Babette, take the gentlemen down in the parlour, and give them some bottled beer. You'll find it very good, sirs; it's of my own brewing.

And Babette, you must come up and help me."

The officer did not think it necessary to undeceive the widow, who imagined that she was to give evidence against Vanslyperken, not that she was a prisoner herself. Still the widow Vandersloosh did not like being called up at such an unseasonable hour, and thus expressed herself to Babette as she was dressing herself.

"Well, we shall see the ending of this, Babette.--My under petticoat is on the chair.--I told the lords the whole truth, every word of it; and I am convinced that they believed me too.--Don't pull tight all at once, Babette; how often do I tell you that? I do believe you missed a hole.--The cunning villain goes there and says that I--yes, Babette-- that I was traitor myself; and I said to the lords, 'Do I look like a traitor?'--My petticoats, Babette; how stupid you are, why, your eyes are half shut now; you know I always wear the blue first, then the green, and the red last, and yet you will give me the first which comes.--He's a handsome lord, that Duke of Portland; he was one of the _bon_--before King William went over and conquered England, and he was made a lord for his valour.--My ruff, Babette. The Dutch are a brave nation. My bustle now.--How much beer did you give the officers? Mind you take care of everything while I am gone. I shall be home by nine, I dare say. I suppose they are going to try him now, that he may be hanged at sunrise. I knew how it would be. Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, every dog has his day; and there's an end of you, and of your cur also, I've a notion."

The widow being now duly equipped, walked down stairs to them, and proceeded with the officers to the Stadt House. She was brought into the presence of Mynheer Engelback, who held the office of provost.

"Here is the widow Vandersloosh, mynheer."

"Very well," replied Engelback, who was in a very bad humour at the unsuccessful search after the conspirators, "away with her."

"Away! where?" exclaimed the widow.

Engelback did not condescend to make a reply. The officers were mute; but one stout man on either side seized her arm, and led her away, notwithstanding expostulation, and some resistance on her part.

"Where am I going? what is all this?" exclaimed the widow, terrified; but there was no answer.

At last they came to a door, held open already by another man with a bunch of keys. The terrified woman perceived that it was a paved stone cell, with a brick arch over it; in short, a dungeon. The truth flashed upon her for the first time. It was she who had been arrested for treason. But before she could shriek she was shoved in, and the door closed and locked upon her; and the widow sank down into a sitting posture on the ground, overcome with astonishment and indignation. "Was it possible? had the villain prevailed?" was the question which she asked herself over and over again, changing alternately from sorrow to indignation. At one time wringing her hands, and at others exclaiming, "Well, well, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see."

CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

IN WHICH IS RELATED MUCH APPERTAINING TO THE "POMP AND GLORIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE" OF WAR.

The arrival of Ramsay and his party was so unexpected, that, at first, Lady Barclay imagined they had been betrayed, and that the boat was filled with armed men from the king's cutter, who had come on shore with a view of forcing a entrance into the cave. In a minute every preparation was made for defence; for it had long been arranged, that in case of an unexpected attack, the women should make all the resistance in their power, and which the nature of the place enabled them to do.

But, as many observed, the party, although coming from the cutter, and not badly armed, did not appear to advance in a hostile manner. After waiting some time near the boat, they advanced, each with a box on his shoulder; but what those boxes might be was a puzzle; they might be hand-grenades for throwing into the cave. However, they were soon down to the rock at which the ladder was let down, and then Smallbones stood up with a musket in his hand, with his straddling legs and short petticoat, and bawled out, "Who comes there?"

Ramsay, who was assisting Wilhelmina, looked up surprised at this singular addition to the occupants of the cave. And Wilhelmina also looked at him, and said, "Can that be a woman, Ramsay?"

"At all events, I've not the honour of her acquaintance. But she is pointing her musket. We are friends," cried Ramsay. "Tell Mistress Alice it is Ramsay."

Smallbones turned round and reported the answer; and then, in obedience to his order from Mistress Alice he cried out, in imitation of the sentinels, "Pass, Ramsay, and all's well!"--presented his arms, and made a flying leap off the rock, where he stood, down on the platform, that he might lower the ladder as soon as Ramsay was up, who desired everybody might be sent down to secure the boxes of specie as fast as they could, lest the cutter's people, releasing themselves, should attempt an attack. Now, there was no more concealment necessary, and the women as well as the men went down the precipitous path and brought up the treasure, while Ramsay introduced Wilhelmina to Lady Barclay, and, in a brief, but clear narrative, told her all that had passed, and what they had now to expect. There was not a moment for delay; the cutter's people might send the despatches over land if they thought of it, and be there as soon, if not sooner than themselves. Nancy Corbett was summoned immediately, and her instructions given. The whole of the confederates at Portsmouth were to come over to the cave with what they could collect and carry about their persons; and, in case of the cutter sending overland, with the precaution of being in disguise. Of arms and ammunition there was sufficient in the cave, which Ramsay now felt was to be defended to the last, until they could make a retreat over to the other side of the Channel. In half an hour, Nancy was gone, and that very night had arrived at Portsmouth, and given notice to the whole of the confederates. Upon consultation, it was considered that the best disguise would be that of females; and, in consequence, they were all so attired, and, before morning, had all passed over, two or three in a boat, and landed at Ryde, where they were collected by Moggy Salisbury, who alone, of the party, knew the way to the retreat. They walked across the island by two and three, one party just keeping sight of the next ahead of them, and arrived without suspicion or interruption, conducted by Moggy Salisbury, Lazarus the Jew, and sixteen stout and desperate men, who had remained secreted in the Jew's house, ready to obey any order, however desperate the risk might be, of their employers.

