Mr Vanslyperken bowed humbly and retired, delighted with the successful result of his manoeuvre, and, with a gay heart he leaped into his calash, and drove off.
"Yes, yes," thought he, "Madam Vandersloosh, you would betray me. We shall see. Yes, yes, we shall see, Madam Vandersloosh."
And sure enough he did see Madam Vandersloosh, who in another calash was driving to the palace, and who met him face to face.
Vanslyperken turned up his nose at her as he passed by, and the widow astonished at his presumption, thought as she went on her way, "Well, well, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see, you may turn up your snivelling nose, but stop till your head's in the halter--yes, Mr Vanslyperken, stop till your head's in the halter."
We must leave Mr Vanslyperken to drive, and the widow Vandersloosh to drive, while we drive on ourselves.
The subsequent events of this eventful day we will narrate in the following chapter.
Chapter XLVI
In which there is much bustle and confusion, plot and counter-plot.
About two hours after the council had broken up, the following communication was delivered into the hands of Ramsay by an old woman, who immediately took her departure.