“Thanks, Herr Peter.  And no offence; you know my hot temper.  If the time seems long to your young wife, send her to mine.”

“And mine,” added Dousa.  “It’s a strange thing about those two little words ‘wish’ and ‘ought.’  The freer and better a man becomes, the more surely the first becomes the slave of the second.

“And yet, Herr Peter, I’ll wager that your wife will confound the two words to-day, and think you have sorely transgressed against the ‘ought.’  These are bad times for the ‘wish.’”

Van der Werff nodded assent, then briefly and firmly explained to his friends what he intended to disclose to the Prince.

The three men separated before the burgomaster’s house.

“Tell the Prince,” said Van Hout, on parting, “that we are prepared for the worst, will endure and dare it.”

At these words Janus Dousa measured both his companions with his eyes, his lips quivered as they always did when any strong emotion filled his heart, and while his shrewd face beamed with joy and confidence, he exclaimed:  “We three will hold out, we three will stand firm, the tyrant may break our necks, but he shall not bend them.  Life, fortune, all that is dear and precious and useful to man, we will resign for the highest of blessings.”

“Ay,” said Van der Werff, loudly and earnestly, while Van Hout impetuously repeated:  “Yes, yes, thrice yes.”

The three men, so united in feeling, grasped each other’s hands firmly for a moment.  A silent vow bound them in this hour, and when Herr von Nordwyk and Van Hout turned in opposite directions, the citizens who met them thought their tall figures had grown taller still within the last few hours.

The burgomaster went to his wife’s room without delay, but did not find her there.

She had gone out of the gate with his sister.

The maid-servant carried a light into his chamber; he followed her, examined the huge locks of his pistols, buckled on his old sword, put what he needed into his saddle-bags, then, with his tall figure drawn up to its full height, paced up and down the room, entirely absorbed in his task.

Herr von Nordwyk’s chestnut horse was stamping on the pavement before the door, and Hesperus was rising above the roofs.

The door of the house now opened.

He went into the entry and found, not his wife, but Adrian, who had just returned home, told the boy to give his most loving remembrances to his mother, and say that he was obliged to seek the Prince on important business.

Old Trautchen had already washed and undressed little Elizabeth, and now brought him the child wrapped in a coverlet.  He kissed the dear little face, which smiled at him out of its queer disguise, pressed his lips to Adrian’s forehead, again told him to give his love to his mother, and then rode down Marendorpstrasse.

Two women, coming from the Rheinsburger gate, met him just as he reached St. Stephen’s cloister.  He did not notice them, but the younger one pushed the kerchief back from her head, hastily grasped her companion’s wrist, and exclaimed in a low tone: