H. C. Bailey

“ It may be not. Despair, my friend, is a soldier who often wins."
He left me, and I sat down to the meal. A day had gone by since I came to the town prison, condemned in the wisdom of Jan van Cornput, and no sign at all had come from Gabrielle. Here it all ended: all my fine deeds of the past, all my brave hopes, the glory of saving the town, the greater glory of the day when we saw the sun go down behind the house together. A bare, dark room in a prison had come as an end to them all! She believed it. Well, even Gaspar doubted, and Gaspar knew Alva's ways better than she. ”

“ You may swear at yourself, or the devil who taught you, till you choke; but, by your own friend, the fiend, you shall not swear at me! Devil of devils! sit down and talk sense!" and Gaspar pushed him into a chair. Sobered a little, Zouch wiped his face and began:
"I have been to the prison, lieutenant——"
"And a very good place for you!" grunted Gaspar. "Go on!"
"To see the captain. By the fiend! I never thought he was such a fool!"
"Ach! so. You did not agree, then. Well?"
"I offered to take him out of this fool Cornput's hands——"
"Ach, did you! By whose orders?" ”

“ Guilty or innocent, we care not a farthing. If you have been trying to get more cash out of Alva, well and good. If you have not, well and good too. I don't say I shouldn't think better. Let Cornput and his Prince look after themselves, and let your treason look after itself too. We care nothing about that, but we care much about you. You never risk the men too much, and you always look after their pay. You have done well by us, and, by the fiend, we will do well by you! Captain, how long are you going to stay here? ”