by Georg Ebers
CHAPTER XV.
The next day after the meeting of the council, Burgomaster Van derWerff, Herr Van Hout, and a notary, attended by two constables, went toNobelstrasse to set old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten's property in order.The fathers of the city had determined to seize the Glippers' abandoneddwellings and apply the property found in them to the benefit of thecommon cause.
The old lady's hostility to the patriots was known to all, and as hernearest relatives, Herr Van Hoogstraten and Matanesse Van Wibisma, hadbeen banished from Leyden, the duty of representing the heirs fell uponthe city. It was to be expected that only notorious Glippers wouldbe remembered in the dead woman's will, and if this was the case, therevenue from the personal and real estate would fall to the city, untilthe deserters mended their ways, and adopted a course of conduct thatwould permit the magistrates to again open their gates to them. Whoevercontinued to cling to the Spaniards and oppose the cause of liberty,would forfeit his share of the inheritance. This was no new procedure.King Philip had taught its practice, nay not only the estates ofcountless innocent persons who had been executed, banished or gone intovoluntary exile for the sake of the new religion, but also the propertyof good Catholic patriots had been confiscated for his benefit. Afterbeing anvil so many years, it is pleasant to play hammer; and ifthat was not always done in a proper and moderate way, people excusedthemselves on the ground of having experienced a hundred-fold harsherand more cruel treatment from the Spaniards. It might have beenunchristian to repay in the same coin, but they dealt severe blows onlyin mortal conflict, and did not seek the Glippers' lives.
At the door of the house of death, the magistrates met the musicianWilhelm Corneliussohn and his mother, who had come to offer Henricaa hospitable reception in their house. The mother, who had at firstrefused to extend her love for her neighbor to the young Glipper girl,now found it hard to be deprived of the opportunity to do a good work,and gave expression to these feelings in the sturdy fashion peculiar toher.
Belotti was standing in the entry, no longer attired in the silk hoseand satin-bordered cloth garments of the steward, but in a plain burgherdress. He told the musician and Peter, that he remained in Leydenprincipally because he could not bear to leave the sick maid, Denise,in the lurch; but other matters also detained him, especially, though hewas reluctant to acknowledge it, the feeling, strengthened by long yearsof service, that he belonged to the Hoogstraten house. The dead woman'sattorney had said that his account books were in good order, andwillingly paid the balance due him. His savings had been well invested,and as he never touched the interest, but added to the capital, hadconsiderably increased. Nothing detained him in Leyden, yet he could notleave it until everything was settled in the house where he had so longruled.
He had daily inquired for the sick lady, and after her death, thoughDenise began to recover, still lingered in Leyden; he thought it hisduty to show the last honors to the dead by attending her funeral.
The magistrates were glad to find Belotti in the house. The notary hadmanaged his little property, and respected him as an honest man. Henow asked him to act as guide to his companions and himself. The mostimportant matter was to find the dead woman's will. Such a document mustbe in existence, for up to the day after Henrica's illness it had beenin the lawyer's possession, but was then sent for by the old lady, whodesired to make some changes in it. He could give no information aboutits contents, for his dead partner, whose business had fallen to him,had assisted in drawing it up.
The steward first conducted the visitors to the padrona's sitting-roomand boudoir, but though they searched the writing-tables, chests anddrawers, and discovered many letters, money and valuable jewels in boxesand caskets, the document was not found.
The gentlemen thought it was concealed in a secret drawer, and orderedone of the constables to call a locksmith. Belotti allowed this to bedone, but meantime listened with special attention to the low chantingthat issued from the bedroom where the old lady's body lay. He knew thatthe will would most probably be found there, but was anxious to have thepriest complete the consecration of his mistress undisturbed. As soonas all was still in the death-chamber, he asked the gentlemen to followhim.
