"Ma foi, monseigneur," said William, "you have done wonders. It would have taken me six months to obtain what you have done in ten minutes." "This, then, is my plan, gentlemen," said monseigneur. "The French, with the admiral's galley at their head, will try to force a passage. Make your line long enough, and from all your boats let the men throw grappling-irons; and then, having made fast the enemy's ships, set fire to all your own boats, having previously filled them with combustible materials, and let your men escape in one reserved for the purpose." "Oh!" cried William, "I see the whole French fleet burning." "Yes, the whole; then no more retreat by sea and none by land, for at the same time you must open the sluices of Malines, Berchem, Lier, Duffel, and Antwerp. Repulsed by you, pursued by your open dykes, enveloped on all sides by these waters unexpectedly and rapidly rising, by this sea, which will have a flow, but no ebb, the French will be drowned--overwhelmed--destroyed." The officers uttered a cry of joy. "There is but one drawback," said the prince. "What is it, monseigneur?" "That it would take a day to send our orders to the different towns, and we have but an hour." "And an hour is enough." "But who will instruct the fleet?" "It is done." "By whom?" "By me. If these gentlemen had refused to give it to me, I should have bought it." "But Malines, Lier, Duffel?" "I passed through Malines and Lier, and sent a sure agent to Duffel. At eleven o'clock the French will be beaten; at one they will be in full retreat; at two Malines will open its dykes, Lier and Duffel their sluices, and the whole plain will become a furious ocean, which will drown houses, fields, woods, and villages, it is true, but at the same time will destroy the French so utterly, that not one will return to France." A silence of admiration and terror followed these words; then all at once the Flemings burst into applause. William stepped forward, and, holding out his hand, said: "Then, monseigneur, all is ready on our side?" "All; and, stay--I believe on the side of the French also." And he pointed to an officer who was entering. "Gentlemen," cried the officer, "we have just heard that the French are marching toward the city." "To arms!" cried the burgomaster. "To arms!" cried all. "One moment, gentlemen," cried monseigneur; "I have to give one direction more important than all the rest." "Speak!" cried all. "The French will be surprised; it will not be a combat, nor even a retreat, but a flight. To pursue them you must be lightly armed. No cuirasses, morbleu! It is your cuirasses, in which you cannot move, which have made you lose all the battles you have lost. No cuirasses, gentlemen. We will meet again in the combat. Meanwhile, go to the place of the Hotel de Ville, where you will find all your men in battle array." "Thanks, monseigneur," said William; "you have saved Belgium and Holland." "Prince, you overwhelm me."