Lysbeth, a Tale of the Dutch

by H. Rider Haggard

  Almost immediately after his refusal by Lysbeth, Dirk van Goorl had leftLeyden, and returned to Alkmaar, where his father lived. His cousin andfriend, however, Hendrik Brant, remained there studying the jeweller'sart under the great master of filigree work, who was known as Petrus.One morning, as Hendrik was sitting at breakfast in his lodging, it wasannounced that a woman who would not give her name, wished to see him.Moved more by curiosity than by any other reason, he ordered her to beadmitted. When she entered he was sorry, for in the gaunt person anddark-eyed face he recognised one against whom he had been warned by theelders of his church as a spy, a creature who was employed by the papalinquisitors to get up cases against heretics, and who was known as BlackMeg.

  "What is your business with me?" Brant asked sternly.

  "Nothing to your hurt, worthy Heer, believe me, nothing to your hurt.Oh! yes, I know that tales are told against me, who only earn an honestliving in an honest way, to keep my poor husband, who is an imbecile.Once alas! he followed that mad Anabaptist fool, John of Leyden, thefellow who set up as a king, and said that men might have as many wivesas they wished. That was what sent my husband silly, but, thanks beto the Saints, he has repented of his errors and is reconciled to theChurch and Christian marriage, and now, I, who have a forgiving nature,am obliged to support him."

  "Your business?" said Brant.

  "Mynheer," she answered, dropping her husky voice, "you are a friend ofthe Countess Montalvo, she who was Lysbeth van Hout?"

  "No, I am acquainted with her, that is all."

  "At least you are a friend of the Heer Dirk van Goorl who has left thistown for Alkmaar; he who was her lover?"

  "Yes, I am his cousin, but he is not the lover of any married woman."

  "No, no, of course not; love cannot look through a bridal veil, can it?Still, you are his friend, and, therefore, perhaps, her friend, and--sheisn't happy."

  "Indeed? I know nothing of her present life: she must reap the fieldwhich she has sown. That door is shut."

  "Not altogether perhaps. I thought it might interest Dirk van Goorl tolearn that it is still ajar."

  "I don't see why it should. Fish merchants are not interested in rottenherrings; they write off the loss and send out the smack for a freshcargo."

  "The first fish we catch is ever the finest, Mynheer, and if we haven'tquite caught it, oh! what a fine fish is that."

  "I have no time to waste in chopping riddles. What is your errand? Tellit, or leave it untold, but be quick."

  Black Meg leant forward, and the hoarse voice sank to a cavernouswhisper.

  "What will you give me," she asked, "if I prove to you that the CaptainMontalvo is not married at all to Lysbeth van Hout?"

  "It does not much matter what I would give you, for I saw the thing donein the Groote Kerk yonder."

  "Things are not always done that seem to be done."

  "Look here, woman, I have had enough of this," and Brant pointed to thedoor.

  Black Meg did not stir, only she produced a packet from the bosom of herdress and laid it on the table.

  "A man can't have two wives living at once, can he?"

  "No, I suppose not--that is, legally."

  "Well, if I show you that Montalvo has two wives, how much?"

  Brant became interested. He hated Montalvo; he guessed, indeed he knewsomething of the part which the man had played in this infamous affair,and knew also that it would be a true kindness to Lysbeth to rid her ofhim.

  "If you _proved_ it," he said, "let us say two hundred florins."

  "It is not enough, Mynheer."

  "It is all I have to offer, and, mind you, what I promise to pay."

  "Ah! yes, the other promises and doesn't pay--the rogue, the rogue," sheadded, striking a bony fist upon the table. "Well, I agree, and I ask nobond, for you merchant folk are not like cavaliers, your word is as goodas your paper. Now read these," and she opened the packet and pushed itscontents towards him.

  With the exception of two miniatures, which he placed upon one side,they were letters written in Spanish and in a very delicate hand. Brantknew Spanish well, and in twenty minutes he had read them all. Theyproved to be epistles from a lady who signed herself Juanita deMontalvo, written to the Count Juan de Montalvo, whom she addressed asher husband. Very piteous documents they were also, telling a talethat need not be set out here of heartless desertion; pleading for thewriter's sake and for the sake of certain children, that the husband andfather would return to them, or at least remit them means to live, forthey, his wife and family, were sunk in great poverty.

  "All this is sad enough," said Brant with a gesture of disgust as heglanced at the miniature of the lady and her children, "but it provesnothing. How are we to know that she is the man's wife?"

