There was a slight smile upon the Earl’s face as he made this remark, for the patroon’s manner spoke discontent plain enough. As all eyes turned upon him, Van Volkenberg felt the need of saying something.
“Your Excellency, I hope, has always found me quick in the support of all our sovereign’s mandates.”
More than one of the persons present exchanged intelligent glances with his neighbor when he heard this qualified approval. Each member of the council interpreted it for himself, according as he believed or disbelieved certain vague rumors that had got abroad concerning the patroon’s interest in the illicit trade.
“I am glad that we are unanimous,” the Earl went on, a bitter smile breaking across his face in spite of his effort to control his features. “I say that I am glad we are unanimous, because I have a question to bring before you for your consideration, which closely concerns the matter in hand.”
He glanced at the patroon. Van Volkenberg for the first time seemed to suspect that a trap had been laid for him. His fingers opened and closed with short nervous movements. His face began to grow white; but it was the whiteness of anger, not of fear. At that moment I saw—for I had been stationed where I could both see and hear what was passing in the council chamber—I saw that the Earl had won only a skirmish, not a battle. The patroon might be defeated for the present, but the spirit that showed in his face was not to be crushed by this blow. Strangely enough, the Earl’s next words pointed the anger of the patroon in a new direction, a direction that in the end almost brought the Earl and his followers to their ruin.
“Captain Kidd,” the Earl resumed, “is now on his way to New York. His crew, which, at present, is but half made up, is to be completed in this city.”
This was the fact that was news to the patroon. He started and turned his face with renewed interest towards the governor, who continued in an unruffled voice.
“A conspiracy has been nipped in the bud, gentlemen—a conspiracy tending to prevent honest men from entering our service and therefore tending to diminish the integrity of Captain Kidd’s crew.”
He paused, looked slowly over his audience, who were breathless with interest, and let his eyes rest upon Van Volkenberg.
“At midnight last, William Bradford, the printer, was arrested by my order. At the time of his arrest he was engaged in putting into type this paper, which I shall now read aloud and then give into your hands for further examination: