“Me—­denounced me—­he—­O Lord, O Lord, only let me meet him face to face—­let him say it then if he dares, the snivelling—­cowardly—­murdering wretch.”

Thereupon Mrs Vandersloosh commenced the history of Vanslyperken’s wooing, of his cur Snarleyyow, of her fancy for the corporal, of his finding her with the corporal the day before, of her beating him off with the brooms, and of her threats to expose his treason.  “And so, now, when he finds that he was to be exposed, he comes up first himself; that’s now the truth of it, or my name’s not Vandersloosh, your honour,” and the widow walked up and down with the march of an elephant, fanning herself violently, her bosom heaving with agitation, and her face as red as a boiled lobster.

“Mistress Vandersloosh,” said Lord Albemarle, “let the affair rest as it is for the present, but I shall not forget what you have told me.  I think now that you had better go home.”

At this dismissal the widow turned round.

“Thank your worship kindly,” said she, “I’m ready to come whenever I’m wanted.  Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken,” resumed the widow, as she walked to the door, quite forgetting the respect due to the two noblemen, “we shall see; yes, yes, we shall see.”

“Well, my lord, what think you of this?” said Lord Albemarle to the duke, as the widow closed the door.

“Upon my soul I think she is honest; she is too fat for a traitor.”

“I am of your opinion.  The episode of the corporal was delightful, and has thrown much light upon the lieutenant’s conduct, who is a traitor in my opinion, if ever there was one; but he must be allowed to fulfil his task, and then we will soon find out the traitor; but if I mistake not, that man was born to be hung.”

We must now return to Mr Vanslyperken, who received the note from Ramsay, just as he was going down to the boat.  As he did not know what steps were to be taken by government, he determined to go up to Ramsay, and inform him of his order for immediately sailing.

He might gain further information from his letters, and also remove the suspicion of his having betrayed him.  Ramsay received Mr Vanslyperken with an air of confidence.

“Sit down, Mr Vanslyperken, I wish to know whether there is any chance of your sailing.”

“I was about to come up to you to state that I have orders to sail this evening.”

“That is fortunate, as I intended to take a passage with you, and what is more, Mr Vanslyperken, I have a large sum in specie, which we must contrive to get on board.  Cannot we contrive it, I cannot go without it.”

“A large sum in specie?” Vanslyperken reflected.  “Yes, he would secure Ramsay as a prisoner, and possess himself of the specie if he could.  His entrapping Ramsay on board would be another proof of his fidelity and dexterity.  But then Vanslyperken thought of the defection of the corporal, but that was of no great consequence.  The crew of the cutter dare not disobey him, when they were ordered to seize a traitor.”