GIFT OF 
 MICHAEL REESE 
 
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 in 2008 witin funding from 
 
 IVIicrosoft Corporation 
 
 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/burgomasterswifeOOeberriGli 
 

 \^ 
 
 Copyright, 1882, by William S. Gottsberger 
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 WILLIAM S. GOTTSBERGER 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
BARONESS -SOPHIE VON BRANDENSTEIN, 
 nee Ebers. 
 
 My reason for dedicating a book, and particularly 
 this book, to you, the only sister of my dead father, 
 needs no word of explanation between us. From early 
 childhood you have been a dear and faithful friend to 
 me, and certainly have not forgotten how industriously 
 I labored, while your guest seventeen years ago, in ar- 
 ranging the material whicli constitutes the foundation of 
 the *' Burgomaster's Wife." You then took a friendly 
 interest in many a note of facts, that had seemed to me 
 extraordinary, admirable, or amusing, and when the 
 claims of an arduous profession prevented me from pur- 
 suing my favorite occupation of studying the history of 
 Holland, my mother's home, in the old way, never 
 wearied of reminding me of the fallow material, that had 
 previously awakened your sympatliy. 
 
 At last I have been permitted to give the matter so 
 long laid aside its just dues. A beautiful portion of 
 Holland's glorious history affords the espalier, around 
 which the tendrils of my narrative entwine. You have 
 watched them grow, and therefore will view them kindly 
 and indulgently. 
 
 In love and friendship. 
 
 Ever the same, 
 
 Georq Ebers 
 
 Leipsic, Oct. 30th, 1881, 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 In the year 1574 A. D. spring made its joyous entry 
 into the Netherlands at an unusually early date. 
 
 The sky was blue, gnats sported in the sunshine, 
 white butterflies alighted on the newly-opened yellow 
 flowers, and beside one of the numerous ditches inter- 
 secting the wide plain stood a stork, snapping at a fine 
 fi*og; the poor fellow soon writhed in its enemy's red beak. 
 One gulp — the merry jumper vanished, and its murderer, 
 flapping its wings, soared high into the air. On flew 
 the bird over gardens filled with blossoming fruit-trees, 
 trimly laid-out flower-beds, and gaily-painted arbors, 
 across the frowning circlet of walls and towers that 
 girdled the city, over narrow houses with high, pointed 
 gables, and neat streets bordered with elm, poplar, lin- 
 den and willow-trees, decked with the first green leaves 
 of spring. At last it alighted on a lofty gable-roof, on 
 whose ridge was its firmly-fastened nest. After gen- 
 erously giving up its prey to the little wife brooding 
 over the eggs, it stood on one leg and gazed thought- 
 fully down upon the city, whose shining red tiles 
 gleamed spick and span from the green velvet carpet of 
 the meadows. The bird had known beautiful Leyden, 
 the gem of Holland, for many a year, and was familiar 
 with all the branches of the Rhine that divided the 
 
2 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 Stately city into numerous islands, and over which 
 arched as many stone bridges as there are days in five 
 months of the year; but surely many changes had oc- 
 curred here since the stork's last departure for the south. 
 
 Where were the citizens' gay summer-houses and 
 orchards, where the wooden frames on which the 
 weavers used to stretch their dark and colored cloths ? 
 
 Whatever plant or work of human hands had risen, 
 outside the city walls and towers to the height of a man's 
 breast, thus interrupting the uniformity of the plain, 
 had vanished from the earth, and beyond, on the bird's 
 best hunting-grounds, brownish spots sown with black 
 circles appeared among the green of the meadows. 
 
 Late in October of the preceding year, just after the 
 storks left the country, a Spanish army had encamped 
 here, and a few hours before the return of the winged 
 wanderers in the first opening days of spring, the be- 
 siegers retired without having accomplished their pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Barren spots amid the luxuriant growth of vegeta- 
 tion marked the places where they had pitched their tents, 
 the black cinders of the burnt coals their camp-fires. 
 
 The sorely-threatened inhabitants of the rescued city, 
 with thankful hearts, uttered sighs of relief The in- 
 dustrious, volatile populace had speedily forgotten the 
 sufferings endured, for early spring is so beautiful, and 
 never does a rescued life seem so delicious as when we 
 are surrounded by the joys of spring. 
 
 A new and happier time appeared to have dawned, 
 not only for Nature but for human beings. The troops 
 quartered in the besieged city, which had the day before 
 committed many an annoyance, had been dismissed 
 with song and music. The carpenter's axe flashed in the 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 3 
 
 Spring sunlight before the red walls, towers and gates, and 
 cut sharply into the beams from which new scaffolds and 
 frames were to be erected ; noble cattle grazed peace- 
 fully undisturbed around the city, whose desolated gar- 
 dens were being dug, sowed and planted afresh. In the 
 streets and houses a thousand hands, which but a short 
 time before had guided spears and arquebuses on the 
 walls and towers, were busy at useful work, and old 
 people sat quietly before their doors to let the warm 
 spring sun shine on their backs. 
 
 Few discontented faces were to be seen in Leyden 
 on this eighteenth of April. True, there was no lack of 
 impatient ones, and whoever wanted to seek them need 
 only go to the principal school, where noon was ap- 
 proaching and many boys gazed far more eagerly 
 through the open windows of the school-room, than at 
 the teacher's lips. 
 
 But in that part of the spacious hall where the older 
 lads received instruction, no restlessness prevailed. 
 True, the spring sun shone on their books and exercises 
 too, the spring called them into the open air, but even 
 more poverful than its alluring voice seemed the influ- 
 ence exerted on their young minds by what they were 
 now hearing. 
 
 Forty sparkling eyes were turned towards the 
 bearded man, who addressed them in his deep voice. 
 
 Even wild Jan Mulder had dropped the knife with 
 which he had begun to cut on his desk a well-executed 
 figure of a ham, and was listening attentively. 
 
 The noon bell now rang from the neighboring 
 church, and soon after was heard from the tower of the 
 town-hall, the little boys noisily left the room, but — • 
 strange— the patience of the older ones still held out; 
 
4 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 they were surely hearing things that did not exactly be- 
 long to their lessons. 
 
 The man who stood before them was no teacher in 
 the school, but the city clerk, Van Hout, who, to-da^ 
 filled the place of his sick friend, Verstroot, master of 
 arts and preacher. During the ringing of the bells he 
 had closed the book, and now said : 
 
 ** Suspendo lectionem, Jan Mulder, how would you 
 translate my * stispendere^ ? " 
 
 " Hang," replied the boy. 
 
 " Hang !" laughed Van Hout. " You might be hung 
 from a hook perhaps, but where should we hang a les- 
 son ? Adrian Van der Werff." 
 
 The lad called rose quickly, saying : 
 
 " * Suspendere lectionem ' means to break off the 
 lesson." 
 
 "Very well; and if we wanted to hang up Jan 
 Mulder, what should we say ?'* 
 
 " Patibulare — ad patibulum /" cried the scholars. 
 
 Van Hout, who had just been smiling, grew very 
 grave. Drawing a long breath, he said : 
 
 ^'- Patibulo is a bad Latin word, and your fathers, 
 who formerly sat here, understood its meaning far less 
 thoroughly than you. Now, every child in the Nether- 
 lands knows it, Alva has impressed it on our minds. 
 More than eighteen thousand worthy citizens have come 
 to the gallows through his ^ ad patibulum' " 
 
 With these words he pulled his short black doublet 
 through his girdle, advanced nearer the first desk, and 
 bending his muscular body forward, said with constantly 
 increasing emotion : 
 
 " This shall be enough for to-day, boys. It will do 
 no great harm, if you afterwards forget the names 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. - 5 
 
 learned here. But always remember one thing: your 
 country first of all. Leonidas and his three hundred 
 Spartans did not die in vain, so long as there are men 
 ready to follow their example. Your turn will come 
 too. It is not my business to boast, but truth is truth. 
 We Hollanders have furnished fifty times three hundred 
 men for the freedom of our native soil. Jn such stormy 
 times there are steadfast men ; even boys have shown 
 themselves great. Ulrich yonder, at your head, can 
 bear his nickname of Lowing with honor. * Hither 
 Persians — hither Greeks !' was said in ancient times, but 
 we cry : ' Hither Netherlands, hither Spain !* And in- 
 deed, the proud Darius never ravaged Greece as King 
 PhiHp has devastated Holland. Ay, my lads, many 
 flowers bloom in the breasts of men. Among them 
 is hatred of the poisonous hemlock. Spain has 
 sowed it. in our gardens. I feel it growing within me, 
 and you too feel and ought to feel it. But don't mis- 
 understand me! * Hither Spain — hither Netherlands!* is 
 the cry, and not: ^ Hither Catholics and hither Protes- 
 tants.' Every faith may be right in tlie Lord's eyes, if only 
 the man strives earnestly to walk in Christ's ways. At 
 the throne of Heaven, it will not be asked : Are you 
 Papist, Calvin ist, or Lutheran ? but : What were your 
 intentions and acts ? Respect every man's belief; but 
 despise him who makes common cause with the tyrant 
 against the liberty of our native land. Now pray 
 silently, then you may go home." 
 
 The scholars rose; Van Hout wiped the perspira- 
 tion from his high forehead, and while the boys were 
 collecting books, pencils, and pens, said slowly, as if 
 apologizing to himself for the words already uttered : 
 
 " What I have told you perhaps does not belong to 
 
6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 the school-room; but, my lads, this battle is still far 
 from being ended, and though you must occupy the 
 school-benches for a while, you are the future soldiers. 
 Lowing, remain behind, I have something to say to 
 you." 
 
 He slowly turned his back to the boys, who rushed 
 out of doors. * In a comer of the yard of St. Peter's 
 church, which was behind the building and entered by 
 few of the passers-by, they stood still, and from amid 
 the wild confusion of exclamations arose a sort of con- 
 sultation, to which the organ-notes echomg from the 
 church formed a strange accompaniment. 
 
 They were trying to decide upon the game to be 
 played in the afternoon. 
 
 It was a matter of course, after what Van Hout had 
 said, that there should be a battle; it had not even 
 been proposed by anybody, but the discussion that now 
 arose proceeded from the supposition. 
 
 It was soon decided that patriots and Spaniards, not 
 Greeks and Persians, were to appear in the lists against 
 each other; but when the burgomaster's son, Adrian 
 Van der Werff, a lad of fourteen, proposed to form the 
 two parties, and in the imperious way peculiar to him 
 attempted to make Paul Van Swieten and Glaus Dirkson 
 Spaniards, he encountered violent opposition, and the 
 troublesome circumstance was discovered that no one 
 was willing to represent a foreign soldier. 
 
 Each boy wanted to make somebody else a Gas- 
 tilian, and fight himself under the banner of the Nether- 
 lands. But friends and foes are necessary for a war, and 
 Holland's heroic courage required Spaniards to prove 
 It. The youngsters grew excited, the cheeks of the dis- 
 putants began to flush, here and there clenched lists 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. *J 
 
 were raised, and everything indicated that a horrible 
 civil war would precede the battle to be given the foes 
 of the country. 
 
 In truth, these Hvely boys were ill-suited to play the 
 part of King Philip's gloomy, stiff-necked soldiers. 
 Amid the many fair heads, few lads were seen with 
 l)rown locks, and only one with black hair and dark 
 eyes. This was Adam Baersdorp, whose fdther, like Van 
 der Werff's, was one of the leaders of the citizens. When 
 he too refused to act a Spaniard, one of the boys ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 ** You won't ? Yet my father says your father is half 
 a Glipper,* and a whole Papist to boot." 
 
 At these words young Baersdorp threw his books on 
 the ground, and was rushing with upraised fist upon his 
 enemy — ^but Adrian Van der Werff hastily interposed, 
 crying : 
 
 " For shame, Cornelius. — I'll stop the mouth of any- 
 body who utters such an insult again. Catholics are 
 Christians, as well as we. You heard it from Van Hout, 
 and my father says so too. Will you be a Spaniard, 
 Adam, yes or no ?" 
 
 '* No 1 " cried the latter firmly. '* And if anybody 
 else — " 
 
 ** You can quarrel afterward," said Adrian Van der 
 Werff, interrupting his excited companions, then good- 
 naturedly picking up the books Baersdorp had flung 
 down, and handing them to him, continued resolutely : 
 *' I'll be a Spaniard to-day. Who else ?" 
 
 ** I, Ij I too, for aught I care," sjjiputed several of 
 the scholars, and the forming of the two parties would 
 
 * The name gi^n in Holland to those who sympathized with 
 iipain. ' 
 
8 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 have been carried on in the best order to the end, if 
 the boys' attention had not been diverted by a fresh 
 incident. 
 
 A young gentleman, followed by a black servant, 
 came up the street directly towards them. He too was 
 a Netherlander, but had little in common with the 
 school-boys except his age, a red and white complexion, 
 fair hair, and clear blue eyes, eyes that looked arro- 
 gantly out upon the world. Every step showed that he 
 considered himself an important personage, and the 
 gaily-costumed negro, who carried a few recently pur- 
 chased articles behind him, imitated this bearing in a 
 most comical way. The negro's head was held still 
 farther back than the young noble's, whose stiff Spanish 
 ruff prevented him from moving his handsome head as 
 freely as other mortals. 
 
 " That ape, Wibisma," said one of the school-boys, 
 pointing to the approaching nobleman. 
 
 All eyes turned towards him, scornfully scanning his 
 httle velvet hat decked with a long plume, the quilted 
 red satin garment padded in the breast and sleeves, the 
 huge puffs of his short brown breeches, and the brilliant 
 scarlet silk stockings that closely fitted his well-formed 
 limbs. 
 
 " The ape," repeated Paul Van Swieten. '^ He wants 
 to be a cardinal, that's v/hy he wears so mucli red." 
 
 "And looks as Spanish as if he came straight from 
 Madrid," cried another lad, while a third added : 
 
 "The Wibismas certainly were not to be found 
 here, so long as bread was short with us." 
 
 The Wibismas are all Clippers. 
 
 *' And he struts about on week-days, dressed in 
 velvet and silk," said Adrian. "Just look at the black 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 9 
 
 boy the red-legged stork has brought with him to 
 Leyden." 
 
 The scholars burst into a loud laugh, and as soon 
 as the youth had reached them, Paul Van Swieten 
 snarled in a nasal tone : 
 
 "How did deserting suit you? How are affairs in 
 Spain, master Clipper ?" 
 
 The young noble raised his head still higher, the 
 negro did the same, and both walked quietly on, even 
 when Adrian shouted in his ear : 
 
 " Little Clipper, tell me, for how many pieces of 
 silver did Judas sell the Saviour ?" 
 
 Young Matanesse Van Wibisma made an indignant 
 gesture, but controlled himself until Jan Mulder stepped 
 in front of him, holding, his little cloth cap, into which 
 he had thrust a hen's feather, under his chin like a beg- 
 gar, and saying humbly : 
 
 " Cive me a Httle shrove-money for our tom-cat, Sir 
 Crandee ; he stole a leg of veal from the butcher yes- 
 terday." 
 
 " Out of my way 1" said the youth in a haughty, 
 resolute tone, trying to push Mulder aside with the 
 back of his hand. 
 
 *' Hands off, CUpper !" cried the school-boys, raising 
 their clenched hands threateningly. 
 
 " Then let me alone," replied Wibisma, " I want no 
 quarrel, least of all with you." 
 
 " Why not with us ?" asked Adrian Van der Werff, 
 irritated by the supercilious, arrogant tone of the last 
 words. 
 
 The youth shrugged his shoulders, but Adrian cried: 
 
 *' Because you like your Spanish costume better than 
 our doublets of Leyden cloth. " 
 
lO THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Here he paused, for Jan Mulder stole behind 
 Wibisma, struck his hat down on his head with a book, 
 and while Nicolas Van Wibisma was trying to free his 
 eyes from the covering that shaded them, exclaimed : 
 
 " There, Sir Grandee, now the little hat sits -firm ! 
 You can keep it on, even before the king." 
 
 The negro could not go to his master's assistance, 
 for his arms were filled with parcels, but the young 
 noble did not call him, knowing how cowardly his black 
 servant was, and feeling strong enough to help him- 
 self. 
 
 A costly clasp, which he had just received as a gift 
 on his seventeenth birthday, confined the plume in his 
 hat; but without a thought he flung it aside, stretched 
 out his arms as if for a wrestling-match, and with 
 flushed cheeks, asked in a loud, resolute tone : '* Who 
 did that?" • 
 
 Jan Mulder had hastily retreated among his com- 
 panions, and instead of coming forward and giving his 
 name, called : 
 
 "Look for the hat-fuller, Clipper! We'll play blind- 
 man's buff"." 
 
 The youth, frantic with rage, repeated his question. 
 
 When, instead of any other answer, the boys entered 
 into Jan Mulder's jest, shouting gaily : " Yes, play 
 blind-man's buff"! Look for the hat-fuller. Come, little 
 Clipper, begin." Nicolas could contain himself no 
 longer, but shouted furiously to the laughing throng : 
 
 "Cowardly rabble!" 
 
