whose only child she was and whom she adored with all the passion of her heart she knew the terrible danger in which he stood and guessed that she had been sent away that she should not share his perils now she had but one desire and one prayer � that he might escape in safety and that she might return to him again once only a message came from him sent through a woman whom she had never seen the wife of a who delivered it by word of mouth this was the message � give my love and blessing to my daughter and tell her that so far i am to van say i have heard the news well done thou good and faithful servant l t him remember what i told him and be sure that he will not strive in vain and that he shall not lack for his reward here or hereafter that was all tidings reached them also that the destruction of so many men by the blowing up of the swallow and by her sinking of the government boat as she escaped had caused much excitement and fury among the but as those who had been blown up were free and as the boat was sunk while the swallow was flying from them nothing had been done in the matter indeed nothing could be done for it was not known who the swallow and as had foreseen her crew were supposed to have been destroyed with her in the then after a while came other news that filled s heart with a wild hope for it was reported that had disappeared and was believed to have escaped from the nothing more was heard of him however which is scarcely strange for the doomed man had gone down the path of rich into the silent the master of the the net had closed at last and through the net fell the sword but if thought seldom of except in of dislike thought of 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 the greatest in the cool s devotion what could suit him better in his condition than to marry this rich and lovely lady so 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 her wealth into possession and martin had buried it somewhere in the but they said for this he had by repeated inquiries although the information was given enough that the map of the hiding place had been destroyed in the explosion on the swallow did not believe this story for a moment he was convinced that they were keeping the truth from him and as tlie master of that treasure he resented this bitterly still it had to be overcome and so soon as he was engaged to 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 and martin towards evening it was s custom to walk abroad as at that hour left the 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 especially it was pleasant to escape from the hot house into the cool evening air and still more pleasant to exchange the and highly coloured compliments of for the cheerful of s conversation admired his cousin as much as did his half 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 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 from the dangers which surrounded him and other matters of the sort the time came at last when was allowed to leave his room and as it chanced it fell to s lot to attend him on this first journey downstairs in a dutch home of the period and of the class of the van s all the women folk of whatever degree were expected to take a share in the household at present s share was to do nurse to who showed so much temper at every attempt which was made to replace her by any other woman that in face of the doctor s instructions did not dare to cross his whim it was with no small delight therefore that hailed the prospect of release for the young man with his bearing and sighs wearied her almost beyond endurance was not equally pleased indeed he had feigned symptoms which caused him to remain in bed an extra week merely in order that he might keep her near him but now the inevitable hour had come and felt that it was incumbent upon him to lift the veil and let see some of the secret of his soul he had prepared for the event indeed the of his confinement had been much relieved by the composition of lofty and addresses in which he the noble laid his precious self and fortune at tlie feet of this but rich and attractive maid the master yet now when the was with him and when gave him her hand to lead him from the room behold all these beautiful had vanished and his knees shook with no fancied weakness somehow did not look as a girl ought to look who was 