We stood in the hall, anxiously waiting the return of Jacob Naas.
Several times I went out into the streets, hoping to meet him. At
length I saw a figure coming rapidly out of the gloom of night towards
me.
"Jacob, is it you?" I asked, as he drew near.
"Yes, Master Ernst; and I have almost lost my breath through fright and
running. I am little accustomed to that."
"But have you found where they have carried her, good Jacob?" I asked
eagerly.
"Yes, yes, I will tell you," was the reply; "but I am afraid even now I
am followed. We will go into the house before we attempt to speak."
On entering the hall, a glass of wine restored the worthy Jacob's powers
of speech.
"I hope they are not coming, though, for they would carry me off to
prison too, and perhaps burn me for living in the house of a heretic!"
exclaimed Jacob, who, though a Protestant at heart, had of late
conformed to the Romish system.
"But say, my good friend, where they have taken Mistress Aveline!" cried
Captain Radford.
"I will tell you, sir, if you will have patience," said Jacob. "I soon
overtook them after they left the house, but had to keep at a cautious
distance, lest I should be seen. They slackened their pace in a short
time, and I was then able to keep them easily in view. I judged, from
the direction they were taking, that they were making their way to the
Water Gate; and my great fear then was, that they might be going out of
the city altogether, and I might find it impossible to follow them. I
thought of you, Master Ernst, for I knew how grieved you would be. On
they went; now taking their way through the narrow streets and lanes in
that direction. I had to get nearer than was prudent, for fear of
missing them. Several times I was afraid that they would see me, but I
suppose they did not. At length I was greatly relieved when I saw the
party stop before a house a short distance from the Water Gate. The
door opened, and they all went in. I immediately hurried up to the
door, on one side of which I contrived with the point of my dagger to
make a mark which I am sure I shall know again. What the character of
the house is I know not. Just as I was coming away, the door again
opened, and I had to run to escape detection. I believe that I was
followed, but I soon distanced my pursuers, and for the sake of the
young lady I would gladly have run twice the risk I did."
We all, of course, thanked Jacob for the service he had rendered. He
promised us that as soon as it was daylight he would gladly set out
again with either of us, to try and discover the house into which
Aveline had been carried. Master Clough was, however, in the meantime
thinking about his wife. We were also interested in the safety of the
preacher. Captain Radford longed once more to see him, as the brother
of his lost wife.
The rest of the night was spent in a state of feverish anxiety, very
often in silence, for after we had discussed our plans for the
liberation of our friends, our minds were too much occupied to allow us
to speak. Captain Radford's was the boldest plan of all. He proposed
to bring the crew of his own ship and that of two or three others into
the town, by scaling the walls, which he thought might be done at night;
and while one party carried off Aveline from the house where she was
retained in captivity, others were to attack the prison in which Madam
Clough and her companions were shut up; and a third party was to
liberate Master Overton, if his place of imprisonment could be
discovered. As soon as morning broke, I called up Jacob, who had gone
to sleep, and he, keeping to his intention, accompanied me to try and
find out the house to which Aveline had been carried. We waited for
some time till people were about the streets, that we might not be
remarked, and then took our way hastily towards the Water Gate.
"There is the house, Master Ernst, at the end of this street," said
Jacob, at length. "Let us pass by on the opposite side. I think I can
distinguish the mark without looking at it too earnestly."
My heart beat quickly, for I thought that even then Aveline might be
looking out of the window and observe us, though too probably she would
be placed on the opposite side of the house. We went on.
"We must be close up to the door now," observed Jacob, carelessly
glancing round. "Yes, there's the mark. Don't look too hard at it,
Master Ernst. Yes, I have no doubt about it. And the house--yes, I
see--it is one that belonged to Count Aremberg."
I looked up. The door which Jacob indicated formed the side entrance of
the house. At one corner was a stout tower, and the whole of the
building was of a peculiarly massive construction. It was one of those
privileged abodes of the nobles into which no officer of the law could
enter without a special warrant from the sovereign himself, or his
representative. Count Aremberg, who had lately been killed, had left
the city some time before, and the house, it was supposed, was in the
hands of the Government. It was, too likely, then, they were turning it
into a prison of the Inquisition, or a place of incarceration for
particular prisoners. If so, the difficulty of enabling Aveline to
escape would be greatly increased. However, it was something to know
where she was shut up. We walked along as if we would have gone out at
the Water Gate, but at that hour it was closed against us. We therefore
returned, inspecting carefully the building in every direction, avoiding
as much as possible making ourselves conspicuous. Having accomplished
this undertaking, we returned homewards. We found Captain Radford and
Master Clough preparing to set out. But it was necessary to spend some
further time in consultation. The means of liberating our friends were
greatly curtailed by the audacious robbery which had taken place.