 Scarcely had the words been uttered, when Paul Van 
 Swieten raised his grammar, bound in hog-skin, and 
 hurled it at W^ibisma's breast. 
 
 Other books followed, amid loud outcries, striking 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 11 
 
 him on the legs and shoulders. Bewildered, he shielded 
 his face with his hands and retreated to the church-yard 
 wall, where he stood still and prepared to rush upon his 
 foes. 
 
 The stiff, fashionable high Spanish ruff no longer 
 confined his handsome head with its floating golden 
 locks. Freely and boldly he looked his enemies in the 
 face, stretched the young limbs hardened by many a 
 knightly exercise, and with a tnie Netherland oath 
 sprang upon Adrian Van der Werff, who stood nearest. 
 
 After a short struggle, the burgomaster's son, inferior 
 in strength and age to his opponent, lay extended on 
 the ground; but the other lads, who had not ceased 
 shouting, *' Clipper, Clipper," seized the young noble, 
 who was kneeling on his vanquished foe. 
 
 Nicolas struggled bravely, but his enemies' superior 
 power was too great. 
 
 Frantic with fury, wild with rage and shame, he 
 snatched the dagger from his belt. 
 
 The boys now raised a frightful yell, and two of 
 them rushed upon Nicolas to wrest the weapon from 
 him. This was quickly accomplished ; the dagger flew 
 on the pavement, but Van Swieten sprang back with a 
 low cry, for the sharp blade had struck his arm, and the 
 bright blood streamed on the ground. 
 
 For several minutes the shouts of the lads and the 
 piteous cries of the black page drowned the beautiful 
 melody of the organ, pouring from the windows of the 
 church. Suddenly the music ceased ; instead of the in- 
 tricate harmony the slowly-dying note of a single pipe 
 was heard, and a young man rushed out of the door of 
 the sacristy of the House of Cod. He quickly per- 
 ceived the cause of the wild uproar that had interrupted 
 
12 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 his practising, and a smile flitted over the handsome 
 face which, framed by a closely-cut beard, had just 
 looked startled enough, though the reproving words 
 and pushes with which he separated the enraged lads 
 were earnest enough, and by no means failed to produce 
 their effect. 
 
 The boys knew the musician, Wilhelm Corneliussohn, 
 and offered no resistance, for they liked him, and his 
 dozen years of seniority gave him an undisputed 
 authority among them. Not a hand was again raised 
 against Wibisma, but the boys, all shouting and talking 
 together, crowded around the organist to accuse Nic- 
 olas and defend themselves. 
 
 Paul Van Swieten's wound was slight. He stood 
 outside the circle of his companions, supporting the 
 injured left arm with his right hand. He frequendy 
 blew upon the burning spot in his flesh, over which a 
 bit of cloth was wrapped, but curiosity concerning the 
 result of this entertaining brawl was stronger than the 
 wish to have it bandaged and healed. 
 
 As the peace-maker's work was already drawing to a 
 close, the wounded lad, pointing with his sound hand in 
 the direction of the school, suddenly called warningly: 
 
 " There comes Herr von Nordwyk. Let the Gllpper 
 go, or there will be trouble." 
 
 Paul Van Svvieten again clasped his wounded arm 
 Avith his right hand and ran swiftly around the church. 
 Several other boys followed, but the new-comer of whom 
 they were afraid, a man scarcely thirty years old, had 
 legs of considerable length, and knew how to use them 
 bravely. 
 
 " Stop, boys ! " he shouted in an echoing voice of 
 command. " Stop ! What has happened here ?" 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. I5 
 
 Every one in Leyden respected the learned and 
 brave young nobleman, so all the lads who had not 
 instantly obeyed Van Swieten's warning shout, stood 
 still until Herr von Nordwyk reached them. 
 
 A strange, eager light sparkled in this man's clever 
 eyes, and a subtle smile hovered around his moustached 
 lip, as he called to the musician : 
 
 " What has happened here, Meister Wilhelm ? 
 Didn't the clamor of Minerva's apprentices harmonize 
 with your organ-playing, or did — but by all the colors 
 of Iris, that's surely Nico Matanesse, young Wibisma ! 
 And how he looks ! Brawling in the shadow of the 
 church — and you here too, Adrian, and you, Meister 
 Wilhelm?" 
 
 " I separated them," replied the other quietly, 
 smoothing his rumpled cuffs. 
 
 " With perfect calmness, but impressively — like 
 your organ-music," said the commander, laughing. 
 "Who began the fight? You, young sir? or the 
 others ? " 
 
 Nicolas, in his excitement, shame, and indignation^ 
 could find no coherent words, but Adrian came forward 
 saying: "We wrestled together. Don't be too much 
 vexed with us, Herr Janus." 
 
 Nicolas cast a friendly glance at his foe. 
 
 Herr von Nordwyk, Jan Van der Does, or as a 
 learned man he preferred to call himself, Janus Dousa, 
 was by no means satisfied with this information, but 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " Patience, patience ! You look suspicious enough^ 
 Meister Adrian; come here and tell me, ^atrekeos^ ac- 
 cording to the truth, what has been going on." 
 
 The boy obeyed the command and told his story 
 
14 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 honestly, without conceaHng or paUiating anything that 
 had occurred. 
 
 " Hm," said Dousa, after the lad had finished his 
 report. "A difficult case. No one is to be acquitted. 
 Your cause would be the better one, had it not been for 
 the knife, my fine young nobleman, but you, Adrian, 
 and you, you chubby-cheeked rascals, who — There 
 comes the rector — If he catches you, you'll certainly 
 see nothing but four walls the rest of this beautiful day. 
 I should be sorry for that." 
 
 The chubby-cheeked rascals, and Adrian also, under- 
 stood this hint, and without stopping to take leave 
 scampered around the comer of the church like a flock 
 of doves pursued by a hawk. 
 
 As soon as they had vanished, the commander ap- 
 proached young Nicolas, saying: 
 
 "Vexatious business! What was right to them is 
 just to you. Go to your home. Are you visiting your 
 aunt ?" 
 
 " Yes, my lord," replied the young noble. 
 
 " Is your father in the city too ?" 
 
 Nicolas was silent. 
 
 " He doesn't wish to be seen ?'* 
 
 Nicolas nodded assent, and Dousa continued : 
 
 ""Leyden stands open to every Netherlander, even 
 to you. To be sure, if you go about like King Philip's 
 page, and show contempt to your equals, you must en- 
 dure the consequences yourself There lies the dagger, 
 my young friend, and there is your hat. Pick them 
 up, and remember that such a weapon is no toy. Many 
 a man has spoiled his whole life, by thoughtlessly 
 using one a single moment. The superior numbers 
 that pressed upon you may excuse you. But how 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 1 5 
 
 will you get to your aunt's house in that tattered 
 doublet ?'* 
 
 " My cloak is in the church," said the musician, " I'll 
 give it to the young gentleman." 
 
 " Bravo, Meister Wilhelm !" replied Dousa. " Wait 
 here, my little master, and then go home. I wish the 
 time, when your father would value my greeting, might 
 come again. Do you know why it is no longer pleasant 
 to him ?" 
 
 " No, my lord." 
 
 " Then I'll tell you. Because he is fond of Spain, 
 and I cling to the Netherlands." 
 
 " We are Netherland«rs as well as you," replied 
 Nicolas with glowing cheeks. 
 
 " Scarcely," answered Dousa calmly, putting his 
 hand up to his thin chin, and intending to add a kinder 
 word to the sharp one, when the youth vehemently ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 "Take back that * scarcely,* Herr von Nordwyk." 
 
 Dousa gazed at the bold lad in surprise, and again 
 an expression of amusement hovered about his lips. 
 Then he said kindly : 
 
 " I like you, Herr Nicolas ; and shall rejoice if you 
 wish to become a true Hollander. There comes Meister 
 Wilhelm with his cloak. Give me your hand. No, not 
 this one, the other." 
 
 Nicolas hesitated, but Janus grasped the boy's right 
 hand in both of his, bent his tall figure to the latter's 
 ear, and said in so low a tone that the musician could 
 not understand : 
 
 " Ere we part, take with you this word of counsel 
 from one who means kindly. Chains, even golden ones, 
 drag us down, but liberty gives wings. You shine in 
 
l6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. \ 
 
 the glittering splendor, but we strike the Spanish chains I 
 
 with the sword, and I devote myself to our work. \ 
 
 Remember these words, and if you choose repeat them \ 
 
 to your father." : 
 
 Janus Dousa turned his back on the boy, waved a ] 
 
 farewell to the musician, and went away. j 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Young Adrian hurried down the AVerfFsteg, which 
 had given his family its name. He heeded neither the 
 lindens on both sides, amid whose tops the first tiny 
 green leaves were forcing their way out of the pointed 
 buds, nor the birds that flew hither and thither among 
 the hospitable boughs of the stately trees, building their 
 nests and twittering to each other, for he had no thought 
 in his mind except to reach home as quickly as possible. 
 
 Beyond the bridge spanning the Achtergracht, he 
 paused irresolutely before a large building. 
 
 The knocker hung on the central door, but he did 
 not venture to lift it and let it fall on the shining plate 
 beneath, for he could expect no pleasant reception from 
 his family. 
 
 His doublet had fared ill during his struggle with his 
 stronger enemy. The torn neck-ruffles had been re- 
 moved from their proper place and thrust into his 
 pocket, and the new violet stocking on his right leg, 
 luckless thing, liad been so frayed by rubbing on the 
 pavement, that a large yawning rent showed far more of 
 Adrian's white knee than was agreeable to him. 
 
 The peacock feather in his little velvet cap could 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1/ 
 
 easily be replaced, but the doublet was torn, not ripped, 
 and the stocking scarcely capable of being mended. 
 
 The boy was sincerely sorry, for his father had bade 
 him take good care of tl^e stuff to save money ; during 
 these times there were hard shifts in the big house, 
 which with its three doors, triple gables adorned with 
 beautifully-arched volutes, and six windows in the upper 
 and lower stories, fronted the Werffsteg in a very proud, 
 stately guise. 
 
 The burgomaster's office did not bring in a large in- 
 come, and Adrian's grandfather's trade of preparing 
 chamois leather, as well as the business in skins, was 
 falling off; his father had other matters in his head, 
 matters that claimed not only his intellect, strength and 
 time, but also every superfluous farthing. 
 
 Adrian had nothing pleasant to expect at home — 
 certainly not from his father, far less from his aunt 
 Barbara. Yet the boy dreaded the anger of these two 
 far less, than a single disapproving glance from the eyes of 
 the young wife, whom he had called '^ mother" scarcely 
 a twelve month, and who was only six years his senior. 
 
 She never said an unkind word to him, but his de- 
 fiance and wildness melted before her beauty, her'quiet, 
 aristocratic manner. He scarcely knew himself whether 
 he loved her or not, but she appeared like the good fairy 
 of whom the fairy tales spoke, and it often seemed as if 
 she were far too delicate, dainty and charming for her 
 simple, unpretending home. To see her smile rendered 
 the boy happy, and when she looked sad — a thing that 
 often happened — it made his heart ache. Merciful 
 Heavens ! She certainly could not receive him kindly 
 when she saw his doublet, the ruffles thrust into his 
 pocket, and his unlucky stockings. 
 
Id THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 And then ! 
 
 There were the bells ringing again ! 
 
 The dinner hour had long since passed, and his 
 father waited for no one. Whoever came too late must go 
 without, unless Aunt Barbara took compassion on him 
 in the kitchen. 
 
 But what was the use of pondering and hesitating ? 
 
 Adrian summoned up all his courage, clenched his 
 teeth, clasped his right hand still closer around the 
 torn ruffles in his pocket, and struck the knocker loudly 
 on the steel plate beneath. 
 
 Trautchen, the old maid-servant, opened the door, 
 and in the spacious, dusky entrance-hall, where the bales 
 of leather were packed closely together, did not notice 
 the dilapidation of his outer man. 
 
 He hurried swiftly up the stairs. 
 
 The dining-room door was open, and — marvellous 
 — the table was still untouched, his father must have 
 remained at the town-hall longer than usual. 
 
 Adrian rushed with long leaps to his little attic room, 
 dressed himself neatly, and entered the presence of his 
 family before the master of the house had asked the 
 blessing. 
 
 The doublet and stocking could be confided to the 
 hands of Aunt Barbara or Trautchen, at some opportune 
 hour. 
 
 Adrian sturdily attacked the smoking dishes; but 
 his heart soon grew heavy, for his father did not utter a 
 word, and gazed into vacancy as gravely and anxiously 
 as at the time when misery entered the beleagured city. 
 
 The boy's young step-mother sat opposite her hus- 
 band, and often glanced at Peter Van der Werft^'s grave 
 face to win a loving glance from him. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. I9 
 
 Whenever she did so in vain, she pushed her soft, 
 golden hair back from her forehead, raised her beautiful 
 head higher, or bit her lips and gazed silently into her 
 plate. 
 
 In reply to Aunt Barbara's questions : " What hap- 
 pened at the council ? Has the money for the new bell 
 been collected ? Will Jacob Van Sloten rent you the 
 meadow ?" he made curt, evasive replies. 
 
 The steadfast man, who sat so silently with frowning 
 brow among his family, sometimes attacking the viands 
 on his plate, then leaving them untouched, did not look 
 like one who yields to idle whims. 
 
 All present, even the men and maid-servants, were 
 still devoting themselves to the food, when the master 
 of the house rose, and pressing both hands over the 
 back of his head, which was very prominently devel- 
 oped, exclaimed groaning : 
 
 " I can hold out no longer. Do you give thanks, 
 Maria. Go to the town-hall, Janche, and ask if no 
 messenger has yet arrived." 
 
 The man-servant wiped his mouth and instantly 
 obeyed. He was a tall, broad-shouldered Frieselander, 
 but only reached to his master's forehead. 
 
 Peter Van der Werfif, without any form of salutation, 
 turned his back on his family, opened the door leading 
 into his study, and after crossing the threshold, closed it 
 with a bang, approached the big oak writing-desk, on 
 which papers and letters lay piled in heaps, secured by 
 rough leaden weights, and began to rummage among 
 the newly-arrived documents. For fifteen minutes he 
 vainly strove to fix the necessary attention upon his 
 task, then grasped his study-chair to rest his folded arms 
 on the high, perforated back, adorned with simple carv- 
 
20 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 ing, and gazed thoughtfully at the wooden wainscoting 
 of the ceiling. After a few minutes he pushed the chair 
 aside with his foot, raised his hand to his mouth, sep- 
 arated his moustache from his thick brown beard, and 
 went to the window. The small, round, leaden-cased 
 panes, however brightly they might be polished, per- 
 mitted only a narrow portion of the street to be seen, 
 but the burgomaster seemed to have found the object 
 for which he had been looking. Hastily opening the 
 window, he called to his servant, who was hurriedly ap- 
 proaching the house : 
 
 " Is he in, Janche ? " 
 
 The Frieselander shook his head, the window again 
 closed, and a few minutes after the burgomaster seized 
 his hat, which hung, between some cavalry pistols and 
 a plain, substantial sword, on the only wall of his room 
 not perfectly bare. 
 
 The torturing anxiety that filled his mind, would no 
 longer allow him to remain in the house. 
 
 He would have his horse saddled, and ride to meet 
 the expected messenger. 
 
 Ere leaving the room, he paused a moment lost in 
 thought, then approached the writing-table to sign some 
 papers intended for the town-hall; for his return might 
 be delayed till night. 
 
 Still standing, he looked over the two sheets he had 
 spread out before him, and seized the pen. Just at that 
 moment the door of the room gently opened, and the 
 fresh sand strewn over the white boards creaked under 
 a light foot. He doubtless heard it, but did not allow 
 himself to be interrupted. 
 
 His wife was now standing close behind him. Four 
 and twenty years his junior, she seemed like a timid girl. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 21 
 
 as she raised her arm, yet did not venture to divert her 
 husband's attention from his business. 
 
 She waited quietly till he had signed the first paper, 
 then turned her pretty head aside, and blushing faintly, 
 exclaimed with downcast eyes: 
 
 ^'It is I, Peter!" 
 
 "Very well, my child," he answered curtly, raising 
 the second paper nearer his eyes. 
 
 "Peter!" she exclaimed a second time, still more 
 eagerly, but with timidity. " I have something to tell 
 you." 
 
 Van der Werff turned his head, cast a hasty, affec- 
 tionate glance at her, and said: 
 
 "Now, child? You see I am busy, and there is my 
 hat." 
 
 "But Peter!" she replied, a flash of something like 
 indignation sparkling in her eyes, as she continued m a 
 voice pervaded with a slightly perceptible tone of com- 
 plaint: "We haven't said anything to each other to-day. 
 My heart is so full, and what I would fain say to you is, 
 must surely — " 
 
 "When I come home Maria, not now," he inter- 
 rupted, his deep voice sounding half impatient, half 
 beseeching. "First the city and the country — then 
 love-making." 
 
 At these words, Maria raised her head proudly, and 
 answered with quivering lips: 
 
 "That is what you have said ever since the first day 
 of our marriage." 
 
