The Ferryman of Brill

Ferryman of Brill, by William H.
G. Kingston

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Title: The Ferryman of Brill and other stories
Author: William H. G. Kingston
Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21460]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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FERRYMAN OF BRILL ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Ferryman of Brill, and other stories, by William H G Kingston.
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Chapters
1 to 4 constitute "The Ferryman of Brill", while the other seven
chapters are short stories on their own. All these stories had previously
appeared in early volumes of "The Quiver". They were collected and
published by Cassell's, who were not Kingston's usual publishers, and
the book came out in the year of Kingston's death.
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THE FERRYMAN OF BRILL, AND OTHER STORIES, BY WILLIAM H
G KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
THE PROTESTANT LOVERS--A RIVAL--DIEDRICH FINDS HIS
FOOTSTEPS DOGGED-- FINDS A FRIEND IN THE
FERRYMAN--THREATENED WITH THE INQUISITION--FLIES
TO SEA.
Not far from the broad and slow-flowing river Meuse stands the town
of Brill. Flanders, in which it is found, formed at the period to which
we refer a province of the dominions belonging to Philip of Spain. It
was ruled with no very paternal hand by the Duke of Alva, who resided
chiefly at Brussels. He had been employed for several years in burning,
hanging, drowning, and cutting off the heads of his loving subjects, and
torturing them in a variety of ways, in order to make them dutiful
children of the Church of Rome, and of his master, Philip. Not with
great success, for they still hated, with an unalterable deadly hatred,
both one and the other. Brill at that time was not a populous city, nor
did it possess much commercial importance; but it was well walled and
fortified, however, and had a most commodious port. The inhabitants
were peaceable, well-disposed people, who thought as much of
themselves as the citizens of other cities of similar importance are apt
to do. Among them was a young merchant--Diedrich Meghem. He had
made several voyages of adventure, and was well accustomed to a

seafaring life. Now prosperous, and hoping to become wealthy, he was
about to settle down as a steady citizen on shore, with the expectation
of some day, perhaps, becoming burgomaster of his native city.
Diedrich, as young men are apt to do, looked about for a wife to share
his good fortune, and had fixed his affections on Gretchen Hopper, a
fair and very lovely girl, the daughter of a flourishing merchant.
Hopper was supposed to be the possessor of considerable wealth--a
dangerous distinction in those days. Duke Alva heard of the merchant
Hopper's reputed wealth, and had made a note to take an early
opportunity of relieving him of a portion if not the whole of it. Hopper
was known to hold the reformed principles, and though he was careful
not to intrude his opinions in public, the duke's advisers suggested that
there would be no difficulty in bringing up an accusation of heresy
against him. Diedrich was an ardent Protestant. His eye had long been
fixed on William of Orange as the person best able to lift his country
out of the present depressed condition in which she groaned.
Gretchen was a quiet, gentle girl, and she also held to the opinions of
her father and her lover, in spite of her gentleness, with a determination
in no way inferior to theirs. Gretchen soon found out that the honest,
generous-hearted Diedrich loved her, and not long after this discovery
she acknowledged to him that he possessed her entire heart. She had,
however, other admirers, from whom she might have chosen a husband
of a nobler family and of greater wealth than Diedrich. Among other
pretenders to her hand was Caspar Gaill, a Fleming of good family,
who, however, held to the Romish faith and supported the government
of Alva. The merchant Hopper had a great regard for Diedrich, and was
well pleased to find that he wished to become his daughter's husband.
He at once accepted him as a son-in-law, and gave the young couple his
blessing.
"The times are not propitious for marriage, however," he observed.
"Matters may mend; they can scarcely grow worse. Gretchen is young,
and can wait a little. You must have patience, then, my good friend
Diedrich."
Gretchen and her lover passed many pleasant evenings together, though

it was considered prudent not to make their intended marriage public.