  Black Meg put her hand into the bosom of her dress and produced anotherletter dated not more than three months ago. It was, or purported tobe, written by the priest of the village where the lady lived, andwas addressed to the Captain the Count Juan de Montalvo at Leyden. Insubstance this epistle was an earnest appeal to the noble count from onewho had a right to speak, as the man who had christened him, taught him,and married him to his wife, either to return to her or to forwardher the means to join him. "A dreadful rumour," the letter ended, "hasreached us here in Spain that you have taken to wife a Dutch lady atLeyden named Van Hout, but this I do not believe, since never could youhave committed such a crime before God and man. Write, write at once, myson, and disperse this black cloud of scandal which is gathering on yourhonoured and ancient name."

  "How did you come by these, woman?" asked Brant.

  "The last I had from a priest who brought it from Spain. I met him atThe Hague, and offered to deliver the letter, as he had no safe meansof sending it to Leyden. The others and the pictures I stole out ofMontalvo's room."

  "Indeed, most honest merchant, and what might you have been doing in hisExcellency's room?"

  "I will tell you," she answered, "for, as he never gave me my pay, mytongue is loosed. He wished for evidence that the Heer Dirk van Goorlwas a heretic, and employed me to find it."

  Brant's face hardened, and he became more watchful.

  "Why did he wish such evidence?"

  "To use it to prevent the marriage of Jufvrouw Lysbeth with the HeerDirk van Goorl."

  "How?"

  Meg shrugged her shoulders. "By telling his secret to her so that shemight dismiss him, I suppose, or more likely by threatening that, if shedid not, he would hand her lover over to the Inquisitors."

  "I see. And did you get the evidence?"

  "Well, I hid in the Heer Dirk's bedroom one night, and looking througha door saw him and another young man, whom I do not know, reading theBible, and praying together."

  "Indeed; what a terrible risk you must have run, for had those youngmen, or either of them, chanced to catch you, it is quite certain thatyou would not have left that room alive. You know these heretics thinkthat they are justified in killing a spy at sight, and, upon my word,I do not blame them. In fact, my good woman," and he leaned forward andlooked her straight in the eyes, "were I in the same position I wouldhave knocked you on the head as readily as though you had been a rat."

  Black Meg shrank back, and turned a little blue about the lips.

  "Of course, Mynheer, of course, it is a rough game, and the poor agentsof God must take their risks. Not that the other young man had any causeto fear. I wasn't paid to watch him, and--as I have said--I neither knownor care who he is."

  "Well, who can say, that may be fortunate for you, especially if heshould ever come to know or to care who you are. But it is no affair ofours, is it? Now, give me those letters. What, do you want your moneyfirst? Very well," and, rising, Brant went to a cupboard and produceda small steel box, which he unlocked; and, having taken from it theappointed sum, locked it again. "There you are," he said; "oh, youneedn't stare at the cupboard; the box won't live there after to-day,or anywhere in this house. By the way, I understand that Montalvo neverpaid you."


  "Not a stiver," she answered with a sudden access of rage; "thelow thief, he promised to pay me after his marriage, but instead ofrewarding her who put him in that warm nest, I tell you that already hehas squandered every florin of the noble lady's money in gambling andsatisfying such debts as he was obliged to, so that to-day I believethat she is almost a beggar."

  "I see," said Brant, "and now good morning, and look you, if we shouldchance to meet in the town, you will understand that I do not know you."

  "I understand, Mynheer," said Black Meg with a grin and vanished.

  When she had gone Brant rose and opened the window. "Bah!" he said,"the air is poisoned. But I think I frightened her, I think that I havenothing to fear. Yet who can tell? My God! she saw me reading the Bible,and Montalvo knows it! Well, it is some time ago now, and I must take mychance."

  Ah! who could tell indeed?

  Then, taking the miniatures and documents with him, Brant started tocall upon his friend and co-religionist, the Heer Pieter van de Werff,Dirk van Goorl's friend, and Lysbeth's cousin, a young man for whosejudgment and abilities he had a great respect. As a result of thisvisit, these two gentlemen left that afternoon for Brussels, the seat ofGovernment, where they had very influential friends.

  It will be sufficient to tell the upshot of their visit. Just at thattime the Government of the Netherlands wished for its own reasons tostand well with the citizen class, and when those in authority learnedof the dreadful fraud that had been played off upon a lady of note whowas known to be a good Catholic, for the sole object of robbing her ofher fortune, there was indignation in high places. Indeed, an order wasissued, signed by a hand which could not be resisted--so deeply wasone woman moved by the tale of another's wrong--that the Count Montalvoshould be seized and put upon his trial, just as though he were anycommon Netherland malefactor. Moreover, since he was a man with manyenemies, no one was found to stand between him and the Royal decree.