Then, after a while, came other news that filled Elsa’s heart with a wild hope, for it was reported that Hendrik Brant had disappeared, and was believed to have escaped from The Hague.  Nothing more was heard of him, however, which is scarcely strange, for the doomed man had gone down the path of rich heretics into the silent vaults of the Inquisition.  The net had closed at last, and through the net fell the sword.

But if Elsa thought seldom of Adrian, except in gusts of spasmodic dislike, Adrian thought of Elsa, and little besides.  So earnestly did he lash his romantic temperament, and so deeply did her beauty and charm appeal to him, that very soon he was truly in love with her.  Nor did the fact that, as he believed, she was, potentially, the greatest heiress in the Netherlands, cool Adrian’s amorous devotion.  What could suit him better in his condition, than to marry this rich and lovely lady?

So Adrian made up his mind that he would marry her, for, in his vanity, it never occurred to him that she might object.  Indeed, the only thought that gave him trouble was the difficulty of reducing her wealth into possession.  Foy and Martin had buried it somewhere in the Haarlemer Meer.  But they said, for this he had ascertained by repeated inquiries, although the information was given grudgingly enough, that the map of the hiding-place had been destroyed in the explosion on the Swallow.  Adrian did not believe this story for a moment.  He was convinced that they were keeping the truth from him, and as the prospective master of that treasure he resented this reticence bitterly.  Still, it had to be overcome, and so soon as he was engaged to Elsa he intended to speak very clearly upon this point.  Meanwhile, the first thing was to find a suitable opportunity to make his declaration in due form, which done he would be prepared to deal with Foy and Martin.

Towards evening it was Elsa’s custom to walk abroad.  As at that hour Foy left the foundry, naturally he accompanied her in these walks, Martin following at a little distance in case he should be wanted.  Soon those excursions became delightful to both of them.  To Elsa, especially, it was pleasant to escape from the hot house into the cool evening air, and still more pleasant to exchange the laboured tendernesses and highly coloured compliments of Adrian for the cheerful honesty of Foy’s conversation.

Foy admired his cousin as much as did his half-brother, but his attitude towards her was very different.  He never said sweet things; he never gazed up into her eyes and sighed, although once or twice, perhaps by accident, he did squeeze her hand.  His demeanour towards her was that of a friend and relative, and the subject of their talk for the most part was the possibility of her father’s deliverance from the dangers which surrounded him, and other matters of the sort.