"As soon as he's hung, corporal, we'll marry."

"Mein Gott! yes."

"Traitorous villain!--sell his king and his country for gold!"

"Mein Gott! yes."

"You're sure it was fifty guineas, corporal?"

"Mein Gott! yes."

"Ah, well, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see," said the widow, drying her eyes. "Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, you shall be hanged, and your cur with you, or my name's not Vandersloosh."

"Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

IN WHICH MR. VANSLYPERKEN PROVES HIS LOYALTY AND HIS FIDELITY TO KING WILLIAM.

Mr Vanslyperken hastened from his inglorious conflict, maddened with rage and disappointment. He returned on board, went down into his cabin, and threw himself on his bed. His hopes and calculations had been so brilliant--rid of his enemy Smallbones--with gold in possession, and more in prospect, to be so cruelly deceived by the widow--the cockatrice. Then by one to whom he fully confided, and who knew too many of his secrets already--Corporal Van Spitter--he too!--and to dare to aspire to the widow--it was madness--and then their knowledge of his treason--the corporal having witnessed his receiving the gold--with such bitter enemies, what could he expect but a halter?--he felt it even now round his neck; and Vanslyperken groaned in the bitterness of his spirit.

In the meantime, there was a consultation between the widow and the corporal as to the best method of proceeding. That the corporal could expect nothing but the most determined hostility from Vanslyperken was certain; but for this the corporal cared little, as he had all the crew of the cutter on his side, and he was in his own person too high in rank to be at the mercy of Vanslyperken.

After many pros and cons, and at least a dozen bottles of beer--for the excitement on the part of the corporal, and the exertion of the widow, had made them both dry--it was resolved that the Frau Vandersloosh should demand an audience at the Hague the next morning, and should communicate the treasonable practices of Mr Vanslyperken, calling upon the corporal as a witness to the receipt of the money from the Jesuit.

"Mein Gott!" exclaimed the corporal, striking his bull forehead as if a new thought had required being forced out, "but they will ask me how I came there myself, and what shall I say?"

"Say that the Jesuit-father had sent for you to try and seduce you to do his treason, but that you would not consent."

"Mein Gott! yes--that will do."

The corporal then returned on board, but did not think it worth while to report himself to Mr Vanslyperken.

Mr Vanslyperken had also been thinking over the matter, and in what way he should be able to escape from the toils prepared for him. That the widow would immediately inform the authorities he was convinced. How was he to get out of his scrape?

Upon mature reflection, he decided that it was to be done. He had copies of all Ramsay's letters, and those addressed to him, and the last delivered were very important. _Now_, his best plan would be to set off for the Hague early the next morning--demand an interview with one of the ministers, or even his majesty himself--state that he had been offered money from the Jacobite party to carry their letters, and that, with a view to serve his majesty by finding out their secrets, he had consented to do it, and had taken the money to satisfy them that he was sincere. That he had opened the letters and copied them, and that now, as the contents were important, he had thought it right to make them immediately known to the Government, and at the same time to bring the money received for the service, to be placed at his majesty's disposal.

"Whether she is before or after me," thought Vanslyperken, "it will then be little matter, all I shall have to fear will be from Ramsay and his party; but the Government will be bound to protect me."

There certainly was much wisdom in this plan of Vanslyperken; it was the only one which could have been attended with success, or with any chance of it.

Mr Vanslyperken was up at daylight, and dressed in his best uniform; he put in his pocket all the copies of the Jacobite correspondence, and went on shore--hired a calash, for he did not know how to ride, and set off for the Hague, where he arrived about ten o'clock. He sent up his name, and requested an audience of the Duke of Portland, as an officer commanding one of his majesty's vessels; he was immediately admitted.

"What is your pleasure, Mr Vanslyperken?" said the duke, who was standing at the table, in company with Lord Albemarle.

Vanslyperken was a little confused--he muttered, and stammered about anxiety, and loyalty, and fidelity, and excess of zeal, etcetera.

No wonder he stammered, for he was talking of what he he knew nothing about; but these two noblemen recollecting his confusion when presented to his sovereign on board of the frigate, made allowances.

"I have at last," cried Vanslyperken, with more confidence, "been able to discover the plots of the Jacobites, your grace."

"Indeed! Mr Vanslyperken," replied the duke, smiling incredulously, "and pray what may they be? you must be as expeditious as possible, for his majesty is waiting for us."

"These letters will take some time to read," replied Vanslyperken; "but their contents are most important."

"Indeed! letters--how have you possession of their letters?"

"It will be rather a long story, sir--my lord! I mean," replied Vanslyperken; "but they will amply repay an hour of your time, if you can spare it."

At this moment the door opened, and his majesty entered the room. At the sight of the king, Vanslyperken's confidence was again taking French leave.

"My lords, I am waiting for you," said the king, with a little asperity of manner.

"May it please your majesty, here is Lieutenant Vanslyperken, commanding one of your majesty's vessels, who states that he has important intelligence, and that he has possession of Jacobite papers."

"Indeed!" replied King William, who was always alive to Jacobite plotting, from which he had already run so much risk.

"What is it, Mr Vanslyperken? speak boldly what you have to communicate."

"Your majesty, I beg your gracious pardon, but here are copies of the correspondence carried on by the traitors in England and this country.

If your majesty will deign to have it read, you will then perceive how important it is. After your majesty has read it, I will have the honour to explain to you by what means it came into my possession."

King William was a man of business, and Vanslyperken had done wisely in making this proposal. His majesty at once sat down, with the Duke of Portland on one side, and Lord Albemarle on the other: the latter took the letters, which were arranged according to their dates, and read them in a clear, distinct voice.

As the reading went on, his majesty made memorandums and notes with his pencil on a sheet of paper, but did not interrupt during the whole progress of the lecture. When the last and most important was finished, the two noblemen looked at his majesty, with countenances full of meaning. For a few moments, his majesty drummed with the second and third finger of his left hand upon the table, and then said--

"Pray, Mr Vanslyperken, how did you obtain possession of these papers and letters, or make copies of these letters?"

Vanslyperken, who had been standing at the other side of the table during the time of the reading, had anxiously watched the countenance of his majesty and the two noblemen, and perceived that the intelligence which the letters contained had created a strong feeling, as he expected. With a certain degree of confidence, he commenced his explanation.

He stated that the crew of the cutter had been accustomed to frequent the Lust Haus of a certain widow Vandersloosh, and that he had made her acquaintance, by several times going there to look after his seamen.

That this widow had often hinted to him, and at last proposed to him, that he should take letters for some friends of hers--at last she had told him plainly that it was for the Jacobite party, and he pretended, to consent.

That he had been taken by her to the house of a Jesuit, 169, in the Bur Street, nearly opposite to her Lust Haus, and that the Jesuit had given him some letters and fifty guineas for his trouble.

He then stated that he had opened, copied, and re-sealed them: further, that he had brought over one of the confederates, who was now residing in the house of the syndic, Van Krause. That he should have made all this known before, only that he waited till it was more important. That the last letters appeared of such consequence, that he deemed it his duty no longer to delay.

"You have done well, Mr Vanslyperken," replied his majesty.

"And played a bold game," observed Lord Albemarle, fixing his eyes upon Vanslyperken. "Suppose you had been found out co-operating with traitors, before you made this discovery?"

"I might have forfeited my life in my zeal," replied Mr Vanslyperken, with adroitness; "but that is the duty of a king's officer."

"That is well said," observed the Duke of Portland.