 "And unhappily — unhappily — I must continue to 
 say so until we reach the goal," he answered firmly. 
 
 The blood mounted into the young wife's delicate 
 
2 2 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 cheeks, and with quickened breathing, she answered in 
 a hasty, resolute tone: 
 
 "Yes, indeed, I have known these words ever since 
 your courtship, and as I am my father's daughter never 
 opposed them, but now they are no longer suited to us, 
 and should be : ' Everything for the country, and nothing 
 at all for the wife.' " 
 
 Van der Werff laid down his pen and turned full 
 towards her. 
 
 Maria's slender figure seemed to have grown taller, 
 and the blue eyes, swimming in tears, flashed proudly. 
 This life-companion seemed to have been created by 
 God especially for him. His heart opened to her, and 
 frankly stretching out both hands, he said tenderly : 
 
 *' You know how matters are! This heart is change- 
 less, and other days will come." 
 
 " When ?" asked Maria, in a tone as mournful as if 
 she beheved in no happier future. 
 
 " Soon," rephed her husband firmly. " Soon, if 
 only each one gives willingly what our native land 
 demands." 
 
 At these words the young wife loosed her hands 
 from her husband's, for the door had opened and Bar- 
 bara called to her brother from the threshold. 
 
 '^ Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma, the GHpper, is in 
 the entry and wants to speak to you." 
 
 " Show him up," said the burgomaster reluctantly. 
 
 When again alone with his wife, he asked hastily : 
 
 " Will you be indulgent and help me ?" 
 
 She nodded assent, trying to smile. 
 
 He saw that she was sad and, as this grieved him, 
 held out his hand to her again, saying: 
 
 " Better days will come, when I shall be permitted 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 23 
 
 to be more to you than to-day. What were you going 
 to say just now ?" 
 
 " Whether you know it or not — is of no importance 
 to the state." 
 
 " But to you. Then Hft up your head again, and 
 look at me. Quick, love, for they are already on the 
 stairs." 
 
 " It isn't worth mentioning — a year ago to-day — 
 we might celebrate the anniversary of our wedding 
 to-day." 
 
 " The anniversary of our wedding-day !" he cried, 
 striking his hands loudly together. " Yes, this is the 
 seventeenth of April, and I. have forgotten it." 
 
 He drew her tenderly towards him, but just at that 
 moment the door opened, and Adrian ushered the baron 
 into the room. 
 
 Van der Werff bowed courteously to the infrequent 
 guest, then called to his blushing wife, who was retiring : 
 
 " My congratulations ! I'll come later. x\drian, we 
 are to celebrate a beautiful festival to-day, the anniver- 
 sary of our marriage." 
 
 The boy glided swiftly out of the door, which he still 
 held in his hand, for he suspected the aristocratic visi- 
 tor boded him no good. 
 
 In the entry he paused to think, then hurried up the 
 stairs, seized his plumeless cap, and rushed out of doors. 
 
 He saw his school-mates, armed with sticks and poles, 
 ranging themselves in battle array, and would have liked 
 to join the game of war, but for that very reason pre- 
 ferred not to listen to the shouts of the combatants at 
 that moment, and ran towards the Zylhof until beyond 
 the sound of their voices. 
 
 He now checked his steps, and in a stooping posture, 
 
24 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 often on his knees, followed the windings of a narrow 
 canal that emptied into the Rhine. 
 
 As soon as his cap was overflowing with the white, 
 blue, and yellow spring flowers he had gathered, he sat 
 down on a boundary stone, and with sparkling eyes 
 bound them into a beautiful bouquet, with which he ran 
 home. 
 
 On the bench beside the gate sat the old maid-ser- 
 vant with his little sister, a child six years old. Hand- 
 ing the flowers, which he had kept hidden behind his 
 back, to her, he said : 
 
 " Take them and carry them to mother, Bessie ; this 
 is the anniversary of her wedding-day. Give her warm 
 congratulations too, from us both." 
 
 The child rose, and the old servant said : 
 
 " You are a good boy, Adrian." 
 
 " Do you think so ?" he asked, all the sins of the 
 forenoon returning to his mind. 
 
 But unluckily they caused him no repentance ; on 
 the contrary, his eyes began to sparkle mischievously, 
 and a smile hovered around his lips, as he patted the 
 old woman's shoulder, whispering softly in her ear :. 
 
 "The hair flew to-day, Trautchen. My doublet and 
 new stockings are lying up in my room under the bed. 
 Nobody can mend as well as you." 
 
 Trautchen shook her finger at him, but he turned 
 hastily back and ran towards the Zyl-gate, this time to 
 lead the Spaniards against the Netherlanders. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The burgomaster had pressed the nobleman to sit 
 down in the study-chair, while he himself leaned in a 
 half-sitting attitude on the writing-table, listening some- 
 what impatiently to his distinguished guest. 
 
 " Before speaking of more important things," Herr 
 Matanesse Van Wibisma had begun, " I should like to 
 appeal to you, as a just man, for some punishment for 
 the injury my son has sustained in this city." 
 
 ^' Speak," said the burgomaster, and the nobleman 
 now briefly, and with unconcealed indignation, related 
 the story of the attack upon his son at the church. 
 
 ^Tll inform the rector of the annoying incident," 
 replied Van der Werff, " and the culprits will receive their 
 just dues; but pardon me, noble sir, if I ask whether any 
 inquiry has been made concerning the cause of the 
 quarrel?" 
 
 Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma looked at the burgo- 
 master in surprise and answered proudly: 
 
 "You know my son's report." 
 
 " Both sides must be fairly heard," replied Van der 
 Werff calmly. "That has been the custom of the Neth- 
 erlands from ancient times." 
 
 " My son bears my name and speaks the truth." 
 
 " Our boys are called simply Leendert or Adrian or 
 Gerrit, but they do the same, so I must beg you to send 
 the young gentleman to the examination at the school." 
 
 " By no means," answered the knight resolutely. " If 
 1 had thought the matter belonged to the rector's de- 
 
26 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 partment, I should have sought him and not you, Herr 
 Peter. My son has his own tutor, and was not attacked 
 in your school, which in any case he has outgrown, for 
 he is seventeen, but in the public street, whose security 
 it is the burgomaster's duty to guard." 
 
 " Very well then, make your complaint, take the 
 youth before the judges, summon witnesses and let the 
 law follow its course. But, sir," continued Van der 
 Werff, softening the impatience in his voice, "were you. 
 not young yourself once? Have you entirely forgotten 
 the fights under the citadel? What pleasure will it 
 afford you, if we lock up a few thoughtless lads for two 
 days this sunny weather? The scamps will find some- 
 thing amusing to do indoors, as well as out, and only 
 the parents will be punished." 
 
 The last words were uttered so cordially and pleas- 
 antly, that they could not fail to have their effect upon 
 the baron. He was a handsome man, whose refined,, 
 agreeable features, of the true Netherland type, ex- 
 pressed anything rather than severity. 
 
 '* If you speak to me in this tone, we shall come to 
 an agreement more easily," he answered, smiling. " I 
 will only say this. Had the brawl arisen in sport, or 
 from some boyish quarrel, I wouldn't have wasted a word 
 on the matter — but that children already venture to as- 
 sail with jeers and violence those who hold different 
 opinions, ought not to be permitted to pass without re- 
 proof. The boys shouted after my son the absurd 
 word — " 
 
 " It is certainly an insult," interrupted Van der 
 Werff, " a very disagreeable name, that our people be- 
 stow on the enemies of their liberty." 
 
 The baron rose, angrily confronting the other. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 27 
 
 " Who tells you," he cried, striking his broad breast, 
 padded with silken puffs, '^ who tells you that we grudge 
 Holland her liberty ? We desire, just as earnestly as 
 you, to win it back to"~the States, but by other, straighter 
 paths than Orange — " 
 
 '* I cannot test here whether your paths are crooked 
 or straight," retorted Van der Werff ; " but I do know 
 this — they are labyrinths." 
 
 ^' They will lead to the heart of Philip, our king and 
 yours." 
 
 " Yes, if he only had what we in Holland call a 
 heart," replied the other, smiling bitterly ; but Wibisma 
 threw his head back vehemently, exclaiming reproach- 
 fully : 
 
 " Sir Burgomaster, you are speaking of the anointed 
 Prince to whom I have sworn fealty." 
 
 " Baron Matanesse," replied Van der Werff, in a tone 
 of deep earnestness, as he drew himself up to his full 
 height, folded his arms, and looked the nobleman sharply 
 in the eye, " I speak rather of the tyrant, whose bloody 
 council declared all who bore the Netherland name, and 
 you among us, criminals worthy of death ; who, through 
 his destroying devil, Alva, burned, beheaded, and hung 
 thousands of honest men, robbed and exiled from the 
 country thousands of others, I speak of the profligate — " 
 
 " Enough!" cried the knight, clenching the hilt of his 
 sword. " Who gives you the right — " 
 
 "Who gives me the right to speak so bitterly, you 
 would ask?" interrupted Peter Van der Werff, meeting 
 the nobleman's eyes with a gloomy glance. "Who gives 
 me this right? I need not conceal it. It was bestowed 
 by the silent lips of my valiant father, beheaded for the 
 sake of his faith, by the arbitrary decree, that without 
 
28 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 form of law, banished my brother and myself from the 
 country — by the Spaniards' broken vows, the torn char- 
 ters of this land, the suffering of the poor, ill-treated, 
 worthy people that will perish if we do not save them.*' 
 
 "You will not save them," replied Wibisma in a 
 calmer tone. "You will push those tottering on the 
 verge of the abyss completely over the precipice, and go 
 to destruction with them." 
 
 "We are pilots. Perhaps we shall bring deliverance, 
 perhaps we shall go to ruin with those for whom we are 
 ready to die." 
 
 "You say that, and yet a young, blooming wife binds 
 you to life." 
 
 "Baron, you have crossed this threshold as com- 
 plainant to the burgomaster, not as guest or friend." 
 
 "Quite true, but I came with kind intentions, as 
 monitor to the guiding head of this beautiful, hapless 
 city. You have escaped the storm once, but new and 
 far heavier ones are gathering above your heads." " 
 
 "We do not fear them." 
 
 "Not even now?" 
 
 " Now, with good reason, far less than ever." 
 
 "Then you don't know the Prince's brother — " 
 
 " Louis of Nassau was close upon the Spaniards on 
 the 14th, and our cause is doing well — " 
 
 " It certainly did not fare ill at first." 
 
 "The messenger, who yesterday evening — " 
 
 "Ours came this morning." 
 
 "This morning, you say? And what more — " 
 
 "The Prince's army was defeated and utterly de- 
 stroyed on Mook Heath. Louis of Nassau himself was 
 slain." 
 
 Van der Werff pressed his fingers firmly on the wood 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE". 29 
 
 of the writing-table. The fresh color of his cheeks and 
 lips had yielded to a livid pallor, and his mouth quiv- 
 ered painfully as he asked in a low, hollow tone, " Louis 
 dead, really dead?" 
 
 " Dead," replied the baron firmly, though sorrowfully. 
 "We were enemies, but Louis was a noble youth. I 
 mourn him with you." 
 
 "Dead, William's favorite dead!" murmured the bur- 
 gomaster as if in a dream. Then, controlling himself by 
 a violent effort, he said, firmly: 
 
 " Pardon me, noble sir. Time is flying. I must go 
 to the town-hall." 
 
 "And spite of my message, you will continue to up- 
 hold rebelHon?" 
 
 "Yes, my lord, as surely as I am a Hollander." 
 
 " Do you remember the fate of Haarlem ?" 
 
 " I remember her citizens' resistance, and the rescued 
 Alkmaar." 
 
 "Man, man!" cried the baron. "By all that is 
 sacred, I miplore you to be circumspect." 
 
 " Enough, baron, I must go to the town-hall." 
 
 " No, only this one more word, this one word. I 
 know you upbraid us as * Clippers,' deserters, but as 
 truly as I hope for God's mercy, you misjudge us. No, 
 Herr Peter, no, I am no traitor! I love this country and 
 this brave, industrious people with the same love as 
 yourself, for its blood flows in my veins also. I signed 
 the compromise. Here I stand, sir. Look at me. Do 
 1 look like a Judas? Do I look like a Spaniard? Can 
 you blame me for faithfully keeping the oath I gave the 
 king? When did we of the Netherlands ever trifle with 
 vows ? You, the friend of Orange, have just declared 
 that you did not grudge any man the faith to which he 
 
30 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 clung, and I will not doubt it. Well, I hold firmly to 
 the old church, I am a Catholic and shall remain one. 
 But in this hour I fi-ankly confess, that I hate the inqui- 
 sition and Alva's bloody deeds as much as you do. 
 They have as little connection with our religion as icon- 
 oclasm had with yours Like you, I love the fi-eedom 
 of our home. To win it back is my endeavor, as well as 
 yours. But how can a Httle handful like us ever suc- 
 ceed in finally resisting the most powerful kingdom in 
 the world ? Though we conquer once, twice, thrice, 
 two stronger armies will follow each defeated one. We 
 shall accomplish nothing by force, but may do^iiuch by 
 wise concession and prudent deeds. Philip's coffers are 
 empty ; he needs his armies too in other countries. Well 
 then, let us profit by his difficulties, and force him to 
 ratify some lOs^ liberty for every revolted city that re- 
 turns to him. Let us buy from his hands, with what 
 remains of our old wealth, the rights he has wrested from 
 us while fighting against the rebels. You will find open 
 hands with me and those who share my opinions. Your 
 voice weighs heavily in the council of this city. You 
 are the friend of Orange, and if you could induce him — " 
 
 " To do what, noble sir ?" 
 
 " To enter into an alliance with us. We know that 
 those in Madrid understand how to estimate his impor- 
 tance and fear him. Let us stipulate, as the first condi- 
 tion, a full pardon for him and his faithful followers. 
 King Philip, I know, will receive him into favor again — " 
 
 ^' In his arms to strangle him," replied the burgo- 
 master resolutely. *' Have you forgotten the false 
 promises of pardon made in former times, the fate of 
 Egmont and Horn, the noble Montigney and other 
 lords ? They ventured it and entered the tiger's den. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 3I 
 
 'What we buy to-day will surely be taken from us to- 
 morrow, for what oath would be sacred to Philip ? I 
 am no statesman, but I know this — if he would restore 
 all our liberties, he will never grant the one thing, with- 
 out which Hfe is valueless." 
 
 " What is that, Herr Peter ?" 
 
 " The privilege of believing according to the dictates 
 of our hearts. You mean fairly, noble sir; — but you 
 trust the Spaniard, we do not ; if we did, we should be 
 deceived children. You have nothing to fear for your 
 religion, we everything ; you believe that the number of 
 troops and power of gold will turn the scales in our 
 conflict, we comfort ourselves with the hope, that God 
 will give victory to the good cause of a brave people, 
 ready to suffer a thousand deaths for liberty. This is 
 my opinion, and I shall defend it in the town-hall." 
 
 " No, Meister Peter, no ! You cannot, ought not." 
 
 " What I can do is little, what I ought to do is writ- 
 ten within, and I shall act accordingly." 
 
 " And thus obey the sorrowing heart rather than the 
 prudent head, and be able to give naught save evil 
 counsel. Consider, man. Orange's last army was de- 
 ,j;n)yed on Mook Heath." 
 
 '' True, my lord, and for that very reason we will not 
 use the moments for words, but deeds." 
 
 ^' I'll take the hint myself, Herr Van der Werflf, for 
 many friends of the king still dwell in Leyden, who 
 must be taught not to follow you blindly to the 
 shambles." 
 
 At these words Van der Werff retreated from the 
 nobleman, clenched his moustache firmly in his right 
 hand, and raising his deep voice to a louder tone, said 
 coldly and imperiously : 
 
32 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 ^^ Then, as guardian of the safety of this city, I com- 
 mand you to quit Leyden instantly. If you are found 
 within these walls after noon to-morrow, I will have you 
 taken across the frontiers by the city-guard." 
 
 The baron withdrew without any form of leave- 
 taking. 
 
 As soon as the door had closed behind him, Van der 
 Werff, threw himself into his arm-chair and covered his 
 face with his hands. When he again sat erect, two large 
 tear-drops sparkled on the paper which had lain under 
 his fingers. Smiling bitterly, he wiped them from the 
 page with the back of his hand. 
 
 " Dead, dead," he murmured, and the image of the 
 gallant youth, the clever mediator, the favorite of Wil- 
 liam of Orange, rose before his mind — he asked him- 
 self how this fresh stroke of fate would affect the Prince, 
 whom he revered as the providence of the country, ad- 
 mired and loved as the wisest, most unselfish of men. 
 
 William's affliction grieved him as sorely as if it had 
 fallen upon himself, and the blow that had struck the 
 cause of freedom was a heavy one, perhaps never to be 
 overcome. 
 
 Yet he only granted himself a short time to indul^^e 
 in grief, for the point in question now was to summon 
 all the nation's strength to repair what was lost, avert 
 by vigorous acts the serious consequences which threat- 
 ened to follow Louis's defeat, and devise fresh means to 
 carry on the war. 
 
