The widow heard, both from the corporal and Vanslyperken, the failure of both their projects.  That Smallbones was not poisoned she was not surprised to hear, but she took care to agree with Vanslyperken that all attempts upon him were useless; but that the dog still lived was indeed a matter of surprise, and the widow became a convert to the corporal’s opinion that the dog was not to be destroyed.

“A whole two-pennyworth of arsenic!  Babette, only think what a cur it must be!” And Babette, as well as her mistress, lifted up her hands in amazement, exclaiming, “What a cur indeed!”

Chapter XXXVI

In which Mr Vanslyperken, although at fault, comes in for the brush.

Vanslyperken having obtained his despatches from the States General, called at the house of Mynheer Krause, and received the letters of Ramsay, then, once more, the cutter’s head was turned towards England.

It may be as well to remind the reader, that it was in the month of January, sixteen hundred and ninety-nine, that we first introduced Mr Vanslyperken and his contemporaries to his notice, and that all the important events, which we have recorded, have taken place between that date and the month of May, which is now arrived.  We think, indeed, that the peculiar merit of this work is its remarkable unity of time and place; for, be it observed, we intend to finish it long before the year is out, and our whole scene is, it may be said, laid in the channel, or between the channel and the Texel, which, considering it is an historical novel, is remarkable.  Examine other productions of this nature, founded upon historical facts, like our own, and observe the difference.  Read Scott, Bulwer, James, or Grattan, read their historical novels, and observe how they fly about from country to country, and from clime to clime.  As the Scythians said to Alexander, their right arm extends to the east, and their left to the west, and the world can hardly contain them.  And over how many years do they extend their pages? while our bantling is produced in the regular nine months, being the exact period of time which is required for my three volumes.  It must, therefore, be allowed that in unity of time, and place and design, and adherence to facts, our historical novel is unique.

We said that it was the month of May—­not May coming in as she does sometimes in her caprice, pouting, and out of humour—­but May all in smiles.  The weather was warm, and the sea was smooth, and the men of the cutter had stowed away their pea-jackets, and had pulled off their fishermen’s boots, and had substituted shoes.  Mr Vanslyperken did not often appear on deck during the passage.  He was very busy down below, and spread a piece of bunting across the skylight, so that no one could look down and see what he was about, and the cabin-door was almost always locked.  What could Mr Vanslyperken be about?  No one knew but Snarleyyow, and Snarleyyow could not or would not tell.