IJseel to evade his attackers, his horse is shot through the neck and the waters sweep over his head. Four days pass and there is no news from Diogenes. The archduchess's troops have crossed the IJseel and overrun Gelderland. Nicholaes has been sent to Amersfoot to tell his father of the Stadtholder's coming and that they must evacuate the town. Fugitives from Ede have reached the Stadtholder's camp at Utrecht and it soon becomes obvious that Diogenes has failed to deliver orders to Messire Marquet and Mynheer De Keysere. Gilda is worried, but refuses to believe her husband can have failed. She watches for him from the window and eventually spots him riding into the city. On hearing the news, Nicholaes exclaims that Diogenes' return is impossible but won't say any more when questioned. He then tries to get the Stadtholder away before he can talk to Diogenes, insisting that Diogenes is in league with the Archduchess. When Diogenes, weary and dazed, arrives, Nicholaes attacks him with cries of "Assassin!" but Gilda stops the fight. Diogenes, Pythagoras, and Socrates follow Nicholaes and manage to frustrate his plans to deliver the Stadtholder into the hands of the Archduchess. However, before the traitorous Nicholaes meets up with Lord Stoutenburg, he shoots at Diogenes with a poisoned bullet and the resultant smoke causes him to go blind. Nicolaes and Stoutenburg return to Amersfoort with 4000 mercenaries and demand the surrender of the city. Stoutenburg threatens to kill everyone there unless Gilda agrees to marry him. A commotion outside the house reveals a blind Diogenes is back and is entertaining the troops. Stoutenburg is determined to hang his nemesis Diogenes, and thinks that Gilda will prefer a strong masterful man to a weak helpless one. The sad condition of her husband only seems to make Gilda more committed to him, so changing tack, Stoutenburg promises Gilda he will only spare Diogenes' life if she will agree to be his wife. She reluctantly agrees, but once she has gone to her room, Stoutenburg tells Jan to hang him anyway. Faced with the gallows, Diogenes barters his knowledge of the Stadtholder's plans for a mug of port. Stoutenburg then tells Gilda's father that his son-in-law is a traitor, and knowing the man's views on such behaviour, leaves him alone in the dining hall with Diogenes and a loaded gun. A gunshot is heard from outside the