 He paced up and down the room with frowning 
 brow, inventing measures and pondering over plans. 
 
 His wife had opened the door, and now remained 
 standing on the threshold, but he did not notice her 
 until she called his name and advanced towards him. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. ^^ 
 
 In her hand she held part of the flowers the boy had 
 brought, another portion adorned her bosom. 
 
 " Take it," she said, offering him the bouquet. 
 " Adrian, dear boy, gathered them, and you surely 
 know what they mean." 
 
 He willingly took the messengers of spring, raised 
 them to his face, drew Maria to his breast, pressed a 
 long kiss upon her brow, and then said gloomily : 
 
 " So this is the celebration of the first anniversary of 
 our wedding-day. Poor wife ! The Clipper was not so 
 far wrong; perhaps it would have been wiser and better 
 for me not to bind your fate to mine." 
 
 " How can such thoughts enter your mind, Peter ! " 
 she exclaimed reproachfully. 
 
 " Louis of Nassau has fallen," he murmured in a 
 hollow tone, "his army is scattered." 
 
 "Oh — oh!" cried Maria, clasping her hands in 
 horror, but he continued : 
 
 "It was our last body of troops. The coffers are 
 empty, and where we are to obtain new means, and 
 what will happen now — this, this — Leave me, Maria, I 
 beg you. If we don't profit by the time now, if we 
 don't find the right paths now, we shall not, cannot 
 pfosper." 
 
 With these words he threw the bouquet on the table, 
 hastily seized a paper, looked into it, and, without 
 glancing at her, waved his right hand. 
 
 The young wife's heart had been full, wide open, 
 when she entered the room. She had expected so much 
 that was beautiful from this hour, and now stood alone 
 in the apartment he still shared with her. Her arms 
 had fallen by her side; helpless, mortified, wounded, she 
 gazed at him in silence. 
 
34 THE burgomaster's wife. i 
 
 •1 
 i 
 
 Maria had grown up amid the battle for freedom, ] 
 and knew how to estimate the grave importance of the ; 
 tidings her husband had received. During his wooing he ■ 
 had told her that, by his side, she must expect a Hfe full 1 
 of anxiety and peril, yet she had joyously gone to the i 
 altar with the brave champion of the good cause, which ] 
 had been her father's, for she had hoped to become the \ 
 sharer of his cares and struggles. And now ? What \ 
 was she permitted to be to him ? What did he receive i 
 from her ? What had he consented to share with her, ! 
 who could not feel herself a feeble woman, on this, the ; 
 anniversary of their wedding-day. 
 
 There she stood, her open heart slowly closing and i 
 struggling against her longing to cry out to him, and say i 
 that she would as gladly bear his cares with him and ■ 
 share every danger, as happiness and honor. j 
 
 The burgomaster, having now found what he sought, ] 
 seized his hat and again looked at his wife. i 
 
 How pale and disappointed she was ! 
 
 His heart ached ; he would so gladly have given ex- \ 
 pression in words to the great, warm love he felt for her, \ 
 offered her joyous congratulations; but in this hour, amid \ 
 his grief, with such anxieties burdening his breast, he | 
 could not do it, so he only held out both hands, saying , 
 tenderly : \ 
 
 "You surely know what you are to me, Maria, if you 
 do not, I will tell you this evening. I must meet the 
 members of the council at the town-hall, or a whole day \ 
 will be lost, and at this time we must be avaricious even '. 
 of the moments. Well, Maria ?" i 
 
 The young wife was gazing at the floor. She would ; 
 gladly have flown to his breast, but oflended pride would \ 
 not suffer her to do so, and some mysterious power | 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 35 
 
 bound her hands and did not permit her to lay them in 
 his. 
 
 " Farewell," she said in a hollow tone. 
 
 " Maria !" he exclaimed reproachfully. " To-day is 
 no well-chosen time for pouting. Come and be my 
 sensible wife." 
 
 She did not move instantly ; but he heard the bell 
 ring for the fourth hour, the time when the session of 
 the council ended, and left the room without looking 
 back at her. 
 
 The Httle bouquet still lay on the writing-table; the 
 young wife saw it, and with difficulty restrained her 
 tears. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Countless citizens had flocked to the stately town- 
 hall. News of Louis of Nassau's defeat had spread 
 quickly through all the eighteen wards of the city, and 
 each wanted to learn farther particulars, express his grief 
 and fears to those who held the same views, and hear 
 what measures the council intended to adopt for the 
 immediate future. 
 
 Two messengers had only too thoroughly confirmed 
 Baron Matanesse Van Wibisma's communication. Louis 
 was dead, his brother Henry missing, and his army 
 completely destroyed. 
 
 Jan Van Hout, who had taught the boys that morn- 
 ing, now came to a window, informed the citizens what 
 a severe blow the liberty of the country had received, 
 and in vigorous words exhorted them to support the 
 good cause with body and soul. 
 
 3* 
 
S^ THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Loud cheers followed this speech. Gay caps and ; 
 plumed hats were tossed in the air, canes and swords • 
 were waved, and the women and children, who had j 
 crowded among the men, fluttered their handkerchiefs, \ 
 and with their shriller voices drowned the shouts of the \ 
 citizens. \ 
 
 The members of the valiant city-guard assembled, to j 
 charge their captain to give the council the assurance, \ 
 that the " Schutterij " was ready to support William of i 
 Orange to the last penny and drop of their blood, and j 
 would rather die for the cause of Holland, than live \ 
 under Spanish tyranny. Among them was seen many a ; 
 grave, deeply-troubled face, for these men, who filled its i 
 ranks by their own choice, all loved William of Orange: \ 
 his sorrow hurt them — and their country's distress • 
 pierced their hearts. As soon as the four burgomasters, ! 
 the eight magistrates of the city, and the members of ; 
 the common council appeared at the windows, hundreds | 
 of voices joined in the Geusenlied,* which had long i 
 before been struck up by individuals, and when at sun- I 
 set the volatile populace scattered and, still singing, ; 
 turned, either singly or by twos or threes, towards the \ 
 taverns, to strengthen their confidence in better days \ 
 and dispel many a well-justified anxiety by drink, the i 
 market-place of Leyden and its adjoining streets pre- | 
 sented no different aspect, than if a message of victory ] 
 had been read from the town-hall. : 
 
 The cheers and Beggars' Song had sounded very pow- : 
 erful — but so many hundreds of Dutch throats would \ 
 doubtless have been capable of shaking the air with far \ 
 mightier tones. ] 
 
 * Beggars' Song or Hymn. Beggar was the name given to the .' 
 patriots by those who sympathized with Spain. | 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 37 
 
 This very remark had ])een made by the three well- 
 dressed citizens, who were walking through the wide 
 street, past the blue stone, and the eldest said to his 
 companions : 
 
 *' They boast and shout and seem large to them- 
 selves now, but we shall see that things will soon be 
 very different." 
 
 *'May God avert the worst!" replied the other, "but 
 the Spaniards will surely advance again, and I know 
 many in my ward who won't vote for resistance this 
 time." 
 
 "They are right, a thousand times right. Requesens 
 is not Alva, and if we voluntarily seek the king's 
 pardon — " 
 
 " There would be no blood shed and everything 
 would take the best course." 
 
 "I have more love for Holland than for Spain," 
 said the third. " But, after Mook-Heath, resistance is 
 a thing of the past. Orange may be an excellent prince, 
 but the shirt is closer than the coat." 
 
 " And in fact we risk our lives and fortunes merely 
 for him." 
 
 " My wife said so yesterday." 
 
 " He'll be the last man to help trade. Believe me, 
 many think as we do, if it were not so, the Beggars' Song 
 would have sounded louder." 
 
 " There will always be five fools to three wise men," 
 said the older citizen. " I took good care not to split 
 my mouth." 
 
 " And after all, what great thing is there behind this 
 outcry for freedom ? Alva burnt the Bible-readers, De 
 la Marck hangs the priests. My wife likes to go to 
 
38 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Mass, but always does so secretly, as if she were com- 
 mitting a crime.'* 
 
 " We, too, cling to the good old faith." 
 
 " Never mind faith," said the third. *' We are Cal- 
 vinists, but I take no pleasure in throwing my pennies 
 into Orange's maw, nor can it gratify me to again tear 
 up the poles before the Cow-gate, ere the wind dries the 
 yarn." 
 
 " Only let us hold together," advised the older man. 
 *^ People don't express their real opinions, and any poor 
 ragged devil might play the hero. But I tell you there 
 will be sensible men enough in every ward, every guild, 
 nay, even in the council, and among the burgomasters." 
 
 " Hush," whispered the second citizen, *' there comes 
 Van der Werff with the city clerk and young Van der 
 Does; they are the worst of all." 
 
 The three persons named came down the broad 
 street, talking eagerly together, but in low tones. 
 
 *' My uncle is right, Meister Peter," said Jan A^an der 
 Does, the same tall young noble, who, on the morning 
 of that day, had sent Nicolas Van Wibisma home with 
 a kindly warning. '' It's no use, you must seek the Prince 
 and consult with him." 
 
 *' I suppose I must," replied the burgomaster. " I'll 
 go to-morrow morning." 
 
 " Not to-morrow," replied Van Hout. "The Prince 
 rides fast, and if you don't find him in Delft — " 
 
 " Do you go first," urged the burgomaster, " you 
 have the record of our session." 
 
 *' I cannot ; but to-day you, the Prince's friend, for 
 the first time lack good-will." 
 
 *'You are right, Jan," exclaimed the burgomaster, 
 '* and you shall know what holds me back." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 39 
 
 " If it is anything a friend can do for you, here he 
 stands," said von Nordwyk. 
 
 Van der Werif grasped the hand the young noble- 
 man extended, and answered, smiHng : " No, my lord, 
 no. You know my young wife. To-day we should 
 have celebrated the first anniversary of our marriage, 
 and amid all these anxieties I disgracefully forgot 
 it." 
 
 *' Hard, hard," said Van Hout, softly. Then he 
 drew himself up to his full height, and added resolutely: 
 "And yet, were I in your place, I would go, in spite 
 of her." 
 
 " Would you go to-day /" 
 
 "To-day, for to-morrow it maybe too late. Who 
 knows how soon egress from the city may be stopped 
 and, before again venturing the utmost, we must know 
 the Prince's opinion. You possess more of his confi- 
 dence than any of us." 
 
 "And God knows how gladly I would bring him a 
 cheering word in these sorrowful hours; but it must 
 not be to-day. The messenger has ridden off on my 
 bay." 
 
 "Then take my chestnut, he is faster too," said 
 Janus Dousa and Van der Werfif answered hastily : 
 
 " Thanks, my lord. I'll send for him early to-mor- 
 row morning." 
 
 The blood mounted to Van Hout's.head and, thrust- 
 ing his hand angrily between his girdle and doublet, he 
 exclaimed: "Send me the chestnut, if the burgomaster 
 will give me leave of absence." 
 
 " No, send him to me," replied Peter calmly. " What 
 must be, must be; I'll go to-day." 
 
 Van Hout's manly features quickly smoothed and, 
 
40 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 clasping the burgomaster's right hand in both his, he 
 said joyously : 
 
 *' Thanks, Herr Peter. And no offence; you know 
 my hot temper. If the time seems long to your young 
 wife, send her to mine." 
 
 "And mine," added Dousa. "It's a strange thing 
 about those two little words ^ wish' and ^ ought.' The 
 freer and better a man becomes, the more surely the 
 first becomes the slave of the second. 
 
 " And yet, Herr Peter, I'll wager that your wife will 
 confound the two words to-day, and think you have 
 sorely transgressed against the * ought.' These are bad 
 times for the * wish.' " 
 
 Van der Werff nodded assent, then briefly and 
 firmly explained to his friends what he intended to dis- 
 close to the Prince. 
 
 The three men separated before the burgomaster's 
 house. 
 
 " Tell the Prince," said Van Hout, on parting, "that 
 we are prepared for the worst, will endure and dare 
 it." 
 
 At these words Janus Dousa measured both his 
 companions with his eyes, his lips quivered as they al- 
 ways did when any strong emotion filled his heart, and 
 while his shrewd face beamed with joy and confidence, 
 he exclaimed : " We three will hold out, we three will 
 stand firm, the tyrant may break our necks, but he shall 
 not bend them. Life, fortune, all that is dear and 
 precious and useful to man, we will resign for the high- 
 est of blessings." 
 
 '^Ay," said Van der Werff, loudly and earnestly, 
 while Van Hout impetuously repeated : " Yes, yes, thrice 
 yes." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 4I 
 
 The three men, so united in feeling, grasped each 
 other's hands firmly for a moment. A silent vow bound 
 them in this hour, and when Herr von Nordwyk and 
 Van Hout turned in opposite directions, the citizens who • 
 met them thought their tall figures had grown taller still 
 within the last few hours. 
 
 The burgomaster went to his wife's room without 
 delay, but did not find her there. 
 
 She had gone out of the gate with his sister. 
 
 The maid-servant carried a light into his chamber; 
 he followed her, examined the huge locks of his pistols, 
 buckled on his old sword, put what he needed into his 
 saddle-bags, then, with his tall figure drawn up to its 
 full height, paced up and down the room, entirely ab- 
 sorbed in his task. 
 
 Herr von Nordwyk's chestnut horse was stamping 
 on the pavement before the door, and Hesperus was ris- 
 ing above the roofs. 
 
 The door of the house now opened. 
 
 He went into the entry and found, not his wife, but 
 Adrian, who had just returned home, told the boy to give 
 his most loving remembrances to his mother, and say 
 that he was obliged to seek the Prince on important 
 business. 
 
 Old Trautchen had already washed and undressed 
 little Elizabeth, and now brought him the child wrapped 
 in a coverlet. He kissed the dear little face, which 
 smiled at him out of its queer disguise, pressed his lips 
 to Adrian's forehead, again told him to give his love to 
 his mother, and then rode down Marendorpstrasse. 
 
 Two women coming from the Rheinsburger gate, 
 met him just as he reached St. Stephen's cloister. He 
 did not notice them, but the younger one pushed the 
 
42 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 kerchief back from her head, hastily grasped her com- 
 panion's wrist, and exclaimed in a low tone : 
 
 " That was Peter ! " 
 
 Barbara raised her head higher. 
 
 " It's lucky I'm not timid. Let go of my arm. Do 
 you mean the horseman trotting past St. Ursula alley?'* 
 
 " Yes, it is Peter." 
 
 " Nonsense, child ! The bay has shorter legs than 
 that tall camel; and Peter never rides out at this 
 hour." 
 
 " But it was he." 
 
 " God forbid ! At night a linden looks like a beech- 
 tree. It would be a pretty piece of business, if he 
 didn't come home to-day." 
 
 The last words had escaped Barbara's lips against 
 her will; for until then she had prudently feigned 
 not to suspect that everything between Maria and her 
 husband was not exactly as it ought to be, though 
 she plainly perceived what was passing in the mind of 
 her young sister-in-law. 
 
 She was a shrewd woman, with much experience of 
 the world, who certainly did not undervalue her brother 
 and his importance to the cause of their native land ; 
 nay, she went so far as to believe that, with the excep- 
 tion of the Prince of Orange, no man on earth would be 
 more skilful than Peter in guiding the cause of freedom 
 to a successful end ; but she felt that her brother was 
 not treating Maria justly, and being a fair-minded 
 woman, silently took sides against the husband who 
 neglected his wife. 
 
 Both walked side by side for a time in silence. 
 
 At last the widow paused, saying : 
 
 " Perhaps the Prince has sent a messenger for Peter. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 45 
 
 In such times, after such blows, everything is possible. 
 You might have seen correctly." 
 
 " It was surely he," replied Maria positively. 
 
 " Poor fellow !" said the other. " It must be a sad 
 ride for him ! Much honor, much hardship ! You've 
 no reason to despond, for your husband will return to- 
 morrow or the day after ; while I — look at me, Maria f 
 I go through life stiff and straight, do my duty cheer- 
 fully ; my cheeks are rosy, my food has a relish, yet I've 
 been obliged to resign what was dearest to me. I have 
 endured my widowhood ten years ; my daughter Gret- 
 chen has married, and I sent Cornelius myself to the 
 Beggars of the Sea. Any hour may rob me of him^ 
 for his life is one of constant peril. What has a widow 
 except her only son ? And I gave him up for our 
 country's cause ! That is harder than to see a husband 
 ride away for a few hours on the anniversary of his wed- 
 ding-day. He certainly doesn't do it for his own 
 pleasure !" 
 
 " Here we are at home," said Maria, raising the 
 knocker. 
 
 Trautchen opened the door and, even before cross- 
 ing the threshold, Barbara exclaimed : 
 
 " Is your master at home ?" 
 
 The reply was in the negative, as she too now 
 expected. 
 
 Adrian gave his message ; Trautchen brought up the 
 supper, but the conversation would not extend beyond 
 "yes" and '^ no." 
 
