"Eh?" said the Prince faintly. "Eh?"
He turned to face his friend, and looked at him a moment almost blankly.
Then he spoke.
"We must go on—there is the more need that we go on."
"Is it possible?" broke from De Louverwal.
"Before God, it is very possible," answered William, and his voice was suddenly strong.
He had now recovered complete mastery of himself; he sat down and wrote a letter of consolation and encouragement to Louis.
CHAPTER VII
THE ACTION ON THE GETA
The Duke of Alva marched back triumphantly from Groningen, celebrated the overthrow of Louis of Nassau with arrogant and hollow rejoicings in the overawed capital, tortured and beheaded several persons of distinction—including the brilliant and loyal Burgomaster of Antwerp, Anthony van Straaten—and offered up hundreds of lesser victims as thank-offerings on the altar of his success, and melted the famous Groningen cannon to cast a statue of himself.
Meanwhile William of Orange, by tireless exertions, indomitable patience, courage, and enthusiasm, and by superhuman straining of every nerve to raise the money, had assembled an army of thirty thousand men, and exercising his right as a sovereign Prince he declared war on the Duke of Alva, issued a proclamation of his motives to the Netherlands, and marched toward the frontier of Brabant, near Maestricht, where Alva was encamped.