An Invasion

           Theincidentjustrelatedwas,asthereaderhasguessedbeforethis,thediabolicalworkofMynheerIsaacBoxtel.

           Itwillberememberedthat,withthehelpofhistelescope,noteventheleastdetailoftheprivatemeetingbetweenCorneliusdeWittandVanBaerlehadescapedhim.Hehad,indeed,heardnothing,buthehadseeneverything,andhadrightlyconcludedthatthepapersintrustedbytheWardentotheDoctormusthavebeenofgreatimportance,ashesawVanBaerlesocarefullysecretingtheparcelinthedrawerwhereheusedtokeephismostpreciousbulbs.

           TheupshotofallthiswasthatwhenBoxtel,whowatchedthecourseofpoliticaleventsmuchmoreattentivelythanhisneighbourCorneliuswasusedtodo,heardthenewsofthebrothersDeWittbeingarrestedonachargeofhightreasonagainsttheStates,hethoughtwithinhisheartthatverylikelyheneededonlytosayoneword,andthegodsonwouldbearrestedaswellasthegodfather.

           Yet,fullofhappinessaswasBoxtel’sheartatthechance,heatfirstshrankwithhorrorfromtheideaofinformingagainstamanwhomthisinformationmightleadtothescaffold.

           Butthereisthisterriblethinginevilthoughts,thatevilmindssoongrowfamiliarwiththem.

           Besidesthis,MynheerIsaacBoxtelencouragedhimselfwiththefollowingsophism:—

           “CorneliusdeWittisabadcitizen,asheischargedwithhightreason,andarrested.

           “I,onthecontrary,amagoodcitizen,asIamnotchargedwithanythingintheworld,asIamasfreeastheairofheaven.