Meantime within the city a different scene was enacting.  Those dignified Spaniards—­governor Serrano and Don Matteo Antonio—­having slept off their carouse, were prepared after breakfast next morning to resume the interrupted negotiations.  But affairs were now to take an unexpected turn.  In the night the wind had changed, and in the course of the forenoon three Dutch vessels of war were descried in the offing, and soon calmly sailed into the mouth of the Gullet.  The news was at once brought to Vere’s headquarters.  That general’s plans had been crowned with success even sooner than he expected.  There was no further object in continuing the comedy of negotiation, for the ships now arriving seemed crowded with troops.  Sir Francis accordingly threw off the mask, and assuring his guests with extreme politeness that it had given him great pleasure to make the acquaintance of such distinguished personages, he thanked them cordially for their visit, but regretted that it would be no longer in his power to entertain any propositions of a pacific nature.  The necessary reinforcements, which he had been so long expecting, had at last reached him, and it would not yet be necessary for him to retire into his ruined nest.  Military honour therefore would not allow him to detain them any longer.  Should he ever be so hard pressed again he felt sure that so magnanimous a prince as his Highness would extend to him all due clemency and consideration.

The Spaniards; digesting as they best could the sauce of contumely with which the gross treachery of the transaction was now seasoned, solemnly withdrew, disdaining to express their spleen in words of idle menace.

They were escorted back through the lines, and at once made their report at headquarters.  The festival had been dismally interrupted before it was well begun.  The vessels were soon observed by friend and foe making their way triumphantly up to the town where they soon dropped anchor at the wharf of the inner Gullet, having only a couple of sailors wounded, despite all the furious discharges of Bucquoy’s batteries.  The holiday makers dispersed, much discomfited, the English hostages returned to the town, and the archduke shut himself up, growling and furious.  His generals and counsellors, who had recommended the abandonment of his carefully prepared assault, and acceptance of the perfidious propositions to negotiate, by which so much golden time had been squandered, were for several days excluded from his presence.

Meantime the army, disappointed, discontented, half-starved, unpaid, passed their days and nights as before, in the sloppy trenches, while deep and earnest were the complaints and the curses which succeeded to the momentary exultation of Christmas eve.  The soldiers were more than ever embittered against their august commander-in-chief, for they had just enjoyed a signal opportunity of comparing the luxury and comfortable magnificence