IN WHICH MR. VANSLYPERKEN PROVES THAT HE HAS A GREAT AVERSION TO COLD
STEEL.
Mr Vanslyperken had been so much upset by the events of the day, that
he had quite forgotten to deliver the letters entrusted to him to the
care of the Jew Lazarus; weighty indeed must have been the events which
could have prevented him from going to receive money.
He threw himself on his bed with combined feelings of rage and
mortification, and slept a feverish sleep in his clothes.
His dreams were terrifying, and he awoke in the morning unrefreshed.
The mutiny and defection of the ship's company, he ascribed entirely to
the machinations of Smallbones, whom he now hated with a feeling so
intense, that he felt he could have ordered him in the open day. Such
were the first impulses that his mind resorted to upon his waking, and
after some little demur, he sent for Corporal Van Spitter, to consult
with him. The corporal made his appearance, all humility and respect,
and was again sounded as to what could be done with Smallbones,
Vanslyperken hinting very clearly what his wishes tended to.
Corporal Van Spitter, who had made up his mind how to act after their
previous conference, hummed and hawed, and appeared unwilling to enter
upon the subject, until he was pushed by his commandant, when the
corporal observed there was something very strange about the lad, and
hinted at his being sent in the cutter on purpose to annoy his superior.
"That on that night upon which he had stated that he had seen the devil
three times, once it was sitting on the head-clew of Smallbones's
hammock, and at another time that he was evidently in converse with the
lad, and that there were strange stories among the ship's company, who
considered that both Smallbones and the dog were supernatural agents."
"My dog--Snarleyyow--a--what do you mean, corporal?"
The corporal then told Mr Vanslyperken that he had discovered that
several attempts had been made to drown the dog, but without success;
and that among the rest, he had been thrown by Smallbones into the
canal, tied up in a bread-bag, and had miraculously made his appearance
again.
"The villain!" exclaimed Vanslyperken. "That then was the paving-stone.
Now I've found it out, I'll cut his very soul out of his body."
But the corporal protested against open measures, as, although it was
known by his own confession to be the case, it could not be proved, as
none of the men would tell.
"Besides, he did not think that any further attempts would be made, as
Smallbones had been heard to laugh and say, `that water would never hurt
him or the dog,' which observation of the lad's had first made the
ship's company suspect."
"Very true," exclaimed Vanslyperken; "he floated out to the Nab buoy and
back again, when I--" Here Mr Vanslyperken stopped short, and he felt a
dread of supernatural powers in the lad, when he thought of what had
passed and what he now heard.
"So they think my dog--"
"De tyfel," replied the corporal.
Vanslyperken was not very sorry for this, as it would be the dog's
protection; but at the same time he was not at all easy about
Smallbones; for Mr Vanslyperken, as we have observed before, was both
superstitions and cowardly.
"Water won't hurt him, did you say, corporal?"
"Yes, mynheer."
"Then I'll try what a pistol will do, by heavens!" replied Vanslyperken.
"He threw my dog into the canal, and I'll be revenged, if revenge is to
be had. That will do, corporal, you may go now," continued
Vanslyperken, who actually foamed with rage.
The corporal left the cabin, and it having occurred to Vanslyperken that
he had not delivered the letters, he dressed himself to go on shore.
After having once more read through the letter of the fair widow, which,
at the same time that it crushed all his hopes, from its kind tenor
poured some balm into his wounded heart, he sighed, folded it up, put it
away, and went on deck.
"Pipe the gig away," said Mr Vanslyperken.
"No pipe," replied Short.
This reminded Mr Vanslyperken that Jemmy Ducks had left the ship, and
vexed him again. He ordered the word to be passed to the boat's crew,
and when it was manned he went on shore. As soon as he arrived at the
house of Lazarus, he knocked, but it was some time before he was
admitted; and the chain was still kept on the door, which was opened two
inches to allow a scrutiny previous to entrance.
"Ah! it vash you, vash it, good sar? you may come in," said the Jew.
Vanslyperken walked into the parlour, where he found seated a young man
of very handsome exterior, dressed according to the fashion of the
cavaliers of the time. His hat, with a plume of black feathers, lay
upon the table. This personage continued in his careless and easy
position without rising when Vanslyperken entered, neither did he ask
him to sit down.
"You are the officer of the cutter?" inquired the young man, with an air
of authority not very pleasing to the lieutenant.
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken, looking hard and indignantly in return.
"And you arrived yesterday morning? Pray, sir, why were not those
letters delivered at once?"
"Because I had no time," replied Vanslyperken, sulkily.
"No time, sir! what do you mean by that? Your time is ours, sir. You
are paid for it; for one shilling that you receive from the rascally
Government you condescend to serve and to betray, you receive from us
pounds. Let not this happen again, my [dear] sir, or you may repent
it."
Vanslyperken was not in the best of humours, and he angrily replied,
"Then you may get others to do your work, for this is the last I'll do;
pay me for them, and let me go."