 After Maria had hastily asked the blessing, she rose^ 
 and turning to Barbara, said : 
 
 " My head aches, I should like to go to bed." 
 
 " Then go to rest," repHed the widow. ^' I'll sleep 
 
44 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 in the next room and leave the door open. In darkness 
 and silence — whims come." 
 
 Maria kissed her sister-in-law with sincere affection, 
 and lay down in bed ; but she found no sleep, and tossed 
 restlessly to and fro until near midnight. 
 
 Hearing Barbara cough in the next room, she sat 
 up and asked : 
 
 " vSister-in-law, are you asleep ?" 
 
 " No, child. Do you feel ill ?" 
 
 " Not exactly; but I'm so anxious — horrible thoughts 
 torment me." 
 
 Barbara instantly lighted a candle at the night-lamp, 
 entered the chamber with it, and sat down on the edge 
 of the bed. 
 
 Her heart ached as she gazed at the pretty young 
 creature lying alone, full of sorrow, in the wide bed, 
 unable to sleep from bitter grief. 
 
 Maria had never seemed to her so beautiful; resting 
 in her white night-robes on the snowy pillow, she looked 
 like a sorrowing angel. 
 
 Barbara could not refrain from smoothing the hair 
 back from the narrow forehead and kissing the flushed 
 cheeks. 
 
 Maria gazed gratefully into her small, light-blue eyes 
 and said beseechingly : 
 
 '^ I should like to ask you something." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " But you must honestly tell me the truth." 
 
 " That is asking a great deal ! " 
 
 " I know you are sincere, but it is — " 
 
 " Speak freely." 
 
 " Was Peter happy with his first wife ?" 
 
 ^' Yes, child, yes." 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 45 
 
 "And do you know this not only from him, but also 
 from his dead wife, Eva ? " 
 
 "Yes, sister-in-law, yes." 
 
 "And you can't be mistaken ?" 
 
 " Not in this case certainly ! But what puts such 
 thoughts into your head ? The Bible says : * Let the 
 dead bury their dead.' Now turn over and try to 
 sleep." 
 
 Barbara went back to her room, but hours elapsed 
 ere Maria found the slumber she sought. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The next morning two horsemen, dressed in neat 
 livery, were waiting before the door of a handsome 
 house in Nobelstrasse, near the market-place. A third 
 was leading two sturdy roan steeds up and down, and a 
 stable-boy held by the bridle a gaily-bedizened, long- 
 maned pony. This was intended for the young negro 
 lad, who stood in the door-way of the house and kept 
 off the street-boys, who ventured to approach, by rolUng 
 his eyes and gnashing his white teeth at them. 
 
 " Where can they be ?" said one of the mounted 
 men " The rain won't keep off long to-day." 
 
 " Certainly not," rephed the other. " The sky is as 
 grey as my old felt-hat, and, by the time we reach the 
 forest, it will be pouring." 
 
 " It's misting already." 
 
 " Such cold, damp weather is particularly disagree- 
 able to me.'' 
 
 *' It was pleasant yesterday." 
 
46 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Button the flaps tighter over the pistol-holsteis ! 
 The portmanteau behind the young master's saddle isn't 
 exacdy even. There ! Did the cook fill the flask for 
 you ?" 
 
 " With brown Spanish wine. There it is." 
 
 *' Then let it pour. When a fellow is wet inside, he 
 can bear a great deal of moisture without.'* 
 
 " Lead the horses up to the door ; I hear the gen- 
 tlemen." 
 
 The man was not mistaken; for before his com- 
 panion had succeeded in stopping the larger roan, the 
 voices of his master, Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma, and 
 his son, Nicolas, were heard in the wide entry. 
 
 Both were exchanging affectionate farewells with a 
 young girl, whose voice sounded deeper than the half- 
 grown boy's. 
 
 As the older gentleman thrust his hand through the 
 roan's mane and was already Hfting his foot to put it in 
 the stirrup, the young girl, who had remained in the 
 entry, came out into the street, laid her hand on Wibis- 
 ma's arm, and said : 
 
 " One word more, uncle, but to you alone." 
 
 The baron still held his horse's mane in his hand, 
 exclaiming with a cordial smile: 
 
 " If only it isn't too heavy for the roan. A secret 
 from beautiful Hps has its weight." 
 
 While speaking, he bent his ear towards his niece, 
 but she did not seem to have intended to whisper, for 
 she approached no nearer and merely lowered her tone, 
 saying in the Italian language : 
 
 " Please tell my father, that I won't stay here." 
 
 "Why, Henrica!" • 
 
 " Tell him I won't do so under any circumstances." ; 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 47 
 
 " Your aunt won't let you go.*' 
 
 " In short, I won't stay." 
 
 "I'll deliver the message, but in somewhat milder 
 terms, if agreeable to you." 
 
 " As you choose. Tell him, too, that I beg him to 
 send for me. If he doesn't wish to enter this heretic's 
 nest himself, for which I don't blame him in the least, 
 he need only send horses or the carriage for me." 
 
 " And your reasons ?" 
 
 " I won't weight your baggage still more heavily. 
 Go, or the saddle will be wet before you ride off." 
 
 " Then I'm to tell Hoogstraten to expect a letter." 
 
 " No. Such things can't be written. Besides, it 
 won't be necessary. Tell my father I won't stay with 
 aunt, and want to go home. Good-bye, Nico. Your 
 riding-boots and green cloth doublet are much more be- 
 coming than those silk fal-lals." 
 
 The young lady kissed her hand to the youth, who 
 had already swung himself into the saddle, and hurried 
 back to the house. Her uncle shrugged his shoulders, 
 mounted the roan, wrapped the dark cloak closer around 
 him, beckoned Nicolas to his side, and rode on with 
 him in advance of the servants. 
 
 No word was exchanged between them, so long as 
 their way led through the city, but outside the gate, 
 Wibisma said : 
 
 " Henrica finds the time long in Leyden ; she would 
 like to go back to her father." 
 
 " It can't be very pleasant to stay with aunt," re- 
 plied the youth. 
 
 " She is old and sick, and her life has been a joyless 
 one." 
 
 " Yet she was beautiful Few traces of it are visible, 
 
48 THE burgomaster's WIFE. \ 
 
 but her eyes are still like those in the portrait, and be-j 
 
 sides she is so rich." ] 
 
 " That doesn't give happiness." 
 
 '^ But why has she remained unmarried ?" 
 
 The baron shrugged his shoulders, and replied : \ 
 
 '^ It certainly didn't suit the men." ] 
 
 *' Then why didn't she go into a convent ?" ! 
 
 " Who knows ? Women's hearts are harder to un-i 
 
 derstand than your Greek books. You'll learn that later. ^ 
 
 What were you saying to your aunt as I came up?" \ 
 
 "Why, just see," rephed the boy, putting the bridle! 
 
 in his mouth, and drawing the glove from his left hand,) 
 
 ** she slipped this ring on my finger." i 
 
 " A splendid emerald ! She doesn't usually like to| 
 
 part with such things." \ 
 
 " She first offered me another, saying she would givej 
 
 it to me to make amends for the thumps I received yes-j 
 
 terday as a faithful follower of the king. Isn't it] 
 
 comical ?" , 
 
 " More than that, I should think." j 
 
 " It was contrary to my nature to accept gifts for^ 
 
 my bruises, and I hastily drew my hand back, saying the| 
 
 burgher lads had taken some home from me, and T\ 
 
 wouldn't have the ring as a reward fDr //^^/." ] 
 
 " Right, Nico, right." \ 
 
 " So she said too, put the httle ring back in the box, ; 
 
 found this one, and here it is." i 
 
 " A valuable gem !" murmured the baron, thinking :\ 
 
 '^This gift is a good omen. The Hoogstratens and hej 
 
 are her nearest heirsj and if the silly girl doesn't stay \ 
 
 with her, it might happen — " ] 
 
 But he found no time to finish these reflections,i 
 
 Nicolas interrupted them by saying : ^ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 49 
 
 *^ It's beginning to rain already. Don't the fogs on 
 the meadows look like clouds fallen from the skies ? I 
 am cold." 
 
 " Draw your cloak closer." 
 
 " How it rains and hails ! One would think it was 
 winter. The water in the canals looks black, and yon- 
 der — see — what is that ?" 
 
 A tavern stood beside the road, and just in front of 
 it a single lofty elm towered towards the sky. Its 
 trunk, bare as a mast, had grown straight up without 
 separating into branches until it attained the height of a 
 house. Spring had as yet lured no leaves from the 
 boughs, but there were many objects to be seen in the 
 bare top of the tree. A small flag, bearing the colors of 
 the House of Orange, was fastened to one branch, from 
 another hung a large doll, which at a distance strongly 
 resembled a man dressed in black, an old hat dangled 
 from a third, and a fourth supported a piece of white 
 pasteboard, on which might be read in large black let- 
 ters, which the rain was already beginning to efface : 
 
 " Good luck to Orange, to the Spaniard death. 
 So Peter Quatgelat welcomes his guests." 
 
 This tree, with its motley adornments, offered a 
 by no means pleasant spectacle, seen in the grey, cold, 
 misty atmosphere of the rainy April morning. 
 
 Ravens had alighted beside the doll swaying to and 
 fro in the wind, probably mistaking it for a man. They 
 must have been by no means teachable birds, for during 
 the years the Spaniards had ruled in Holland, the places 
 of execution were never empty. They were screeching 
 as if in anger, but still remained perched on the tree, 
 which tliey probably mistook for a gibbet. The rest of 
 4 
 
50 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 the comical ornaments and the thought of the nimble 
 adventurer, who must have cHmbed up to fasten them, 
 formed a glaring and offensive contrast to the caricature 
 of the gallows. 
 
 Yet Nicolas laughed loudly, as he perceived the 
 queer objects in the top of the elm, and pointing up- 
 ward, said : 
 
 " Wh^t kind of fruits are hanging there ? " 
 
 But the next instant a chill ran down his back, for a 
 raven perched on the black doll and pecked so fiercely 
 at it with its hard beak, that bird and image swayed to 
 and fro like a pendulum. 
 
 " What does this nonsense mean ? " asked the baron, 
 turning to the servant, a bold-looking fellow, who rode 
 behind him. 
 
 *' It's something like a tavern-sign," replied the latter. 
 " Yesterday, Avhen the sun was shining, it looked funny 
 enough — but to-day — b-r-r-r — it's horrible." 
 
 The nobleman's eyes were not keen enough to read 
 the inscription on the placard. When Nicolas read it 
 aloud to him, he muttered an oath, then turned again to 
 the servant, saying : 
 
 ^' And does this nonsense bring guests to the rascally 
 host's tavern ?" 
 
 *' Yes, my lord, and 'pon my soul, it looked very 
 comical yesterday, when the ravens were not to be seen; 
 a fellow couldn't look at it without .laughing. Half 
 Leyden was there, and we went with the crowd. There 
 was such an uproar on the grass-plot yonder. Dudel- 
 dum — Hiibiitt, Hubiitt — Dudeldum — fiddles squeaking 
 and bag-pipes droning as if they never would stop. 
 The crazy throng shouted amidst the din ; the noise 
 still rings m my ears. There was no end to the games 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 5 1 
 
 and dancing. The lads tossed their brown, blue and 
 red-stockinged legs in the air, just as the fiddle played — 
 the coat-tails flew and, holding a girl clasped in the 
 right arm and a mug of beer high over their heads till 
 the foam spattered, the throng of men whirled round 
 and round. There was as much screaming and rejoic- 
 ing as if every butter-cup in the grass had been changed 
 into a gold florin. But to-day — holy Fldrian-r-this is a 
 rain !" 
 
 " It will do the things up there good," exclaimed the 
 baron. " The tinder grows damp in such a torrent, or 
 I'd take out my pistols and shoot the shabby liberty hat 
 and motley tatters off the tree." 
 
 "That was the dancing ground," said the man, 
 pointing to a patch of trampled grass. 
 
 " The people are possessed, perfectly possessed," 
 cried the baron, "dancing and rejoicing to-day, and to- 
 morrow the wind will blow the felt-hat and flag from 
 the tree, and instead of the black puppet they them- 
 selves ./ill come to the gallows. Steady roaa, steady ! 
 The hail frightens the beasts. Unbuckle the portman- 
 teau, Gerrit, and give your young master a blanket." 
 
 " Yes, my lord. But wouldn't it be better for you 
 to go in here until the shower is over ? Holy Florian ! 
 Just see that piece of ice in your horse's mane ! It's as 
 large as a pigeon's tgg. Two horses are already stand- 
 ing under the shed, and Quatgelat's beer isn't bad." 
 
 The baron glanced inquiringly at his son. 
 
 "Let us go in," replied Nicolas; "we shall get to the 
 Hague early enough. See how poor Balthasar is shiver- 
 ing! Henrica says he's a white boy painted; but if she 
 could see how well he keeps his color in this weather, 
 she would take it back." 
 
 4* 
 
52 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Herr Van Wibisma turned his dripping, smoking 
 steed, frightened by the hail-stones, towards the house, 
 and in a few minutes crossed the threshold of the inn 
 with his son. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A CURRENT of warm air, redolent of beer and food, 
 met the travellers as they entered the large, low room, 
 dimly lighted by the tiny windows, scarcely more than 
 loop-holes, pierced in two sides. The tap-room itself 
 looked like the cabin of a ship. Ceiling and floor, chairs 
 and tables, were made of the same dark-brown wood 
 that covered the walls, along which beds were ranged 
 like berths. 
 
 The host, with many bows, came forward to receive 
 the aristocratic guests, and led them to the fire-place, 
 where huge pieces of peat were glimmering. The heat 
 they sent forth answered several purposes at the same 
 time. It warmed the air, lighted a portion of the room, 
 which was very dark in rainy weather, and served to cook 
 three fowl that, suspended from a thin iron bar over the 
 fire, were already beginning to brown. 
 
 As the new guests approached the hearth, an old 
 woman, who had been turning the spit, pushed a white 
 cat from her lap and rose. 
 
 The landlord tossed on a bench several garments 
 spread over the backs of two chairs to dry, and hung 
 in their place the dripping cloaks of the baron and his 
 son. 
 
 While the elder Wibisma was ordering something 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 53 
 
 hot to drink for himself and servants, Nicolas led the 
 black page to the fire. 
 
 The shivering boy crouched on the floor beside the 
 ashes, and stretched now his soaked feet, shod in red 
 morocco, and now his stiffened fingers to the blaze. 
 
 The father and son took their seats at a table, over 
 which the maid-servant had spread a cloth. The baron 
 was inclined to enter into conversation about the dec- 
 orated tree with the landlord, an over-civil, pock-marked 
 dwarf, whose clothes were precisely the same shade of 
 brown as the wood in his tap-room; but refrained from 
 doing so because two citizens of Leyden, one of whom 
 was well known to him, sat at a short distance from his 
 table, and he did not wish to be drawn info a quarrel 
 in a place like this. 
 
 After Nicolas had also glanced around the tap-room, 
 he touched his father, saying in a low tone : 
 
 " Did you notice the men yonder ? The younger 
 one — he's lifting the cover of the tankard now — is the 
 organist who released me from the boys and gave me 
 his cloak yesterday." 
 
 " The one yonder ?" asked the nobleman. " A hand-, 
 some young fellow. He might be taken for an artist or 
 something of that kind. Here, landlord, who is the 
 gentleman with brown hair and large eyes, talking to 
 Allertssohn, the fencing-master ?" 
 
 " It's Herr Wilhelm, younger son of old Herr Cor- 
 nelius, Receiver General, a player or musician, as they 
 call them." 
 
 " Eh, eh," cried the baron. '' His father is one of 
 my old Leyden acquaintances. He was a worthy, ex- 
 cellent man before the craze for liberty turned people's 
 heads. The youth, too, has a face pleasant to look at. 
 
54 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 There is something pure about it — something — it's hard 
 to say, something — what do you think, Nico ? Doesn't 
 he look hke our Saint Sebastian ? Shall I speak to him 
 and thank him for his kindness ?" 
 
 The baron, without waiting for his son, whom he 
 treated as an equal, to reply, rose to give expression to 
 his friendly feelings towards the musician, but this lauda- 
 ble intention met with an unexpected obstacle. 
 
 The man, whom the baron had called the fencing- 
 master Allertssohn, had just perceived that the " Clippers" 
 cloaks were hanging by the fire, while his friend's and his 
 own were flung on a bench. This fact seemed to greatly 
 irritate the Leyden burgher ; for as the baron rose, he 
 pushed his own chair violently back, bent his muscular 
 body forward, rested both arms on the edge of the table 
 opposite to him and, with a jerking motion, turned his 
 soldierly face sometimes towards the baron, and some- 
 times towards the landlord. At last he shouted loudly : 
 
 " Peter Quatgelat — you villain, you ! What ails you, 
 you, miserable hunchback! — Who gives you a right to 
 toss our cloaks into a corner ?" * 
 
 " Yours, Captain," stammered the host, ^' were 
 already — " 
 
 ^' Hold your tongue, you fawning knave !" thundered 
 the other in so loud a tone and such excitement, that the 
 long grey moustache on his upper Hp shook, and the 
 thick beard on his chin trembled. " Hold your tongue 1 
 We know better. Jove's thunder ! Nobleman's cloaks 
 are favored here. They're of Spanish cut. That ex- 
 actly suits the Clippers' faces. Cood Dutch cloth is 
 thrown into the corner. Ho, ho. Brother Crooklegs^ 
 we'll put you on parade." 
 