Master Clough, however, found that the robbers had not penetrated to one
of his strong boxes, in which the largest portion of his valuables was
kept.
We had still to ascertain where the preacher was imprisoned.
Should it be discovered that he had been a priest, there would be little
hope of his being liberated. We must therefore in his case employ
stratagem or force. I wished to set out with Master Clough, but he
directed me to remain at home and look after the house.
Captain Radford meantime went off to his ship, that he might arrange his
plans with his own crew and the crews of some other ships in the
harbour.
I felt the inaction I was doomed to endure very much. I would far
rather have been engaged in some way or other. I was pacing the room
with uneven steps, after my friends had gone, when Jacob Naas presented
himself.
"I have been thinking, Master Verner, that we may perhaps get some help
from that old woman, Barbara Trond, whom we met out on the heath on the
day of the storm some time back. I saw her only a week ago in Antwerp.
Soon after the Duke Alva arrived, she returned to Antwerp; but, instead
of selling wax tapers and other Popish mummery, finding her calling of
sorceress and witch answer so well in the country, she now pursues it in
the city. Nothing takes place with which she is not acquainted. The
credulity of the Romanists is unbounded, and she finds it pay her well.
Now the gold pieces you bestowed on her when we took shelter in her hut
evidently won her heart, and it is my belief that if anybody can help us
she can; not that I would trust to her heart or her honesty, but far
rather to her avarice. If Master Clough will give me leave to go and
see her, and supply me with a dozen gold pieces, I have no doubt that,
properly bestowed, they will work wonders."
I thought Jacob's plan a good one. I knew that old Barbara's public
position had enabled her to become acquainted with a number of people in
the city; and from her acuteness and intelligence I thought it likely
she would have turned this knowledge to good account. I knew she could
gain admittance into places where nobody else could find their way; and
if she was determined to carry out an object, she was not the person
likely to fail from any want of exertion or from over-delicacy. I
wished very much to accompany him, and proposed setting out at once,
without waiting for the return of Master Clough. He, however, urged
that we should first see the factor, and take his advice; perhaps he
might have some other means of liberating Aveline, as well as the
preacher, Overton. The time appeared very long while I waited for the
return of the factor. I could not help thinking that all sorts of
dreadful things might happen to Aveline--that she might be taken away
from Antwerp, or placed in the Inquisition and subjected to torture, to
try and make her condemn her friends. The last idea was too dreadful to
be entertained, and yet such things had been done day after day.
At length Master Clough returned. I inquired eagerly of the success he
had had. He shook his head:
"For our friend Overton I have very little hopes," he said. "For my
dear wife and her two young companions, I may possibly, by bribing high,
succeed, provided they immediately leave the country, undertaking never
to return; forsooth, the latter part of the arrangement would be no
great punishment, as I cannot conceive any one willingly remaining in a
land ruled by that despotic and boastful tyrant, Duke Alva. I was
permitted to see my wife, and I was thus able to keep up her spirits.
My belief is, that the authorities, who have got her in their power,
keep her there, in order to see how much they can draw from me. I am
now going forth to endeavour to raise the sum they require; at the same
time, I have threatened to make a formal complaint to the Court of Spain
of the robbery which has been committed in my house, and of the outrage
to my family by the carrying off of one of its members. Of Mistress
Aveline I have been unable to gain any information."
I told Master Clough of Jacob's proposal, to which he agreed, and at
once placed a purse of gold in my hand, telling me to make the best use
of it I could.
"Duke Alva will arrive here to-morrow, I find, for the purpose of being
present at the opening of the monument he has erected to himself. As he
at present, as far as I can learn, has no wish to quarrel with England,
I have hopes that a personal application to him may be successful. At
all events, we must leave no stone unturned to gain our object; and,
once out of this country, never will I set foot in it again."
Master Clough having drawn out the papers he required for his proposed
transaction, set out for the Bourse; while I, disguised as one of his
serving-men, accompanied Jacob to the abode of the old fortune-teller.
Flemish being my native tongue, it must be remembered I had no
difficulty in passing for the character I had assumed; and I thought
that, probably, the Dame Barbara would not recognise me.
