Schenk was accordingly absent, jobbing the Rheinberg siege, and in his place one Aristotle Patton, a Scotch colonel in the States’ service, was commandant of Gelders.  Now the thrifty Scot had an eye to business, too, and was no more troubled with qualms of conscience than Rowland York himself.  Moreover, he knew himself to be in great danger of losing his place, for Leicester was no friend to him, and intended to supersede him.  Patton had also a decided grudge against Schenk, for that truculent personage had recently administered to him a drubbing, which no doubt he had richly deserved.  Accordingly, when; the Duke of Parma made a secret offer to him of 36,000 florins if he would quietly surrender the city entrusted to him, the colonel jumped at so excellent an opportunity of circumventing Leicester, feeding his grudge against Martin, and making a handsome fortune for himself.  He knew his trade too well, however, to accept the offer too eagerly, and bargained awhile for better terms, and to such good purpose, that it was agreed he should have not only the 36,000 florins, but all the horses, arms, plate, furniture, and other moveables in the city belonging to Schenk, that he could lay his hands upon.  Here were revenge and solid damages for the unforgotten assault and battery—­for Schenk’s property alone made no inconsiderable fortune—­and accordingly the city, towards Midsummer, was surrendered to the Seigneur d’Haultepenne.  Moreover, the excellent Patton had another and a loftier motive.  He was in love.  He had also a rival.  The lady of his thoughts was the widow of Pontus de Noyelle, Seigneur de Bours, who had once saved the citadel of Antwerp, and afterwards sold that city and himself.  His rival was no other than the great Seigneur de Champagny, brother of Cardinal Granvelle, eminent as soldier, diplomatist, and financier, but now growing old, not in affluent circumstances, and much troubled with the gout.  Madame de Bours had, however, accepted his hand, and had fixed the day for the wedding, when the Scotchman, thus suddenly enriched, renewed a previously unsuccessful suit.  The widow then, partially keeping her promise, actually celebrated her nuptials on the appointed evening; but, to the surprise of the Provinces, she became not the ’haulte et puissante dame de Champagny,’ but Mrs. Aristotle Patton.

For this last treason neither Leicester nor the English were responsible.  Patton was not only a Scot, but a follower of Hohenlo, as Leicester loudly protested.  Le Merchant was a Frenchman.  But Deventer and Zutphen were places of vital importance, and Stanley an Englishman of highest consideration, one who had been deemed worthy of the command in chief in Leicester’s absence.  Moreover, a cornet in the service of the Earl’s nephew, Sir Robert Sidney, had been seen at Zutphen in conference with Tassis; and the horrible suspicion went abroad that even the illustrious name of Sidney was to be polluted also.  This fear was fortunately false, although the cornet was unquestionably a traitor, with whom the enemy had been tampering; but the mere thought that Sir Robert Sidney could betray the trust reposed in him was almost enough to make the still unburied corpse of his brother arise from the dead.