When they were all assembled at the brow of the precipice, with the exception of Lazarus, who looked like a little old woman, a more gigantic race of females was never seen; for, determined upon a desperate resistance if discovered, they had their buff jerkins under their female garments. They were soon in the cave, and very busy, under Ramsay's directions, preparing against the expected attack. Sir Robert Barclay, with his boat, had been over two days before, and it was not known when he would return. That his presence was most anxiously looked for maybe readily conceived, as his boat's crew would double their force, if obliged to remain there; and his boat would enable them, with the one brought by Ramsay, to make their escape without leaving one behind before the attack could be made.

Nancy Corbett, as the reader may have observed, did not return to the cave with the conspirators. As she was not suspected, she determined to remain at Portsmouth till the last, and watch the motions of the authorities.

The cutter did not arrive till the evening of the second day, and the despatches were not delivered to the admiral till the third morning, when all was bustle and preparation. Nancy Corbett was everywhere, she found out what troops were ordered to embark on the expedition, and she was acquainted with some of the officers, as well as the sergeants and corporals; an idea struck her which she thought she could turn to advantage. She slipped into the barrack-yard, and to where the men were being selected, and was soon close to a sergeant whom she was acquainted with.

"So, you've an expedition on hand, Sergeant Tanner."

"Yes, Mistress Corbett, and I'm one of the party."

"I wish you joy," replied Nancy, sarcastic ally.

"Oh, it's nothing, Mistress Corbett, nothing at all, only some smugglers in a cave; we'll soon rout them out."

"I've heard a different account from the admiral's clerk."

"Why, what have you heard?"

"First, tell me how many men are ordered out."

"A hundred rank and file--eight non-commissioned officers--two lieutenants--one captain--and one major:--"

"Bravo, sergeant, you'll carry all before you."

"Why, I hope so, Mistress Corbett; especially as we are to have the assistance of the cutter's crew."

"Better and better still," replied Nancy, ironically. "I wish you joy of your laurels, sergeant, ha, ha, ha!"

"Why do you laugh, Mistress Corbett, and what is that you have heard at the admiral's office?"

"What you may hear yourself, and what I know to be true; there is not a single smuggler in the cave."

"No!" exclaimed the sergeant. "What, nobody there?"

"Yes, there is somebody there; the cave has been chosen by the smugglers to land their goods in."

"But some of them must be there in charge of the goods."

"Yes, so there are, but they are all women, the smuggler's wives, who live there: what an expedition! Let me see:--one gallant major, one gallant captain, two gallant lieutenants, eight gallant non-commissioned officers, and a hundred gallant soldiers of the Buffs, all going to attack, and rout, and defeat a score of old women."

"But you're joking, Mistress Nancy."

"Upon my life I'm not, sergeant; you'll find it true; the admiral's ashamed of the whole affair, and the cutter's crew swear they won't fire a single shot."

"By the god of war!" exclaimed the sergeant, "but this is cursed bad news you bring, Mistress Corbett."

"Not at all; your regiment will become quite the fancy, you'll go by the name of the lady-killers, ha! ha! ha! I wish you joy, sergeant, ha! ha!

ha!"

Nancy Corbett knew well the power of ridicule: she left the sergeant, and was accosted by one of the lieutenants; she rallied him in the same way.

"But are you really in earnest, Nancy?" said Lieutenant Dillon, at last.

"Upon my soul I am; but, at the same time I hear that they will fight hard, for they are well armed and desperate, like their husbands, and they swear that they'll all die to a woman, before they yield; so now we shall see who fights best, the women or the men. I'll back my own sex for a gold Jacobus, lieutenant: will you take the bet?"

"Good God, how very annoying! I can't, I won't order the men to fire at women; could not do so if they were devils incarnate; a woman is a woman still."

"And never the worse for being brave, Lieutenant Dillon; as I said to Sergeant Tanner, your regiment, after this, will always go by the name of the lady-killers."

"Damn!" exclaimed the lieutenant; "but now I recollect there must be more there; those who had possession of the cutter and who landed in her boat."

"Yes, with forty boxes of gold, they say; but do you think they would be such fools as to remain there and allow you to take their money?--that boat started for France yesterday night with all the treasure, and are now safe at Cherbourg. I know it for a fact, for one of the men's wives who lives here, showed me a letter to that effect, from her husband, in which he requests her to follow him. But I must go now--good-bye, Mr Lady-killer."