We hurried on towards the part of the city where Jacob believed she
resided; but to find her abode when there among the numberless mean
houses which filled that part of Antwerp was not so easy. We had to ask
several people, and to go from house to house before we could discover
her. Some looked at us suspiciously.
"You want the Witch of Antwerp," said one, at length. "It is dangerous
dealing with such as her. Maybe she has brought these miseries on our
country; and the people would do well to make her remove them, or to
sink her into the middle of the Scheld. However, if you desire to find
her, go on to the end of the lane, and then, turning to your right,
knock thrice at the first door you find. If she is disposed to admit
you, the door will open in as many minutes as the times you have
knocked; if not, you will hear her owl hooting from within--that is a
sign that you had better make the best of your way from the house, or
some evil will befall you."
We thanked our informant--a hard-working artisan of the class which
mostly occupied that part of the city--and followed his direction.
On reaching the door, I directed Jacob to knock. I almost expected to
hear the owl hoot, but scarcely two minutes had passed before the door
slowly opened. We entered, and found ourselves in a dimly-lighted
passage. The door closed behind us, without anybody being seen. We had
our swords and daggers, and Jacob carried a pistol in his belt, so that,
should we be suddenly attacked, we might defend ourselves. We advanced
quickly along the passage, till at the farther end we came to another
door. Jacob knocked three times with the hilt of his dagger, when the
door by unseen agency opened slowly, as the other had done, and we saw a
curtain hanging in front of us. On drawing it aside, we found ourselves
in a vaulted chamber of considerable size; several lamps hanging from
the roof gave sufficient light to show the various objects within. The
trade carried on by the old witch must have paid well, as the various
articles the chamber contained could not have been procured unless at a
considerable expense. There were stuffed animals and creatures of
various sorts: a huge crocodile, from the Nile; a vulture, with expanded
wings, and talons tearing its prey, at which its bloodshot eyes looked
down with an expression of life-like savageness. On one side there was
a human skeleton of gigantic proportions, with a club in its hand, in
the attitude of striking. Toads and lizards abounded. There were mummy
cases, with their lids off, exposing the dried remnants of mortality
within. In huge bottles were children, some with two heads, or three
arms, and other deformities, hideous and disgusting to look at. There
were also all sorts of incomprehensible instruments, but whether
constructed for any purpose, or merely for the sake of deception, I
could not ascertain. At the farther end of the chamber sat the old
witch, habited much as we had seen her in her abode on the heath, with a
few fantastic additions, which increased her weird appearance. Beyond
her was an open space, and on the ground was seen a fiery line forming a
circle. A mist seemed to fill the end of the vault, or else it was a
veil so cunningly devised as to represent a mist. Before her, on a
tripod, stood her magic cauldron, out of which deep red flames rose up,
casting a lurid glare around.
I saw that Jacob looked very pale. He was not prepared for such a
scene. He perhaps thought that I, too, had lost my colour; or possibly
the nature of the light in the room added to the pallor of our
countenances.
The witch took no notice of our approach, but continued her apparent
incantations. We advanced slowly between a row of hideous monsters, who
grinned down upon us from the pedestals on which they sat or stood.
They reminded me somewhat of the deities of an Indian temple, from which
possibly they may have been carried away by some Spanish or Portuguese
adventurers.
As we drew close to the witch, she waved her wand, and in a low,
croaking voice ordered us to stop.
"What seek you with me?" she asked, in the same harsh tone.
"Your assistance, good mother," answered Jacob.
"Good mother, quotha? People don't often call me good. As to whether
or not you will or will not obtain my assistance, time will show. We
have not met for the first time. I don't forget you, young sir, with a
liberal hand. Tell me, however, what you require, and I doubt not that
I shall have the power to obtain it for you."
"The task is not an easy one that we desire you to perform, dame," I
answered. "I am ready to purchase your services on your own terms; and
perhaps, as the affair is altogether connected with this world, we can
dispense with your incantations on the occasion, and proceed at once to
business."
The old woman uttered a harsh, cackling laugh: "I know not that," she
said; "but where work can be done by human means, I have no desire to
summon the spirits of the dead to my assistance. See yonder relic of
mortality. At my will I can clothe him with flesh and skin and
garments, and send him forth to accomplish my behests; but I tell you I
often have to pay dear to maintain my power, and therefore would I
rather trust to such means as my native wit affords me."