 '' Pray, most noble Captain — " 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 55 
 
 " I'll blow away your most noble, you worthless 
 scamp, you arrant rascal ! First come, first served, is 
 the rule in Holland, and has been ever since the days of 
 Adam and Eve. Prick up your ears, Crooklegs ! If 
 my * most noble ' cloak, and Herr Wilhelm's too, are not 
 hanging in their old places before I count twenty, 
 something will happen here that won't suit you. One — 
 two — three — " 
 
 The landlord cast a timid, questioning glance at the 
 nobleman, and as the latter shrugged his shoulders and 
 said audibly : " There is probably room for more than 
 two cloaks at the fire," Quatgelat took the Leyden 
 guests' wraps from the bench and hung them on two 
 chairs, which he pushed up to the mantel-piece. 
 
 While this was being done, the fencing-master slowly 
 continued to count. By the time he reached twenty the 
 landlord had finished his task, yet the irate captain still 
 gave him no peace, but said : 
 
 '' Now our reckoning, man. Wind and storm are far 
 from pleasant, but I know even worse company. There's 
 room enough at the fire for four cloaks, and in Holland 
 for all the animals in Noah's ark, except Spaniards and 
 the allies of Spain. Deuce take it, all the bile in my 
 Hver is stirred. Come to the horses with me, Herr 
 Wilhelm, or there'll be mischief." 
 
 The fencing-master, while uttering the last words, 
 stared angrily at the nobleman with his prominent eyes, 
 which even under ordinary circumstances, always looked 
 as keen as if they had something marvellous to ex- 
 amine. 
 
 Wibisma pretended not to hear the provoking words, 
 and, as the fencing-master left the room, walked calmly, 
 with head erect, towards the musician, bowed court- 
 
56 THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 eously, and thanked him for die kindness he had shown ! 
 
 his son the day before. \ 
 
 '' You are not in the least indebted to me," repUed j 
 
 AVilhelm Cornehussohn. " I helped the young noble- : 
 
 man, because it always has an ill look when numbers \ 
 
 attack one." ; 
 
 '' Then allow me to praise this opinion," replied the i 
 
 baron. : 
 
 '' Opinion," repeated the musician with a subtle | 
 
 smile, drawing a few notes on the table. \ 
 
 The baron watched his fingers silently a short time, \ 
 
 then advanced nearer the young man, asking : : 
 
 '' Must everything now relate to political dissen- I 
 
 sions ?" 1 
 
 " Yes," replied Wilhelm firmly, turning his face with ; 
 
 a rapid movement towards the older man. " In these \ 
 
 times ^ yes,' twenty times ^ yes.' You wouldn't do ; 
 
 well to discuss opinions with me, Herr Matanesse." ] 
 
 ^' Every man," replied the nobleman, shrugging his ^ 
 
 shoulders, ''every man of course believes his own i 
 
 opinion the right one, yet he ought to respect the views \ 
 
 of those who think differently." ■ 
 
 " No, my lord," cried the musician. " In these \ 
 
 times there is but oue opinion for us. I wish to share \ 
 
 nothing, not even a drink at the table, with any man 1 
 
 who has Holland blood, and feels differently. Excuse j 
 
 me, my lord; my travelling companion, as you have . : 
 
 unfortunately learned, has an impatient temper and ; 
 
 doesn't like to wait." ; 
 
 Wilhelm bowed distantly, waved his hand to Nicolas, -: 
 
 approached the chimney-piece, took the half-dried cloaks ' 
 
 on his arm, tossed a coin on the table and, holding in \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 57 
 
 his hands a covered cage in which several birds were 
 fluttering, left the room. 
 
 The baron gazed after him in silence. The simple 
 words and the young man's departure aroused painful 
 emotions. He believed he desired what was right, yet 
 at this moment a feeling stole over him that a stain 
 rested on the cause he supported. 
 
 It is more endurable to be courted than avoided, 
 and thus an expression of deep annoyance rested on 
 the nobleman's pleasant features as he returned to his 
 son. 
 
 Nicolas had not lost a single word uttered by the 
 organist, and the blood left his ruddy cheeks as he was 
 .forced to see this man, whose appearance had especially 
 won his young heart, turn his back upon his father as if 
 he were a dishonorable man to be avoided. 
 
 The words, with which Janus Dousa had left him 
 the day before, returned to his mind with great force, 
 and when the baron again seated himself opposite him, 
 the boy raised his eyes and said hesitatingly, but with 
 touching earnestness and sincere anxiety : 
 
 " Father, what does that mean ? Father — are they 
 so wholly wrong, if they would rather be Hollanders 
 than Spaniards ? " 
 
 Wibisma looked at his son with surprise and dis- 
 pleasure, and because he felt his own firmness wavering, 
 and a blustering word often does good service where there 
 is lack of possibility or inclination to contend against 
 reasons, he exclaimed more angrily than he had spoken 
 to his son for years : 
 
 " Are you, too, beginning to relish the bait with 
 which Orange lures simpletons ? Another word of that 
 kind, and I'll show you how malapert lads are treated. 
 
S8 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 Here, landlord, what's the meaning of that nonsense 
 on yonder tree ?" 
 
 " The people, my lord, the Leyden fools are ta 
 blame for the mischief, not I. They decked the tree out 
 in that ridiculous way, when the troops stationed in the 
 city during the siege retired. I keep this house as a 
 tenant of old Herr Van der Does, and dare not have 
 any opinions of my own, for people must live, but, as 
 truly as I hope for salvation, I'm loyal to King Philip." 
 
 *^ Until the Leyden burghers come out here again," 
 replied Wibisma bitterly. '' Did you keep this inn dur- 
 ing the siege ?" 
 
 '' Yes, my lord, the Spaniards had no cause to com- 
 plain of me, and if a poor man's services are not too in- 
 significant for you, they are at your disposal." 
 
 " Ah ! ha !" muttered the baron, gazing attentively 
 at the landlord's disagreeable face, whose little eyes 
 glittered very craftily, then turning to Nicolas, said : 
 
 *' Go and watch the blackbirds in the window yon- 
 der a little while, my son, I have something to say to 
 the host." 
 
 The youth instantly obeyed and as, instead of look- 
 ing at the birds, he gazed after the two enthusiastic 
 supporters of Holland's liberty, who were riding along 
 the road leading to Delft, remembered the simile of fet- 
 ters that drag men down, and saw rising before his men- 
 tal vision the glitter of the gold chain King Philip had 
 sent his father, Nicolas involuntarily glanced towards 
 him as he stood whispering eagerly with the landlord. 
 Now he even laid his hand on his shoulder. Was it 
 right for him to hold intercourse with a man whom he 
 must 'despise at heart ? Or was he — he shuddered, for 
 the word " traitor," which one of the school-boys had 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 59 
 
 shouted in his ears during the quarrel before the churchy 
 returned to his memory. 
 
 When the rain grew less violent, the travellers left the 
 inn. The baron allowed the hideous landlord to kiss 
 his hand at parting, but Nicolas would not suffer him 
 to touch his. 
 
 Few words were exchanged between father and son. 
 during the remainder of their ride to the Hague, but the 
 musician and the fencing- master were less silent on the 
 way to Delft. 
 
 Wilhelm had modestly, as beseemed the younger 
 man, suggested that his companion had expressed his 
 hostile feelings towards the nobleman too openly. 
 
 " True, perfectly true," replied Allertssohn, whom 
 his friends called " Allerts." " Very true ! Temper — 
 oh ! temper ! You don't suspect, Herr Wilhelm — But 
 we'll let it pass." 
 
 '' No, speak, Meister." 
 
 '' You'll think no better of me, if I do." 
 
 ''Then let us talk of something else." 
 
 " No, Wilhelm. I needn't be ashamed, no one will 
 take me for a coward." 
 
 The musician laughed, exclaiming: " You a coward! 
 How many Spaniards has your Brescian sword killed ?"" 
 
 " Wounded, wounded, sir, far oftener than killed," 
 repHed the other. " If the devil challenges me I shall 
 ask : Foils, sir, or Spanish swords ? But there's one 
 person I do fear, and that's my best and at the same 
 time my worst friend, a Netherlander, like yourself, the 
 man who rides here beside you. Yes, when rage seizes 
 upon me, when my beard begins to tremble, my small 
 share of sense flies away as fast as your doves when you 
 let them go. You don't know me, Wilhelm." 
 
6o THE burgomaster's wife. i 
 
 *' Don't I ? How often must one see you in com-^ 
 mand and visit you in the fencing-room ? " \ 
 
 ^' Pooh, pooh — there I'm as quiet as the water inj 
 yonder ditch — but when anything goes against the| 
 grain, when — how shall I explain it to you, without] 
 similes ? " ] 
 
 " Go on." I 
 
 '' For instance, when I am obliged to see a syco-i 
 phant treated as if he were Sir Upright — " i 
 
 ^' So that vexes you gready ?" \ 
 
 '' Vexes ? No! Then I grow as savage as a tiger,; 
 and I ought not to be so, I ought not. Roland, my\ 
 fore man, probably likes — " ] 
 
 ^' Meister, Meister, your beard is beginning to trem-j 
 ble already !" ! 
 
 ^' What did the Clippers think, when their aristocra-j 
 tic cloaks — " j 
 
 '^The landlord took yours and mine from the fire- 
 entirely on his own responsibility." j 
 
 " I don't care ! The crook-legged ape did it to honor j 
 the Spanish sycophant. It enraged me, it was intolera-i 
 ble." i 
 
 " You didn't keep your wrath to yourself^ and I wasj 
 surprised to see how patiently the baron bore your in-j 
 suits." I 
 
 ''That's just it, that's it!" cried the fencing-master,! 
 while his beard began to twitch violently. " That's j 
 what drove me out of the tavern, that's why I took to] 
 my heels. That — that — Roland, my fore man." 
 
 '' I don't understand you." i 
 
 '' Don't you, don't you ? How should you ; but I'llj 
 explain. When you're as old as I am, young man,i 
 you'll experience it too. There are few perfectly sounds 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 6l 
 
 trees in the forest, few horses without a blemish, few 
 swords without a stain, and scarcely a man who has 
 passed his fortieth year that has not a worm in his 
 breast. Some gnaw slightly, others torture with sharp 
 fangs, and mine — mine. — Do you want to cast a glance 
 in here ?" 
 
 The fencing-master struck his broad chest as he ut- 
 tered these words and, without waiting for his compan- 
 ion's reply, continued : 
 
 ^' You know me and my life, Herr Wilhelm. What 
 do I do, what do I practise ? Only chivalrous work. 
 My life is based upon the sword. Do you know a bet- 
 ter blade or surer hand than mine ? Do my soldiers 
 obey me ? Have I spared my blood in fighting before 
 the red walls and towers yonder ? No, by my fore 
 man Roland, no, no, a thousand times no." 
 
 ^•' Who denies it, Meister Allerts ? But tell me, what 
 do you mean by your cry : Roland, my fore man ?" 
 
 " Another time, Wilhelm ; you mustn't interrupt me 
 now. Hear my story about where the worm hides in 
 me. So once more : What I do, the calling I follow, is 
 knightly work, yet when a Wibisma, who learned how 
 to use his sword from my father, treats me ill and stirs 
 up my bile, if I should presume to challenge him, as 
 would be my just right, what would he do ? Laugh and 
 ask : ^ What will the passado cost, Fencing-master Al- 
 lerts? Have you polished rapiers ?' Perhaps he wouldn't 
 even answer at all, and we saw just now how he acts. 
 His glance slipped past me like an eel, and he had wax 
 in his ears. Whether I reproach, or a cur yelps at him, 
 is all the same to his lordship. If only a Renneberg 
 or Brederode had been in my place just now, how 
 quickly Wibisma's sword would have flown from its 
 
62 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 sheath, for he understands how to fight and is no 
 coward. But I — I ? Nobody would wilHngly allow 
 himself to be struck in the face, yet so surely as my 
 father was a brave man, even the worst insult could be 
 more easily borne, than the feeling of being held in too J 
 slight esteem to be able to offer an affront. You see, 1 
 Wilhelm, when the Clipper looked past me — " ] 
 
 " Your beard lost its calmness." ] 
 
 " It's all very well for you to jest, you don't know — " ) 
 
 " Yes, yes, Herr Allerts ; I understand you per- \ 
 fectly." ] 
 
 " And do you also understand, why I took myself j 
 and my sword out of doors so quickly ?" | 
 
 " Perfectly ; but please stop a moment with me now. I 
 The doves are fluttering so violently; they want air." \ 
 
 The fencing-master stopped his steed, and while 1 
 Wilhelm was removing the dripping cloth from the little ; 
 cage that rested between him and his horse's neck, ; 
 said : j 
 
 " How can a man trouble himself about such gentle | 
 little creatures ? If you want to diminish, in behalf of ■ 
 feathered folk, the time given to music, tame falcons, ; 
 that's a knightly craft, and I can teach you." 
 
 " Let my doves alone," replied Wilhelm. " They 
 are not so harmless as people suppose, and have done 
 good service in many a war, which is certainly chival- 
 rous pastime. Remember Haarlem. There, it's begin- 
 ning to pour again. If my cloak were only not so 
 short ; I would like to cover the doves with it." 
 
 " You certainly look like Goliath in David's gar- 
 ments." 
 
 ^' It's my scholar's cloak ; I put my other on young 
 Wibisma's shoulders yesterday." 
 
CHAPTER VII. \x Q^ 
 
 THK burgomaster's WIFE. 63 
 
 ^" The Spanish green-finch ? " 
 " I told you about the boys' brawl." 
 " Yes, yes. And the monkey kept your cloak ? " 
 " You came for me and wouldn't wait. They prob- 
 ably sent it back soon after our departure."- 
 
 " And their lordships expect thanks because the 
 young nobleman accepted it !" 
 
 " No, no; the baron expressed his gratitude." 
 '' But that doesn't make your cape any longer. Take 
 my cloak, Wilhelm. I've no doves to shelter, and my 
 skin is thicker than yours." ^^'^ -^-^ 
 
 V OF TiJE 'r\ 
 
 UNIVERSIT! 
 
 A SECOND and third rainy day followed the^rst Otre."^ 
 
 White mists and grey fog hung over the meadows. The i 
 
 cold, damp north-west wind drove heavy clouds to- : 
 
 gether and darkened the sky. Rivulets dashed into the \ 
 
 streets from the gutters on the steep roofs of Leyden ; ; 
 
 the water in the canals and ditches grew turbid and j 
 
 rose towards the edges of the banks. Dripping, freez- I 
 
 ing men and women hurried past each other without j 
 
 any form of greeting, while the pair of storks pressed \ 
 
 closer to each other in their nest, and thought of the \ 
 
 warm south, lamenting their premature return to the \ 
 
 cold, damp, Netherland plain. j 
 
 In thoughtful minds the dread of what must inevi- ] 
 
 tably come was increasing. The rain made anxiety \ 
 
 grow as rapidly in the hearts of many citizens, as the \ 
 
 young blades of grain in the fields. Conversations, that \ 
 
 sounded anything but hopeful, took place in many tap- ^ 
 
64 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ; 
 
 rooms — in otliers men were even heard declaring re- ! 
 sistance folly, or loudly demanding the desertion of the \ 
 cause of the Prince of Orange and Hberty. ! 
 
 Whoever in these days desired to see a happy face i 
 in Leyden might have searched long in vain, and would j 
 probably have least expected to find it in the house of \ 
 Burgomaster Van der Werff i 
 
 Three days had now elapsed since Peter's departure, \ 
 nay the fourth was drawing towards noon, yet the bur- , 
 gomaster had not returned, and no message, no word of ; 
 explanation, had reached his family. i 
 
 Maria had put on her light-blue cloth dress with ; 
 Mechlin lace in the square neck, for her husband par- i 
 ticularly liked to see her in this gown and he must surely 1 
 return to-day. . 
 
 The spray of yellow wall-flowers on her breast had ! 
 been cut from the blooming plant in the window of her j 
 room, and Barbara had helped arrange her thick hair. j 
 
 It lacked only an hour of noon, when the young ; 
 wife's delicate, slender figure, carrying a white duster in , 
 her hand, entered the burgomaster's study. Here she j 
 stationed herself at the window, from which the pouring i 
 rain streamed in numerous crooked serpentine lines, ] 
 pressed her forehead against the panes, and gazed down ' 
 into the quiet street. 
 
