Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

“Monseigneur,” replied the Captain, “this is the third gate

at which I have presented myself; the other two were

closed.”

“Well, this good man will open this one for you; do it, my

friend.”

The last words were addressed to the gatekeeper, who stood

quite thunderstruck on hearing Captain Van Deken addressing

by the title of Monseigneur this pale young man, to whom he

himself had spoken in such a familiar way.

As it were to make up for his fault, he hastened to open the

gate, which swung creaking on its hinges.

“Will Monseigneur avail himself of my horse?” asked the

Captain.

“I thank you, Captain, I shall use my own steed, which is

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

waiting for me close at hand.”

And taking from his pocket a golden whistle, such as was

generally used at that time for summoning the servants, he

sounded it with a shrill and prolonged call, on which an

equerry on horseback speedily made his appearance, leading

another horse by the bridle.

William, without touching the stirrup, vaulted into the

saddle of the led horse, and, setting his spurs into its

flanks, started off for the Leyden road. Having reached it,

he turned round and beckoned to the Captain who was far

behind, to ride by his side.

“Do you know,” he then said, without stopping, “that those

rascals have killed John de Witt as well as his brother?”

“Alas! Monseigneur,” the Captain answered sadly, “I should

like it much better if these two difficulties were still in

your Highness’s way of becoming de facto Stadtholder of

Holland.”

“Certainly, it would have been better,” said William, “if

what did happen had not happened. But it cannot be helped

now, and we have had nothing to do with it. Let us push on,

Captain, that we may arrive at Alphen before the message

which the States-General are sure to send to me to the

camp.”

The Captain bowed, allowed the Prince to ride ahead and, for

the remainder of the journey, kept at the same respectful

distance as he had done before his Highness called him to

his side.

“How I should wish,” William of Orange malignantly muttered

to himself, with a dark frown and setting the spurs to his

horse, “to see the figure which Louis will cut when he is

apprised of the manner in which his dear friends De Witt

have been served! Oh thou Sun! thou Sun! as truly as I am

called William the Silent, thou Sun, thou hadst best look to

thy rays!”

And the young Prince, the relentless rival of the Great

King, sped away upon his fiery steed, — this future

Stadtholder who had been but the day before very uncertainly

established in his new power, but for whom the burghers of

the Hague had built a staircase with the bodies of John and

Cornelius, two princes as noble as he in the eyes of God and man.

Chapter 5

The Tulip-fancier and his Neighbour

Whilst the burghers of the Hague were tearing in pieces the

bodies of John and Cornelius de Witt, and whilst William of

Orange, after having made sure that his two antagonists were

really dead, was galloping over the Leyden road, followed by

Captain van Deken, whom he found a little too compassionate

to honour him any longer with his confidence, Craeke, the

faithful servant, mounted on a good horse, and little

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Dumas, Alexandre – The Black Tulip

suspecting what terrible events had taken place since his

departure, proceeded along the high road lined with trees,

until he was clear of the town and the neighbouring

villages.

Being once safe, he left his horse at a livery stable in

order not to arouse suspicion, and tranquilly continued his

journey on the canal-boats, which conveyed him by easy

stages to Dort, pursuing their way under skilful guidance by

the shortest possible routes through the windings of the

river, which held in its watery embrace so many enchanting

little islands, edged with willows and rushes, and abounding

in luxurious vegetation, whereon flocks of fat sheep browsed

in peaceful sleepiness. Craeke from afar off recognised

Dort, the smiling city, at the foot of a hill dotted with