She pointed as she spoke to the skeleton of the giant. I had no wish to
dispute the matter with her, however much I might have doubted the power
she possessed, though I had great confidence in her wit and knowledge of
what was going on in the city. I at once, therefore, explained what had
happened--how Master Clough's house had been attacked, and Aveline
carried off. I did not at first tell her that we were aware of the
place in which she was imprisoned, that I might judge whether she knew
anything of the matter. But she must have suspected that we knew more
than I told her, for she declared that she could do nothing unless she
knew the place in which Aveline was shut up. I accordingly told her
that we had discovered the house, and were eager to undertake any plan
she might suggest for rescuing her.
"Well, sit down there on those stools," she said, pointing to some which
stood on the opposite side of the chamber, "Rest there, and meditate; I
must have time to consider the matter. Perchance I may have to consult
my familiar, and, if so, you must promise to remain quiet, and not to be
alarmed at my proceedings. Is there any other matter about which you
desire to consult me?"
I told her of Master Overton's capture, and of our dread lest he might--
as so many other Protestants had been--be led to the stake, in spite of
his being an Englishman.
"He deserves to die for his folly!" she muttered. "Why not let people
remain in their ignorance? If they are once enlightened, they will
allow the priests and witches and wizards, and such-like persons, who
live on the credulity of their fellow-creatures, to starve and sink into
pauper's graves. However, if you pay me well--although I have no love
for the man, or such as he--I will honestly win my wages, by doing all I
can to obtain his liberation."
"A sensible answer, dame," I replied, being more convinced than ever
that the old woman worked rather by art and cunning than by any power
she possessed over the spirits of the air or earth.
"Well, young sir, let me hear what means you have at your disposal for
liberating the young lady. Can it best be accomplished by force or
fraud?"
"That is the very question on which I would consult you," I answered,
not wishing to inform her of the plan I proposed, lest she should prove
treacherous--for even then I did not altogether confide in her.
"Perchance it might be well to unite the two," she said. "If I can
manage to get the young lady to the street-door, think you that you
could protect her till you have her safely out of the city? for I warn
you that it would not be safe to conduct her back to Master Clough's
house."
I did not answer immediately, though the plan she proposed was similar
to what I had from the first thought of.
"I will try and find a few trusty friends who will help me in the
matter," I answered, "if you can manage to place the young lady in our
hands. It must be done, however, without delay."
"You are right, young sir," she answered; "I have thought over the
matter. To-morrow our great Duke is to unveil before the eyes of his
admiring worshippers the mighty statue he has erected to his own honour.
Men's thoughts and tongues will wag different ways, I suspect, at the
spectacle; but all will be eager to show themselves present--magistrates
and people, soldiers and civilians. The streets will be empty, and many
a strong post left unguarded. It is a pity the Prince of Orange has not
a few thousand men ready to rush in on one side of the city while the
Spanish hero is singing his own praises on the other. However, it will
be some time before the Prince can recover his losses; though I tell
you, as long as any life remains in the land, he is the man who must
take the lead. Now, then, listen to my plan. You have marked the house
well, you say. Two hours after noon to-morrow, when the lieges of this
city are kneeling before the statue of their tyrant, do you come to the
door and knock thrice. I will be within; and if the young lady has not
in the meantime been removed, I will find the means of bringing her down
and delivering her into your hands. The rest must depend upon your
courage and resolution. The risk is great, and so must be my reward."
Knowing well what she meant, I placed a portion of the gold I had
received in her hand, and promised her a yet further sum as soon as,
through her means, Aveline was rescued.
"And now, dame," I said, recollecting the preacher and his too probable
fate, should he not be set at liberty, "what help can you render the
other prisoner I spoke of? will gold not find its way to his jailers'
hearts?"
"That task would be a more difficult one even than the other," she
answered; "yet, could I find out where he is shut up, I might perchance
accomplish it."
"Cannot your art help you?" I asked.
She turned a quick glance round at me.
"It is a matter in which I am not disposed to exercise it," she
answered. "Now go your ways, and make your arrangements for rescuing
the young lady. Come here again to-night at ten o'clock, and perhaps by
that time I may be able to give you further information."
Having said this, the old woman, as if suddenly recollecting that she
had been too matter-of-fact in the way of dealing with us, went to her
cauldron, and poking up the fire, began to mutter various cabalistic
words, at the same time stirring its contents with her wand.
Taking this as a sign that she wished our visit to terminate, without
further waste of words we returned by the way we had come, the doors
opening as before, without our touching the latch, while the last one
shut with a loud slam behind us, and we heard bars and bolts immediately
drawn across it, showing us that some person had been concealed close to
the door. Soon after we reached the house Captain Radford arrived.