutch RepubHc." Motley. 
 
 " In Troubled Times." 
 
 " The Liberation of Holland." Charles. 
 
 " History of Philip II." Prescott. 
 
 " History of the Netherlands." Young. 
 
 " How They Kept the Faith." Raymond. 
 
 "The Exiles." Dupuy. 
 
 " History of the Reformation." D'Aubigne. 
 
 " The Key to the Holy House." Lee. 
 
 " History of Spain." Harrison. 
 
! J