 The water was standing between the smooth red j 
 tiles of the pavement. A porter clattered by in heavy I 
 wooden shoes, a maid-servant, with a shawl wrapped I 
 around her head, hurried swifdy past, a shoemaker's i 
 boy, with a pair of boots hanging on his back, jumped j 
 from puddle to puddle, carefully avoiding the dry j 
 places; — no horseman appeared. \ 
 
 ■ It was almost unnaturally quiet in the house and ^ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 65 
 
 Street; she heard nothing except the plashing of the 
 rain. Maria could not expect her husband until the 
 beat of horses' hoofs was audible; she was not even 
 gazing into the distance — only dreamily watching the 
 street and the ceaseless rain. 
 
 The room had been thoughtfully heated for the 
 drenched man, whose return was expected, but Maria 
 felt the cold air through the chinks in the windows. 
 She shivered, and as she turned back into the dusky 
 room, it seemed as if this twilight atmosphere must 
 always remain, as if no more bright days could ever 
 come. 
 
 Minutes passed before she remembered for what 
 purpose she had entered the room and began to pass 
 the dusting-cloth over the writing-table, the piles of 
 papers, and the rest of the contents of the apartment. 
 At last she approached the pistols, which Peter had not 
 taken with him on his journey. 
 
 The portrait of her husband's first wife hung above 
 the weapons and sadly needed dusting, for until now 
 Maria had always shrunk from touching it. 
 
 To-day she summoned up her courage, stood op- 
 posite to it, and gazed steadily at the youthful features 
 of the woman, with whom Peter had been happy. She 
 felt spellbound by the brown eyes that gazed at her from 
 the pleasant face. 
 
 Yes, the woman up there looked happy, almost in- 
 solently happy. How much more had Peter probably 
 given to his first wife than to her ? 
 
 This thought cut her to the heart, and without mov- 
 ing her lips she addressed a series of questions to the 
 silent portrait, which still gazed steadily and serenely at 
 her from its plain frame. 
 
66 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 Once it seemed as if the full lips of the pictured 
 face quivered, once that the eyes moved. A chill ran 
 through her veins, she began to be afraid, yet could not 
 leave the portrait, and stood gazing upward with dilated 
 eyes. 
 
 She did not stir, but her breath came quicker and 
 quicker, and her eyes seemed to grow keener. 
 
 A shadow rested on the dead Eva's high forehead. 
 
 Had the artist intended to depict some oppressive 
 anxiety, or was what she saw only dust, that had settled 
 on the colors ? 
 
 She pushed a chair towards the portrait and put her 
 foot on the seat, pushing her dress away in doing so. 
 Blushing, as if other eyes than the painted ones were 
 gazing down upon her, she drew it over the white stock- 
 ing, then with a rapid movement mounted the seat. 
 
 She could now look directly into the eyes of the por- 
 trait. The cloth in Maria's trembling hand passed over 
 Eva's brow, and wiped the shadow from the rosy flesh. 
 She now blew the dust from the frame and canvas, and 
 perceived the signature of the artist to whom the picture 
 owed its origin. ^' Artjen of Leyden," he called himself, 
 and his careful hand had finished even the unimportant 
 parts of the work with minute accuracy. She well knew 
 the silver chain with the blue turquoises, that rested on 
 the plump neck. Peter had given it to her as a wedding 
 present, and she had worn it to the altar; but the little 
 diamond cross suspended from the middle she had never 
 seen. The gold buckle at Eva's belt had belonged to 
 her since her last birthday — it was very badly bent, and 
 the dull points would scarcely pierce the thick ribbon. 
 
 " S/ie had everything when it was new," she said to 
 herself. ^' Jewels ! What do I care for them ! But the 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 6j 
 
 heart, the heart — how much love has she left in Petei^s 
 heart ?" 
 
 She did not wish to do so, but constantly heard 
 these words ringing in her ears, and was obliged to sum- ' 
 mon up all her self-control, to save herself from weeping. 
 
 "If he would only come, if he would only come!" 
 cried a voice in her tortured soul. 
 
 The door opened, but she did not notice it. 
 
 Barbara crossed the threshold, and called her by her 
 name in a tone of kindly reproach. 
 
 Maria started and blushing deeply, said : 
 
 '^ Please give me your hand ; I should Hke to get 
 down. I have finished. The dust was a disgrace." 
 
 When she again stood on the floor, the widow said : 
 
 " What red cheeks you have ! Listen, my dear sister- 
 in-law, hsten to me, child — !" 
 
 Barbara was interrupted in the midst of her admoni- 
 tion, for the knocker fell heavily on the door, and Maria 
 hurried to the window. 
 
 The widow followed, and after a hasty glance into 
 the street, exclaimed : 
 
 " That's Wilhelm Corneliussohn, the musician. He 
 has been to Delft. I heard it from his mother. Per- 
 haps he brings news of Peter. I'll send him up to you, 
 but he must first tell me below what his tidings are. If 
 you want me, you'll find me with Bessie. She is 
 feverish and her eyes ache ; she will have some eruption 
 or a fever." 
 
 Barbara left the room. Maria pressed her hands 
 upon her burning cheeks, and paced slowly to and fro 
 till the musician knocked and entered. 
 
 After the first greeting, the young wife asked 
 eagerly : 
 
6S THE burgomaster's wife. \ 
 
 i 
 " Did you see my husband in Delft ?" 
 
 *' Yes indeed," replied Wilhelm, " the evening of the | 
 day before yesterday." | 
 
 '' Then tell me—" \ 
 
 " At once, at once. I bring you a whole pouch full i 
 of messages. First from your mother." 
 
 "Is she well?" \ 
 
 " Well and bright. Worthy Doctor Groot too is ' 
 
 hale and hearty." ■ 
 
 ■ " And my husband ? " \ 
 
 "I found him with the doctor. Herr Groot sends ' 
 the kindest remembrances to you. We had musical ; 
 entertainments at his home yesterday and the day be- \ 
 fore. He always has the latest novelties from Italy, i 
 and when we try this motet here — " j 
 
 " Afterwards, Herr Wilhelm ! You must first tell ! 
 me what my husband — " 
 
 " The burgomaster came to the doctor on a message \ 
 from the Prince. He was in haste, and could not wait i 
 for the singing. It went off admirably. If you, with j 
 your magnificent voice, will only — " \ 
 
 " Pray, Meister Wilhelm ? " I 
 
 " No, dear lady, you ought not to refuse. Doctor : 
 Groot says, that when a girl in Delft, no one could sup- \ 
 port the tenor like you, and if you, Frau von Nordwyk, i 
 and Herr Van Aken's oldest daughter — " 
 
 " But, my dear Meister ! " exclaimed the burgo- i 
 master's wife with increasing impatience, " I'm not ask- ■ 
 ing about your motets and tabulatures, but my husband." i 
 
 Wilhelm gazed at the young wife's face with a half- ; 
 startled, half^astonished look. Then, smiling at his own I 
 awkwardness, he shook his head, saying in a tone of' 
 good-natured repentance : \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 69 
 
 " Pray forgive me, little things seem unduly im- 
 portant to us when they completely fill our own souls. 
 One word about your absent husband must surely sound 
 sweeter to your ears, than all my music. I ought to 
 have thought of that sooner. So — the burgomaster is 
 well and has transacted a great deal of business with 
 the Prince. Before he went to Dortrecht yesterday 
 morning, he gave me this letter and charged me to 
 place it in your hands with the most loving greetings." 
 
 With these words the musician gave Maria a letter. 
 She hastily took it from his hand, saying : 
 
 *^ No offence, Herr Wilhelm, but we'll discuss your 
 motet to-morrow, or whenever you choose; to-day — " 
 
 "To-day your time belongs to this letter," inter- 
 rupted Wilhelm. " That is only natural. The messen- 
 ger has performed his commission, and the music-master 
 will try his fortune with you another time." 
 
 As soon as the young man had gone, Maria went to 
 her room, sat down at the window, hurriedly opened 
 her husband's letter and read : 
 
 *' My Dear and Faithful Wife ! 
 
 Meister Wilhelm Corneliussohn, of Leyden, will 
 bring you this letter. I am well, but it was hard for me 
 to leave you on the anniversary of our wedding-day. 
 The weather is very bad. I found the Prince in sore 
 affliction, but we don't give up hope, and if God helps 
 us and every man does his duty, all may yet be well. 
 I am obliged to ride to Dortrecht to-day. I have an 
 important object to accomplish there. Have patience, 
 for several days must pass before my return. 
 
 *' If the messenger from the council inquires, give him 
 the papers lying on the right-hand side of the writing- 
 
yo THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 table under the smaller leaden weight. Remember me 
 to Barbara and the children. If money is needed, ask 
 Van Hout in my name for the rest of the sum due me; 
 he knows about it. If you feel lonely, visit his wife or 
 Frau von Nordwyk; they would be glad to see you. 
 Buy as much meal, butter, cheese, and smoked meat, as 
 is possible. We don't know what may happen. Take ; 
 Barbara's advice ! Relying upon your obedience. 
 Your faithful husband, 
 Peter Adrianssohn Van der Werff." 
 
 Maria read this letter at first hastily, then slowly, 
 sentence by sentence, to the end. Disappointed, 
 troubled, wounded, she folded it, drew the wall-flowers 
 from the bosom of her dress — she knew not why — and : 
 flung them into the peat-box by the chimney-piece, i 
 Then she opened her chest, took out a prettily-carved ' 
 box, placed it on the table, and laid her husband's let- \ 
 ter inside. 
 
 Long after it had found a place with other papers, ; 
 Maria still stood before the casket, gazing thoughtfully 
 at its contents. 
 
 At last she laid her hand on the lid to close it ; but 
 hesitated and took up a packet of letters that had lain 
 amid several gold and silver coins, given by godmothers 
 and godfathers, modest trinkets, and a withered rose. 
 
 Drawing a chair up to the table, the young wife 
 seated herself and began to read. She knew these let- 
 ters well enough. A noble, promising youth had ad- 
 dressed them to her sister, his betrothed bride. They 
 were dated from Jena, whither he had gone to complete 
 his studies in jurisprudence. Every word expressed the 
 lover's ardent longing, every line was pervaded by the " 
 
 i 
 
f 
 
 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 71- 
 
 passion that had filled the writer's heart. Often the 
 prose of the young scholar, who as a pupil of Doctor 
 Groot had won his bride in Delft, rose to a lofty flight. 
 
 While reading, Maria saw in imagination Jacoba's 
 pretty face, and the handsome, enthusiastic countenance 
 of her bridegroom. She remembered their gay wed- 
 ding, her brother-in-law's impetuous friend, so lavishly 
 endowed with every gift of nature, who had accom- 
 panied him to Holland to be his groomsman, and at 
 parting had given her the rose which lay before her in 
 the little casket. No voice had ever suited hers so well; 
 she had never heard language so poetical from any 
 other lips, never had eyes that sparkled like the young 
 Thuringian noble's looked into hers. 
 
 After the wedding Georg von Dornberg returned 
 home and the young couple went to Haarlem. She had 
 heard nothing from the young foreigner, and her sister 
 and her husband were soon silenced forever. Like most 
 of the inhabitants of Haarlem, they were put to death 
 by the Spanish destroyers at the capture of the noble, 
 hapless city. Nothing was left of her beloved sister ex- 
 cept a faithful memory of her, and her betrothed bride- 
 groom's letters, which she now held in her hand. 
 
 They expressed love^ the true, lofty love, that can 
 speak with the tongues of angels and move mountains. 
 
 There lay her husband's letter. Miserable scrawl ! 
 She shrank from opening it again, as she laid the beloved 
 mementoes back into the box, yet her breast heaved as 
 she thought of Peter. She knew too that, she loved 
 him, and that his faithful heart belonged to her. But 
 she was not satisfied, she was not happy, for he showed 
 her only tender affection or paternal kindness, and she 
 wished to be loved differently. The pupil, nay the 
 
72 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 friend of the learned Groot, the young wife who had 
 grown up in the society of highly educated men, the 
 enthusiastic patriot, felt that she was capable of being 
 more, far more to her husband, than he asked. She had 
 never expected gushing emotions or high-strung phrases 
 from the grave man engaged in vigorous action, but 
 beUeved he would understand all the lofty, noble senti- 
 ments stirring in her soul, permit her to share his 
 struggles and become the partner of his thoughts and 
 feelings. The meagre letter received to-day again 
 taught her that her anticipations were not realized. 
 
 He had been a faithful friend of her father, now 
 numbered with the dead. Her brother-in-law too had 
 attached himself, with all the enthusiasm of youth, to 
 the older, fully-matured champion of liberty. Van der 
 Werff. When he had spoken of Peter to Maria, it was 
 always with expressions of the warmest admiration and 
 love. Peter had come to Delft soon after her father's 
 death and the violent end of the young wedded pair, 
 and when he expressed his sympathy and strove to com- 
 fort her, did so in strong, tender words, to which she 
 could cling, as if to an anchor, in the misery of her 
 heart. The valient citizen of Leyden came to Delft 
 more and more frequently, and was always a guest at 
 Doctor Groot's house. When the men were engaged in 
 consultation, Maria was permitted to fill their glasses 
 and be present at their confefejices. Words flew to and fro 
 and often seemed to her neither clear nor wise ; but what 
 Van der Werff said was always sensible, and a child 
 could understand his plain, vigorous speech. He ap- 
 peared to the young girl like an oak-tree among sway- 
 ing willows. She knew of many of his journeys, under- 
 taken at the peril of his life, in the service of the Prince 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 73 
 
 and his native land, and awaited their result with a 
 throbbing heart. 
 
 More than once in those days, the thought had en- 
 tered her mind that it would be dehghtful to be borne 
 through Hfe in the strong arms of this steadfast man. 
 Then he extended these arms, and she yielded to his 
 wish as proudly and happily as a squire summoned by 
 the king to be made a knight. She now remembered 
 this by-gone time, and every hope with which she had 
 accompanied him to Leyden rose vividly before her 
 soul. 
 
 Her newly-wedded husband had promised her no 
 spring, but a pleasant summer and autumn by his side. 
 She could not help thinking of this comparison, and 
 what entirely different things from those she had antici- 
 pated, the union with him had offered to this day. 
 Tumult, anxiety, conflict, a perpetual alternation of hard 
 work and excessive fatigue, this was his life, the life he 
 had summoned her to share at his side, without even 
 showing any desire to afford her a part in his cares and 
 labors. Matters ought not, should not go on so. Every- 
 thing that had seemed to her beautiful and pleasant in 
 her parents* home — was being destroyed here. Music 
 and poetry, that had elevated her soul, clever conver- 
 sation, that had developed her mind, were not to be 
 found here. Barbara's kind feelings could never sup- 
 ply the place of these lost possessions ; for her husband's 
 love she would have resigned them all — but what had 
 become of this love ? 
 
 With bitter emotions, she replaced the casket in the 
 chest and obeyed the summons to dinner, but found no 
 one at the great table except Adrian and the servants. 
 Barbara was watching Bessie. 
 
74 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 Never had she seemed to herself so desolate, so 
 lonely, so useless as to-day. What could she do here ? 
 Barbara ruled in kitchen and cellar, and she — she only 
 stood in the way of her husband's fulfilling his duties to 
 the city and state. 
 
 Such were her thoughts, when the knocker again 
 struck the door. She approached the window. It was 
 the doctor. Bessie had grown worse and she, her 
 mother, had not even inquired for the little one. 
 
 "The children, the children!" she murmured; her 
 sorrowful features brightened, and her heart grew 
 . lighter as she said to herself: 
 
 " I promised Peter to treat them as if they were my 
 own, and I will fulfil the duties I have undertaken." 
 
 Full of joyous excitement, she entered the sick-room, 
 hastily closing the door behind her. Doctor Bontius 
 looked at her with a reproving glance, and Barbara 
 said : 
 
 " Gently, gently ! Bessie is just sleeping a little." 
 
 Maria approached the bed, but the physician waved 
 her back, saying : 
 
 " Have you had the purple-fever ?" 
 
 " No." 
 
 '' Then you ought not to enter this room again. No 
 other help is needed where Frau Barbara nurses." 
 
 The burgomaster's wife made no reply, and returned 
 to the entry. Her heart was so heavy, so unutterably 
 heavy. She felt like a stranger in her husband's house. 
 Some impulse urged her to go out of doors, and as she 
 wrapped her mantle around her and went downstairs, 
 the smell of leather rising from the bales piled in layers 
 on the lower story, which she had scarcely noticed be- 
 fore, seemed unendurable. She longed for her mother,. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 75 
 
 her friends in Delft, and her quiet, cheerful home. For 
 the first time she ventured to call herself unhappy and, 
 while walking through the streets with downcast eyes 
 against the wind, struggled vainly to resist some myste- 
 rious, gloomy power, that compelled her to minutely re- 
 call everything that had resulted differently from her 
 expectations. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 After the musician had left the burgomaster's 
 house, he went to young Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma's 
 aunt to get his cloak, which had not been returned to 
 him. He did not usually give much heed to his dress, 
 yet he was glad that the rain kept people in the house, 
 for the outgrown wrap on his shoulders was by no means 
 pleasing in appearance. Wilhelm must certainly have 
 looked anything but well-clad, for as he stood in old 
 Fraulein Van Hoogstraten's spacious, stately hall, the 
 steward Belotti received him as patronizingly as if he 
 were a beggar. 
 
