Dogs -- Fiction; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Seafaring life -- Fiction
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 Number 6, sounded, by the church clock, she was awoken
by her mistress's voice.
"Babette," cried the widow Vandersloosh, "Babette."
"Yes, ma'am."
"There's a knock at the door, Babette."
"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!"
"I must put something on, ma'am," replied Babette, rather crossly.
"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?"
"It's on a charge of treasonable practices, madam."
"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 Vanslyperken, 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."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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