incapable of telling you a falsehood. I am, my lord, with every respect for your noble character, "Yours most obediently,

EDWARD RAMSAY."

"This is corroborative of my suspicions," said Lord Albemarle, putting down the papers before the Duke of Portland. The duke read the letter and examined the enclosures. "Shall we see the king to-night?"

"No, he is retired, and it is of no use, they are in prison by this time; we will wait the report to-morrow morning-ascertain how many have been secured—and then lay these documents before his majesty."

Leaving the two noble lords to go to bed, we shall now return to Amsterdam at twelve o'clock at night precisely; as the bell tolled, a loud knock was heard at the syndic's house. Koop, who had been ordered by his master to remain up, immediately opened the door, and a posse comitatus of civil power filled the yard.

"Where is Mynheer Krause," inquired the chief in authority.

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Mynheer, the syndic, is up-stairs in the saloon.”

Without sending up his name, the officer went up, followed by three or four others, and found Mynheer Krause smoking his pipe.

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"Ah, my very particular friend, Mynheer Engelback, what brings you here at this late hour with all your people? Is there a fire in the town?"

"No, Mynheer Syndic. It is an order, I am very sorry to say, to arrest you, and conduct you to prison.'

"Arrest and conduct me to prison ?-me, the syndic of the town?-that is strange-will you allow me to see your warrant? —yes, it is all true, and countersigned by his majesty; I have no more to say, Mynheer Engelback. As syndic of this town, and administrator of the laws, it is my duty to set the example of obedience to them, at the same time protesting my entire innocence. Koop, get me my mantle. Mynheer Engelback, I claim to be treated with the respect due to me, as syndic of this town."

The officers were not a little staggered at the coolness and sang-froid of Mynheer Krause, he had never appeared to so such advantage; they bowed respectfully as he finished his peech.

I believe, Mynheer Krause, that you have some friends staying with you?"

"I have no friend in the house except my very particular friend, Mynheer Engelback," replied the syndic.

"You must excuse us, but we must search the house."

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'You have his majesty's warrant so to do, and no excuse is necessary."

After a diligent search of half an hour, nobody was found

in the house, and the officers began to suspect that the Government had been imposed upon. Mynheer Krause, with every mark of attention and respect, was then walked off to the Hotel de Ville, where he remained in custody, for it was not considered right by the authorities that the syndic should be thrown into the common prison upon suspicion only. When he arrived there, Mynheer Krause surprised them all by the philosophy with which he smoked his pipe.

But, although there was nobody to be found, except the syndic in the syndic's house, and not a soul at the house inhabited by the Jesuit, there was one more person included in the warrant, which was the widow Vandersloosh; for Lord Albemarle, although convinced in his own mind of her innocence, could not take upon himself to interfere with the decisions of the council: so, about one o'clock, there was a loud knocking at the widow's door, which was repeated again and again before it awoke the widow, who was fatigued with her long and hot journey to the Hague. As for Babette, she made a rule never to wake at anything but the magical No. 6, sounded, by the church clock, by her mistress's voice.

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"Babette," cried the widow Vandersloosh, "Yes, ma'am.

"There's a knock at the door, Babette."

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Only some drunken sailors, ma'am-they go away when they find they cannot get in.'

Here the peals were redoubled.

"Babette, get up Babette-and threaten them with the watch."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Babette, with a terrible yawn.

Knocking and thumping with strokes louder than before.
Babette, Babette !

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"I must put something on, ma'am," replied Babette, rather crossly.

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Speak to them out of the window, Babette."

Here poor Babette came down to the first floor, and opening the window at the landing-place on the stairs, put her head out and cried,

"If you don't go away, you drunken fellows, my mistress will send for the watch."

"If you don't come down and open the door, we shall break it open," replied the officer sent to the duty.

"Tell them it's no inn, Babette, we won't let people in after hours," cried the widow, turning in her bed and anxious to resume her sound sleep.

Babette gave the message and shut down the window.

"Break open the door," cried the officer to his attendants. In a minute or two the door was burst open, and the party ascended the staircase.

Mercy on me! Babette, if they ar'n't come in," cried the widow, who jumped out of her bed, and, nearly shutting her door, which had been left open for ventilation, she peeped out to see

who were the bold intruders; she perceived a man in black with a white staff.

"What do you want?" screamed the widow, terrified.

"We want Mistress Vandersloosh. Are you that person?" said the officer.

"To be sure I am. But what do you want here?"

"I must request you to dress and come along with me directly to the Stadt House," replied the officer, very civilly. Gott in himmel! what's the matter?"

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"It's on a charge of treasonable practices, madam."

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Oh, ho! I see: Mr. Vanslyperken. Very well, good sir; I'll put on my clothes directly. I'll get up any hour in the night, with pleasure, to bring that villain- Yes, yes, Mr. Vansly perken, we shall see. Babette, take the gentlemen down in the parlour, and give them some bottled beer. You'll find it very good, sirs; it's of my own brewing. And Babette, you must come up and help me.

The officer did not think it necessary to undeceive the widow, who imagined that she was to give evidence against Vanslyperken, not that she was a prisoner herself. Still the widow Vandersloosh did not like being called up at such an unseasonable hour, and thus expressed herself to Babette as she was dressing herself.

