“Out of my house, you villain!—­you traitor—­out of my house,” cried the widow, pushing at him with such force as to drive him against the wall, and pinning him there while Babette charged him in his face which was now streaming with blood.  The attack was now followed up with such vigour, that Vanslyperken was first obliged to retreat to the door, then out of the door into the street, followed into the street he took to his heels, and the widow and Babette returned victorious into the parlour to the corporal.  Mr Vanslyperken could not accuse him of want of respect to his superior officer; he had saluted him on entering, and he was still saluting him when he made his exit.

The widow threw herself on the sofa—­Corporal Van Spitter then took his seat beside her.  The widow overcome by her rage and exertion, burst into tears and sobbed in his arms.

The corporal poured out a glass of beer, and persuaded her to drink it.

“I’ll have him hanged to-morrow, at all events.  I’ll go to the Hague myself,” cried the widow.  “Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see who will gain the day,” continued the widow, sobbing.

“You can prove it, corporal?”

“Mein Gott, yes,” replied the corporal.

“As soon as he’s hung, corporal, we’ll marry.”

“Mein Gott, yes.”

“Traitorous villain!—­sell his king and his country for gold!”

“Mein Gott, yes.”

“You’re sure it was fifty guineas, corporal?”

“Mein Gott, yes.”

“Ah, well, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see,” said the widow, drying her eyes.  “Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, you shall be hanged, and your cur with you, or my name’s not Vandersloosh.”

“Mein Gott, yes,” replied the corporal.

Chapter XLV

In which Mr Vanslyperken proves his loyalty and his fidelity to King
William.

Mr Vanslyperken hastened from his inglorious conflict, maddened with rage and disappointment.  He returned on board, went down into his cabin, and threw himself on his bed.  His hopes and calculations had been so brilliant—­rid of his enemy Smallbones—­with gold in possession, and more in prospect, to be so cruelly deceived by the widow—­the cockatrice!  Then by one to whom he fully confided, and who knew too many of his secrets already—­Corporal Van Spitter—­he too!—­and to dare to aspire to the widow—­it was madness—­and then their knowledge of his treason—­the corporal having witnessed his receiving the gold—­with such bitter enemies what could he expect but a halter—­he felt it even now round his neck, and Vanslyperken groaned in the bitterness of his spirit.

In the meantime, there was a consultation between the widow and the corporal as to the best method of proceeding.  That the corporal could expect nothing but the most determined hostility from Vanslyperken was certain; but for this the corporal cared little, as he had all the crew of the cutter on his side, and he was in his own person too high in rank to be at the mercy of Vanslyperken.