The lofty apartment into which he led them, was filled with the odorof incense. A large bedstead, over which a pointed canopy of heavy silkrose to the ceiling, stood at the back, the coffin in which the deadwoman lay had been placed in the middle of the room. A linen cloth,trimmed with lace, covered the face. The delicate hands, stillunwrinkled, were folded, and lightly clasped a well-worn rosary. Thelifeless form was concealed beneath a costly coverlid, in the centre ofwhich lay an exquisitely-carved ivory crucifix.
The visitors bowed mutely before the corpse. Belotti approached it and,as he saw the padrona's well-known hands, a convulsive sob shook the oldman's breast. Then he knelt beside the coffin, pressed his lips, to thecold, slender fingers, and a warm tear, the only one shed for this deadform, fell on the hands now clasped forever.
The burgomaster and his companion did not interrupt him, even whenhe laid his forehead upon the wood of the coffin and uttered a brief,silent prayer. After he had risen, and an elderly priest in thesacerdotal robes had left the room, Father Damianus beckoned to theacolytes, with whom he had lingered in the background, and aided bythem and Belotti put the lid on the coffin, then turned to Peter Van derWerff, saying:
"We intend to bury Fraulein Van Hoogstraten at midnight, that no offencemay be given."
"Very well, sir!" replied the burgomaster. "Whatever may happen, weshall not expel you from the city. Of course, if you prefer to go to theSpaniards--"
Damianus shook his head and, interrupting the burgomaster, answeredmodestly:
"No, sir; I am a native of Utrecht and will gladly pray for the libertyof Holland."
"There, there!" exclaimed Van Hout. "Those were good words, admirablewords! Your hand, Father."
"There it is; and, so long as you don't change the 'haec libertatisergo' on your coins to 'haec religionis ergo,' not one of those wordsneed be altered."
"A free country and in it religious liberty for each individual, evenfor you and your followers," said the burgomaster, "is what we desire.Doctor Bontius has spoken of you, worthy man; you have cared well forthis dead woman. Bury her according to the customs of your church; wehave come to arrange the earthly possessions she leaves behind. Perhapsthis casket may contain the will."
"No, sir," replied the priest. "She opened the sealed paper in mypresence, when she was first taken sick, and wrote a few words whenevershe felt stronger. An hour before her end, she ordered the notary tobe sent for, but when he came life had departed. I could not remainconstantly beside the corpse, so I locked up the paper in the linenchest. There is the key."
The opened will was soon found. The burgomaster quietly unfolded it,and, while reading its contents aloud, the notary and city clerk lookedover his shoulder.
The property was to be divided among various churches and convents,where masses were to be read for her soul, and her nearest bloodrelations. Belotti and Denise received small legacies.
"It is fortunate," exclaimed Van Hout, "that this paper is a piece ofpaper and nothing more."
"The document has no legal value whatever," added the notary, "for itwas taken from me and opened with the explicit statement, that changeswere to be made. Here is a great deal to be read on the back."
The task, that the gentlemen now undertook, was no easy one, for thesick woman had scrawled short notes above and below, hither and thither,on the blank back of the document, probably to assist her memory whilecomposing a new will.
At the very top a crucifix was sketched with an unsteady hand, andbelow it the words: "Pray for us! Everything shall belong to holy MotherChurch."
Farther down they read: "Nico, I like the lad. The castle on the downs.Ten thousand gold florins in money. To be secured exclusively to him.His father is not to touch it. Make the reason for disinheriting himconspicuous. Van Vliet of Haarlem was the gentleman whose
daughter mycousin secretly wedded. On some pitiful pretext he deserted her, to formanother marriage. If he has forgotten it, I have remembered and wouldfain impress it upon him. Let Nico pay heed: False love is poison. Mylife has been ruined by it--ruined."
The second "ruined" was followed by numerous repetitions of the sameword. The last one, at the very end of the sentence, had been ornamentedwith numerous curves and spirals by the sick woman's pen.
On the right-hand margin of the sheet stood a series of short notes
"Ten thousand florins to Anna. To be secured to herself. Otherwise theywill fall into the clutches of that foot-pad, d'Avila.