"Well, we shall see the ending of this, Babette.-My under petticoat is on the chair.-I told the lords the whole truth, every word of it; and I am convinced that they believed me too. Don't pull tight all at once, Babette; how often do I tell you that? I do believe you missed a hole.-The cunning vilÏain goes there and says that I-yes, Babette-that I was traitor myself; and I said to the lords, 'Do I look like a traitor?'My petticoats, Babette; how stupid you are, why, your eyes are half shut now; you know I always wear the blue first, then the green, and the red last, and yet you will give me the first which comes.-He's a handsome lord, that Duke of Portland; he was one of the bon-before King William went over and conquered England, and he was made a lord for his valour. My ruff, Babette. The Dutch are a brave nation. My bustle now.-How much beer did you give the officers ? Mind you take care of everything while I am gone. I shall be home by nine, I dare say. I suppose they are going to try him now, that he may be hanged at sunrise. I knew how it would be. Yes, yes, Mr. Vanslyperken, every dog has his day; and there's an end of you, and of your cur also, I've a notion."

The widow being now duly equipped, walked down stairs to them, and proceeded with the officers to the Stadt House. She was brought into the presence of Mynheer Engelback, who held the office of provost.

"Here is the widow Vandersloosh, mynheer."

"Very well," replied Engelback, who was in a very bad humour at the unsuccessful search after the conspirators, 'away with her."

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"Away! where?" exclaimed the widow.

Engelback did not condescend to make a reply. The officers were mute; but one stout man on either side seized her arm, and led her away, notwithstanding expostulation, and some resistance on her part.

"Where am I going? what is all this?" exclaimed the widow, terrified; but there was no answer.

But

At last they came to a door, held open already by another man with a bunch of keys. The terrified woman perceived that it was a paved stone cell, with a brick arch over it; in short, a dungeon. The truth flashed upon her for the first time. It was she who had been arrested for treason. before she could shriek she was shoved in, and the door closed and locked upon her; and the widow sank down into a sitting posture on the ground, overcome with astonishment and indignation. "Was it possible? had the villain prevailed ?" was the question which she asked herself over and over again, changing alternately from sorrow to indignation. At one time wringing her hands, and at others exclaiming, "Well, well, Mr. Vanslyperken, we shall see."

CHAPTER XLIX.

IN WHICH IS RELATED MUCH APPERTAINING TO THE POMP AND GLORIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE" OF WAR.

THE arrival of Ramsay and his party was so unexpected, that, at first, Lady Barclay imagined they had been betrayed, and that the boat was filled with armed men from the king's cutter, who had come on shore with a view of forcing an entrance into the cave. In a minute every preparation was made for defence; for it had long been arranged, that in case of an unexpected attack, the women should make all the resistance in their power, and which the nature of the place enabled them to do.

But, as many observed, the party, although coming from the cutter, and not badly armed, did not appear to advance in a hostile manner. After waiting some time near the boat, they advanced, each with a box on his shoulder; but what those boxes might be was a puzzle; they might be hand-grenades for throwing into the cave. However, they were soon down to the rock at which the ladder was let down, and then Smallbones stood up with a musket in his hand, with his straddling legs and short petticoat, and bawled out, "Who comes there ?' Ramsay, who was assisting Wilhelmina, looked up surprised at this singular addition to the occupants of the cave. And

Wilhelmina also looked at him, and said, "Can that be a woman, Ramsay?"

"At all events, I've not the honour of her acquaintance. But she is pointing her musket. We are friends," cried Ramsay. Tell Mistress Alice it is Ramsay."

Smallbones turned round and reported the answer; and then, in obedience to his order from Mistress Alice, he cried out, in imitation of the sentinels, "Pass, Ramsay, and all's well!"-presented his arms, and made a flying leap off the rock, where he stood, down on the platform, that he might lower the ladder as soon as Ramsay was up, who desired everybody might be sent down to secure the boxes of specie as fast as they could, lest the cutter's people, releasing themselves, should attempt an attack. Now, there was no more concealment necessary, and the women as well as the men went down the precipitous path and brought up the treasure, while Ramsay introduced Wilhelmina to Lady Barclay, and, in a brief, but clear narrative, told her all that had passed, and what they had now to expect. There was not a moment for delay; the cutter's people might send the despatches over land if they thought of it, and be there as soon, if not sooner than themselves. Nancy Corbett was summoned immediately, and her instructions given. The whole of the confederates at Portsmouth were to come over to the cave with what they could collect and carry about their persons; and, in case of the cutter sending overland, with the precaution of being in disguise. Of arms and ammunition there was sufficient in the cave, which Ramsay now felt was to be defended to the last, until they could make a retreat over to the other side of the Channel. In half an hour, Nancy was gone, and that very night had arrived at Portsmouth, and given notice to the whole of the confederates. Upon consultation, it was considered that the best disguise would be that of females; and, in consequence, they were all so attired, and, before morning, had all passed over, two or three in a boat, and landed at Ryde, where they were collected by Moggy Salisbury, who alone, of the party, knew the way to the retreat. They walked across the island by two and three, one party just keeping sight of the next ahead of them, and arrived without suspicion or interruption, conducted by Moggy Salisbury, Lazarus the Jew, and sixteen stout and desperate men, who had remained secreted in the Jew's house, ready to obey any order, however desperate the risk might be, of their employers.

When they were all assembled at the brow of the precipice, with the exception of Lazarus, who looked like a little old woman, a more gigantic race of females was never seen; for, determined upon a desperate resistance if discovered, they had their buff jerkins under their female garments. They were soon in the cave, and very busy, under Ramsay's directions, preparing against the expected attack. Sir Robert Barclay, with his boat, had been over two days before, and it was not