"The last you'll do! you'll do as much as we please, and as long as we
please. You are doubly in our power, scoundrel! You betray the
Government you serve, but you shall not betray us. If you had a
thousand lives, you are a dead man the very moment you flinch from or
neglect our work. Do your work faithfully, and you will be rewarded;
but either you must do our work or die. You have but to choose."
"Indeed!" replied Vanslyperken.
"Yes, indeed! And to prove that I am in earnest, I shall punish you for
your neglect, by not paying you this time. You may leave the letters
and go. But mind that you give us timely notice when you are ordered
back to the Hague, for we shall want you."
Vanslyperken, indignant at this language, obeyed his first impulse,
which was to snatch up the letters and attempt to leave the room.
"No pay, no letters!" exclaimed he, opening the door.
"Fool!" cried the young man with a bitter sneer, not stirring from his
seat.
Vanslyperken opened the door, and to his amazement there were three
swords pointed to his heart. He started back.
"Will you leave the letters now?" observed the young man. Vanslyperken
threw them down on the table with every sign of perturbation, and
remained silent and pale.
"And now perfectly understand me, sir," said the young cavalier. "We
make a great distinction between those who have joined the good cause,
or rather, who have continued steadfast to their king from feelings of
honour and loyalty, and those who are to be bought and sold. We honour
the first, we despise the latter. Their services we require, and,
therefore, we employ them. A traitor to the sovereign from whom he
receives his pay is not likely to be trusted by us. I know your
character, that is sufficient. Now, although the Government make no
difference between one party or the other, with the exception that some
may be honoured with the axe instead of the gibbet, you will observe
what we do; and as our lives are already forfeited by attainder, we make
no scruple of putting out of the way any one whom we may even suspect of
betraying us. Nay, more; we can furnish the Government with sufficient
proofs against you without any risk to ourselves, for we have many
partisans who are still in office. Weigh now well all you have heard,
and be assured, that although we despise you, and use you only as our
tool, we will have faithful and diligent service; if not, your life is
forfeited."
Vanslyperken heard all this with amazement and confusion: he immediately
perceived that he was in a snare, from which escape was impossible. His
coward heart sank within him, and he promised implicit obedience.
"Nevertheless, before you go you will sign your adherence to King James
and his successors," observed the young cavalier. "Lazarus, bring in
writing-materials." The Jew, who was at the door, complied with the
order.
The cavalier took the pen and wrote down a certain form, in which
Vanslyperken dedicated his life and means, as he valued his salvation,
to the service of the exiled monarch.
"Read that, and sign it, sir," said the cavalier, passing it over to
Vanslyperken.
The lieutenant hesitated. "Your life depends upon it," continued the
young man coolly; "do as you please."
Vanslyperken turned round; the swords were still pointed, and the eyes
of those which held them were fixed upon the cavalier, awaiting his
orders. Vanslyperken perceived that there was no escape. With a
trembling hand he affixed his signature.
"'Tis well:--now observe, that at the first suspicion, or want of zeal,
even, on your part, this will be forwarded through the proper channel,
and even if you should escape the Government, you will not escape us:
our name is Legion. You may go, sir;--do your work well, and you shall
be well rewarded."
Vanslyperken hastened away, passing the swords, the points of which were
now lowered for his passage. Perhaps he never till then felt how
contemptible was a traitor. Indignant, mortified, and confused, still
trembling with fear, and, at the same time, burning with rage, he
hastened to his mother's house, for he had brought on shore with him the
money which he had received at Amsterdam.
"What! more vexation, child?" said the old woman, looking Vanslyperken
in the face as he entered.
"Yes," retorted Vanslyperken, folding his arms as he sat down.
It was some time before he would communicate to his mother all that
happened. At last the truth, which even he felt ashamed of, was drawn
out of him.
"Now may all the curses that ever befell a man fall on his head!"
exclaimed Vanslyperken as he finished. "I would give soul and body to
be revenged on him."
"That's my own child--that is what I have done, Cornelius, but I shall
not die yet awhile. I like to hear you say that; but it must not be
yet. Let them plot and plot, and when they think that all is ripe, and
all is ready, and all will succeed--then--then is the time to revenge
yourself--not yet--but for that revenge, death on the gallows would be
sweet."
Vanslyperken shuddered:--he did not feel how death could in any way be
sweet;--for some time he was wrapt up in his own thoughts.
"Have you brought the gold at last?" inquired the old woman.
"I have," replied Vanslyperken, who raised himself and produced it. "I
ought to have had more--but I'll be revenged."
"Yes, yes, but get more gold first. Never kill the goose that lays the
golden egg, my child," replied the old woman as she turned the key.
So many sudden and mortifying occurrences had taken place in forty-eight
hours that Vanslyperken's brain was in a whirl. He felt goaded to do
something, but he did not know what. Perhaps it would have been suicide
had he not been a coward. He left his mother without speaking another
word, and walked down to the boat, revolving first one and then another
incident in his mind. At last, his ideas appeared to concentrate
themselves into one point, which was a firm and raging animosity against
Smallbones; and with the darkest intentions he hastened on board and
went down into his cabin.
What was the result of these feelings will be seen in the ensuing
chapter.