“I see you are sensible men,” he observed. “Here, Gruginback, take these people to the room where the last lot of prisoners were placed.”
The governor, anxious no longer to be interrupted in his supper, which, for some reason, had been much later than usual, waved his hand, and we, taking our leave of him, followed Gruginback out of the room. With his lantern in his hand, the man led the way down numerous stairs and various passages, till we arrived at the door at the end of a vaulted corridor.
“This is one of our best rooms,” he said, as he selected a key from his bunch and at length opened the door.
It was filled almost to suffocation. Some of the people within were lying down, leaning their backs against the walls. Others were sitting in various postures, to occupy as little space as possible. A few were standing up, although there was but little room for them to move. As we entered, from one of the corners where a group of females was collected, Madam Clough, uttering a cry of joy, hurried to meet her husband. She was followed by Margery and A’Dale, who had been sitting near her. He, I saw, was very pale, and from the blood on his arm and over one side of his dress, I feared that he had been wounded.
“Have you come to take us out of this horrid place?” exclaimed Madam Clough. “How brave and loving an act!”
Master Clough, of course, said that he hoped to do so ere long. After comforting our friends as well as we could, Captain Radford and I, accompanying Master Clough, set off to call on the Civil Governor of the city, to obtain from him their liberation. That functionary—Vander Vynck—a creature of Alva, received us with but little ceremony. He was about retiring to bed, after his supper, and did not appear pleased at being disturbed.
“If people attend unlawful meetings, they must take the consequences,” he observed, when Master Clough made his report.
“But the meeting was held by an Englishman, and those for whom I plead are all English,” answered Master Clough.
“Yes, but natives attended, as can very well be proved,” exclaimed the governor. “The report has already reached me. It will go hard with them, for they have no excuse to offer. If you English come into this country, you must abide by its laws. For the security of our holy religion, such meetings are prohibited, and it matters not whether they are held by Englishmen or others. They will shortly be tried; and if, as I doubt not, they are found guilty, they will probably lose their lives. You have had my answer.”
Poor Master Clough could say nothing more.