"Three times as much to Henrica. Her father will pay her the money--fromthe sum he owes me. Where he gets it is his affair. Thus the accountwith him would be settled.
"Belotti has behaved badly. He shall be passed over.
"Denise may keep what was given her."
In the middle of the paper, written in large characters, twice andthrice underlined, was the sentence: "The ebony-casket with theHoogstraten and d'Avila arms on the lid is to be sent to the widow ofthe Marquis d'Avennes. Forward it to Chateau Rochebrun in Normandy."
The men, who had mutually deciphered these words, looked at each othersilently, until Van Hout exclaimed:
"What a confused mixture of malice and feminine weakness. Let a woman'sheart seem ever so cold; glacier flowers will always be found in it."
"I'm sorry for the young lady in your house, Herr Peter," cried thenotary, "it would be easier to get sparks from rye-bread, than sucha sum from the debt-laden poor devil. The daughter's portion willbe curtailed by the father; that's what I call bargaining betweenrelations."
"What can be in the casket?" asked the notary.
"There it is," cried Van Hout.
"Bring it here, Belotti."
"We must open it," said the lawyer, "perhaps she is trying to convey hermost valuable property across the frontiers."
"Open it? Contrary to the dead woman's express desire?" asked Van derWerff.
"Certainly!" cried the notary. "We were sent here to ascertain theamount of the inheritance. The lid is fastened. Take the picklock,Meister. There, it is open." The city magistrates found no valuablesin the casket, merely letters of different dates. There were not many.Those at the bottom, yellow with age, contained vows of love from theMarquis d'Avennes, the more recent ones were brief and, signed Don Louisd'Avila. Van Hout, who understood the Castilian language in which theywere written, hastily read them. As he was approaching the end of thelast one, he exclaimed with lively indignation:
"We have here the key of a rascally trick in our hands! Do you rememberthe excitement aroused four years ago by the duel, in which the Marquisd'Avennes fell a victim to a Spanish brawler? The miserable bravowrites in this letter that he has.... It will be worth the trouble; I'lltranslate it for you. The first part of the note is of no importance;but now comes the point: 'And now, after having succeeded in crossingswords with the marquis and killing him, not without personal danger,a fate he has doubtless deserved, since he aroused your displeasureto such a degree, the condition you imposed upon me is fulfilled, andto-morrow I hope through your favor to receive the sweetest reward. TellDonna Anna, my adored betrothed, that I would fain lead her to thealtar early to-morrow morning, for the d'Avennes are influential and thefollowing day my safety will perhaps be imperilled. As for the rest, Ihope I may be permitted to rely upon the fairness and generosity of mypatroness."
Van Hout flung the letter on the table, exclaiming "See, what a daintyhand the bravo writes. And, Jove's thunder, the lady to whom thisplotted murder was to have been sent, is doubtless the mother of theunfortunate marquis, whom the Spanish assassin slew."
"Yes, Herr Van Hout," said Belotti, "I can confirm your supposition. Themarquise was the wife of the man, who broke his plighted faith to theyoung Fraulein Van Hoogstraten. She, who lies there, saw many suns riseand set, ere her vengeance ripened."
"Throw the scrawl into the fire!" cried Van Hout impetuously.
"No," replied Peter. "We will not send the letters, but you must keepthem in the archives. God's mills grind slowly, and who knows what goodpurpose these sheets may yet serve."
The city clerk nodded assent and folding the papers, said: "I think thedead woman's property will be an advantage to the city."
"The Prince will dispose of it," replied Van der Werff. "How long haveyou served this lady, Belotti?"
"Fifteen years."
"Then remain in Leyden for a time. I think you may expect the legacy sheoriginally left you. I will urge your claim."
A few hours before the nocturnal burial of old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten,Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma and his son Nicolas appeared before the city,but were refused admittance by the men who guarded the gates, althoughboth appealed to their relative's death. Henrica's father did not come,he had gone several days before to attend a tourney at Cologne.