What was going on all this Time in the Mind of one of the Spectators
WhilstCorneliuswasengagedwithhisownthoughts,acoachhaddrivenuptothescaffold.Thisvehiclewasfortheprisoner.Hewasinvitedtoenterit,andheobeyed.
HislastlookwastowardstheBuytenhof.HehopedtoseeatthewindowthefaceofRosa,brighteningupagain.
Butthecoachwasdrawnbygoodhorses,whosooncarriedVanBaerleawayfromamongtheshoutswhichtherabbleroaredinhonourofthemostmagnanimousStadtholder,mixingwithitaspiceofabuseagainstthebrothersDeWittandthegodsonofCornelius,whohadjustnowbeensavedfromdeath.
Thisreprievesuggestedtotheworthyspectatorsremarkssuchasthefollowing:—
“It’sveryfortunatethatweusedsuchspeedinhavingjusticedonetothatgreatvillainJohn,andtothatlittlerogueCornelius,otherwisehisHighnessmighthavesnatchedthemfromus,justashehasdonethisfellow.”
AmongallthespectatorswhomVanBaerle’sexecutionhadattractedtotheBuytenhof,andwhomthesuddenturnofaffairshaddisagreeablysurprised,undoubtedlytheonemostdisappointedwasacertainrespectablydressedburgher,whofromearlymorninghadmadesuchagooduseofhisfeetandelbowsthatheatlastwasseparatedfromthescaffoldonlybythefileofsoldierswhichsurroundedit.
ManyhadshownthemselveseagertoseetheperfidiousbloodoftheguiltyCorneliusflow,butnotonehadshownsuchakeenanxietyastheindividualjustalludedto.