 But the Neopohtan, in whose mouth the vigorous 
 Dutch sounded like the ratding in the throat of a chilled 
 singer, speedily took a different tone when Wilhelm, in 
 excellent Italian, quietly explained the object of his 
 visit. Nay, at the sweet accents of his native tongue, 
 the servant's repellent demeanor melted into friendly, 
 eager welcome. He was beginning to speak of his 
 home to Wilhelm, but the musician made him curt replies 
 and asked him to get his cloak. 
 
*]6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Belotti now led him courteously into a small room 
 at the side of the great hall, took off his cloak, and then 
 went upstairs. As minute after minute passed, until at 
 last a whole quarter of an hour elapsed, and neither 
 servant nor cloak appeared, the young man lost his 
 patience, though it was not easily disturbed, and when the 
 door at last opened serious peril threatened the leaden 
 panes on which he was drumming loudly with his 
 fingers. Wilhelm doubtless heard it, yet he drummed 
 with redoubled vehemence, to show the Italian that the 
 time was growing long to him. But he hastily with- 
 drew his fingers from the glass, for a girl's musical voice 
 said behind him in excellent Dutch : 
 
 " Have you finished your war-song, sir ? Belotti is 
 bringing your cloak." 
 
 Wilhelm had turned and was gazing in silent bewil- 
 derment into the face of the young noblewoman, who 
 stood directly in front of him. These features were not 
 unfamiliar, and yet — years do not make even a goddess 
 younger, and mortals increase in height and don't grow 
 smaller; but the lady whom he thought he saw before 
 him, whom he had known well in the eternal city and 
 never forgotten, had been older and taller than the 
 young girl, who so strikingly resembled her and seemed 
 to take little pleasure in the young man's surprised yet 
 inquiring glance. With a haughty gesture she beckoned 
 to the steward, saying in Italian : 
 
 " Give the gentleman his cloak, Belotti, and tell him 
 I came to beg him to pardon your forgetfulness." 
 
 With these words Henrica Van Hoogstraten turned 
 towards the door, but Wilhelm took two hasty strides 
 after her, exclaiming : 
 
 ^' Not yet, not yet, Fraulein ! I am the one to apolo- 
 
r 
 
 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 77 
 
 gize. But if you have ever been amazed by a resem- 
 blance — " 
 
 '' Anything but looking like other people ! " cried the 
 girl with a repellent gesture. 
 
 "Ah, Fraulein, yet — " 
 
 " Let that pass, let that pass," interrupted Henrica 
 in so irritated a tone that the musician looked at her in 
 surprise. " One sheep looks just like another, and 
 among a hundred peasants twenty have the same face. 
 All wares sold by the dozen are cheap." 
 
 As soon as Wilhelm heard reasons given, the quiet 
 manner peculiar to him returned, and he answered 
 modestly : 
 
 " But nature also forms the most beautiful things in 
 pairs. Think of the eyes in the Madonna's face." 
 
 '^ Are you a Catholic ?" 
 
 " A Galvinist, Fraulein." 
 
 " And devoted to the Prince's cause ?" 
 
 " Say rather, the cause of liberty." 
 
 " That accounts for the drumming of the war-song.'* 
 
 " It was first a gentle gavotte, but impatience quick- 
 ened the time. I am a musician, Fraulein." 
 
 " But probably no drummer. The poor panes !" 
 
 "They are an instrument like any other, and in 
 playing we seek to express what we feel." 
 
 " Then accept my thanks for not breaking them to 
 pieces." 
 
 " That wouldn't have been beautiful, Fraulein, and 
 art ceases when ugliness begins." 
 
 " Do you think the song in your cloak — it dropped 
 on the ground and Nico picked it up — beautiful or 
 ugly?" ^ 
 
 " This one or the other ?" 
 
78 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " I mean the Beggar-song." 
 
 "It is fierce, but no more ugly than the roaring of 
 the storm." 
 
 " It is repulsive, barbarous, revolting." 
 
 " I call it strong, overmastering in its power.'* 
 
 " And this other melody ?" 
 
 " Spare me an answer; I composed it myself. Can 
 you read notes, Fraulein ?" 
 
 " A little." 
 
 " And did my attempt displease you ?" 
 
 " Not at all, but I find dolorous passages in this 
 choral, as in all the Calvinist hymns." 
 
 " It depends upon how they are sung." 
 
 " They are certainly intended for the voices of the 
 shopkeepers' wives and washerwomen in your churches." 
 
 " Every hymn, if it is only sincerely felt, will lend 
 wings to the souls of the simple folk who sing it; and 
 whatever ascends to Heaven from the inmost depths of 
 the heart, can hardly displease the dear God, to whom it 
 is addressed. And then — " 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " If these notes are worth being preserved, it may 
 happen that a matchless choir — " 
 
 " Will sing them to you, you think ?" 
 
 " No, Fraulein ; they have fulfilled their destination 
 if they are once nobly rendered. I would fain not be 
 absent, but that wish is far less earnest than the other." 
 
 " How modest ! " 
 
 " I think the best enjoyment in creating is had m 
 anticipation." 
 
 Henrica gazed at the artist with a look of sympathy, 
 and said with a softer tone in her musical voice : 
 
 " I am sorry for you, Meister. Your music pleases 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 79 
 
 me ; why should I deny it ? In many passages it appeals 
 to the heart, but how it will be spoiled in your churches ! 
 Your heresy destroys every art. The works of the great 
 artists are a horror to you, and the noble music that has 
 unfolded here in the Netherlands will soon fare no 
 better." 
 
 " I think I may venture to believe the contrary." 
 
 *' Wrongly, Meister, wrongly, for if your cause 
 tnumphs, which may the Virgin forbid, there will soon 
 be nothing in Holland except piles of goods, workshops, 
 and bare churches, from which even singing and organ- 
 playing will soon be banished." 
 
 '' By no means, Fraulein. Little Athens first be- 
 came the home of the arts, after she had secured her 
 liberty in the war against the Persians." 
 
 '' Athens and Ley den ! " she answered scornfully. 
 " True, there are owls on the tower of Pancratius. But 
 where shall we find the Minerva ? " 
 
 While Henrica rather laughed than spoke these 
 words, her name was called for the third time by a 
 shrill female voice. She now interrupted herself in the 
 middle of a sentence, saying : 
 
 " I must go. I will keep these notes." 
 
 " You will honor me by accepting them ; perhaps 
 you will allow me to bring you others." 
 
 " Henrica!" the voice again called from the stairs, 
 and the young lady answered hastily : 
 
 " Give Belotti whatever you choose, but soon, for I 
 shan't stay here much longer." 
 
 Wilhelm gazed after her. She walked no less quickly 
 and firmly through the wide hall and up the stairs, than 
 she had spoken, and again he was vividly reminded of 
 his friend in Rome. 
 
So THE burgomaster's WIFE. i 
 
 The old Italian had also followed Henrica with his ] 
 eyes. As she vanished at the last bend of the broad ] 
 steps, he shrugged his shoulders, turned to the musician '] 
 and said, with an expression of honest sympathy : \ 
 
 *^ The young lady isn't well. Always in a tumult ; • 
 always like a loaded pistol, and these terrible headaches ' 
 too ! She was different when she came here." ; 
 
 " Is she ill ?" i 
 
 " My mistress won't see it," replied the servant, i 
 " But what the cameriera and I see, we see. Now red \ 
 — now pale, no rest at night, at table she scarcely eats a \ 
 chicken-wing and a leaf of salad." j 
 
 " Does the doctor share your anxiety ?" j 
 
 " The doctor ? Doctor Fleuriel isn't here. He ' 
 moved to Ghent when the Spaniards came, and since | 
 then my mistress will have nobody but the barber who I 
 bleeds her. The doctors here are devoted to the Prince • 
 of Orange and are all heretics. There, she is calling \ 
 again. I'll send the cloak to your house, and if you ever i 
 feel inclined to speak my language, just knock here. ; 
 That calling — that everlasting calling ! The young lady ; 
 suffers from it too." | 
 
 When Wilhelm entered the street, it was only rain- j 
 ing very slightly. The clouds were beginning to scatter, | 
 and from a patch of blue sky the sun was shining ■ 
 brighdy down on Nobelstrasse. A rainbow shimmered t 
 in variegated hues above the roofs, but to-day the musi- ^ 
 cian had no eyes for the beautiful spectacle. The bright ) 
 light in the wet street did not charm him. The hot I 
 rays of the day-star were not lasting, for '' they drew ] 
 rain." All that surrounded him seemed confused ^ 
 and restless. Beside a beautiful image which he I 
 treasured in the sanctuary of his memories, only allow- 1 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 8l 
 
 ing his mind to dwell upon it in his happiest hours, 
 sought to intrude. His real diamond was in danger of 
 being exchanged for a stone, whose value he did not 
 know. With the old, pure harmony blended another 
 similar one, but in a different key. How could he still 
 think of Isabella, without remembering Henrica ! At 
 least he had not heard the young lady sing, so his 
 recollection of Isabella's songs remained unclouded. 
 He blamed himself because, obeying an emotion of 
 vanity, he had promised to send new songs to the proud 
 young girl, the friend of Spain. He had treated Herr 
 Matanesse Van Wibisma rudely on account of his 
 opinions, but sought to approach her, who laughed at 
 what he prized most highly, because she was a woman, 
 and it was sweet to hear his work praised by beautiful 
 lips. ** Hercules throws the club aside and sits down at 
 the distaff, when Omphale beckons, and the beautiful 
 Esther and the daughter of Herodias — " murmured 
 Wilhelm indignantly. He felt sorely troubled, and 
 longed for his quiet attic chamber beside the dove-cote. 
 
 " Something unpleasant has happened to him in 
 Delft," thought his father. 
 
 " Why doesn't he relish his fried flounders to-day ? '* 
 asked his mother, when he had left them after dinner. 
 Each felt that something oppressed the pride and 
 favorite of the household, but did not attempt to dis- 
 cover the cause; they knew the moods to which he was 
 sometimes subject for half a day. 
 
 After Wilhelm had fed his doves, he went to his 
 room, where he paced resdessly to and fro. Then he 
 seized his violin and wove all the melodies he had 
 heard from Isabella's lips into one. His music had 
 rarely sounded so soft, and then so fierce and passionate, 
 
82 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 and his mother, who heard it in the kitchen, turned the 
 twirHng-stick faster and faster, then thrust it into the 
 firmly-tied dough, and rubbing her hands on her 
 apron, murmured : 
 
 " How it wails and exults ! If it relieves his heart, 
 in God's name let him do it, but cat-gut is dear and it 
 will cost at least two strings." 
 
 Towards evening Wilhelm was obliged to go to the 
 drill of the military corps to which he belonged. His 
 company was ordered to mount guard at the Hooge- 
 woort Gate. As he marched through Nobelstrasse with 
 it, he heard the low, clear melody of a woman's voice 
 issuing from an open window of the Hoogstraten man- 
 sion. He listened, and noticing with a shudder how 
 much Henrica's voice — for the singer must be the 
 young lady — resembled Isabella's, ordered the drum- 
 mer to beat the drum. 
 
 The next morning a servant came from the Hoog- 
 straten house and gave Wilhelm a note, in which he was 
 briefly requested to come to Nobelstrasse at two o'clock 
 in the afternoon, neither earlier nor later. 
 
 He did not wish to say " yes " — he could not say 
 *' no," and went to the house at the appointed hour. 
 
 Henrica was awaiting him in the little room adjoin- 
 ing the hall. She looked graver than the day before, 
 while heavier shadows under her eyes and the deep 
 flush on her cheeks reminded Wilhelm of Belotti's fears 
 for her health. After returning his greeting, she said 
 without circumlocution, and very rapidly : 
 
 '' I must speak to you. Sit down. To be brief, the 
 way you greeted me yesterday awakened strange 
 thoughts. I must strongly resemble some other woman, 
 and you met her in Italy. Perhaps you are reminded of 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. S^ 
 
 some one very near to me, of whom I have lost all trace. 
 Answer me honestly, for I do not ask from idle curiosity. 
 Where did you meet her ?" 
 
 " In Lugano. We drove to Milan with the same 
 vetturino, and afterwards I found her again in Rome 
 and saw her daily for months." 
 
 '' Then you know her intimately. Do you still 
 think the resemblance surprising, after having seen me 
 for the second time ?" 
 
 *' Very surprising." 
 
 " Then I must have a double. Is she a native of 
 this country ?" 
 
 " She called herself an Italian, but she understood 
 Dutch, for she has often turned the pages of my books 
 and followed the conversation I had with young artists 
 from our home. I think she is a German lady of noble 
 family," 
 
 ^'An adventuress then. And her name .^" 
 
 " Isabella — but I think no one would be justified in 
 calling her an adventuress." 
 
 " Was she married ? " 
 
 '^ There was something matronly in her majestic 
 appearance, yet she never spoke of a husband. The old 
 Italian woman, her duenna, always called her Donna 
 Isabella, but she possessed Httle more knowledge of her 
 past than I." 
 
 " Is that good or evil ? " 
 
 " Nothing at all, Fraulein." 
 
 " And what led her to Rome ? " 
 
 " She practised the art of singing, of which she was 
 mistress ; but did not cease studying, and made great 
 progress in Rome. I was permitted to instruct her in 
 counterpoint." 
 
 6 * 
 
84 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 ** And did she appear in public as a singer?" 
 
 " Yes and no. A distinguished foreign prelate was 
 her patron, and his recommendation opened every door, 
 even the Palestrina's. So the church music at aristo- 
 cratic weddings was entrusted to her, and she did not 
 refuse to sing at noble houses, but never appeared for 
 pay. I know that, for she would not allow any one 
 else to play her accompaniments. She liked my music, 
 and so through her I went into many aristocratic 
 houses." 
 
 "Was she rich?" 
 
 " No, Fraolein. She had beautiful dresses and bril- 
 liant jewels, but was compelled to economize. Remit- 
 tances of money came to her at times from Florence, 
 but the gold pieces slipped quickly through her fingers, 
 for though she lived plainly and eat scarcely enough for 
 a bird, while her delicate strength required stronger 
 food, she was lavish to imprudence if she saw poor 
 artists in want, and she knew most of them, for she did 
 not shrink from sitting with them over their wine in my 
 companyo" 
 
 "With artists and musicians ?" 
 
 " Mere artists of noble sentiments. At times she 
 surpassed them all in her overflowing mirth." 
 
 " At times ? " 
 
 "Yes, only at times, for she had also sorrowful, 
 pitiably sorrowful hours and days, but as sunshine and 
 shower alternate in an April day, despair and extrava- 
 gant gayety ruled her nature by turns." 
 
 " A strange character. Do you know her end ?" 
 
 "No, Fraulein. One evening she received a letter 
 from Milan, which must have contained bad news, and 
 the next day vanished without any farewell." 
 
THE burgomaster's .WIFE. 85 
 
 " And you did not try to follow her ? '* 
 
 Wilhelm blushed, and answered in an embarrassed 
 tone: 
 
 " I had no right to do so, and just after her de- 
 parture I fell sick — dangerously sick." 
 
 " You loved her ? " 
 
 " Fraulein, I must beg you — " 
 
 *' You loved her ! And did she return your affec- 
 tion?" 
 
 ^' We have known each other only since yesterday, 
 Fraulein von Hoogstraten." 
 
 " Pardon me ! But if you value my desire, we shall 
 not have seen each other for the last time, though my 
 double is undoubtedly a different person from the one I 
 supposed. Farewell till we meet again. You hear, that 
 calling never ends. You have aroused an interest in 
 your strange friend, and some other time must tell me 
 more about her. Only this one question : Can a mod- 
 est maiden talk of her with you without disgrace ? " 
 
 " Certainly, if you do not shrink from speaking of a 
 noble lady who had no other protector than herself" 
 
 " And you, don't forget yourself! " cried Henrica, 
 leaving the room. 
 
 The musician walked thoughtfully towards home. 
 Was Isabella a relative of this young girl ? He had 
 told Henrica almost all he knew of her external circum- 
 stances, and this perhaps gave the former the same right 
 to call he^ an adventuress, that many in Rome had 
 assumed. The word wounded him, and Henrica's 
 inquiry whether he loved the stranger disturbed him, 
 and appeared intrusive and unseemly. Yes, he had felt 
 an ardent love for her ; ay, he had suffered deeply be- 
 cause he was no more to her than a pleasant companion 
 
S6 THE b-urgomaster's wife. 
 
 and reliable friend. It had cost him struggles enough 
 to conceal his feelings, and he knew, that but for the 
 dread of repulse and scorn, he would have yielded and 
 revealed them to her. Old wounds in his heart opened 
 afresh, as he recalled the time she suddenly left Rome 
 without a word of farewell. After barely recovering from 
 a severe illness, he had returned home pale and dispirited, 
 and months elapsed ere he could again find genuine 
 pleasure in his art. At first, the remembrance of her 
 contained nothing save bitterness, but now, by quiet,, 
 persistent effort, he had succeeded, not in attaining for- 
 getfulness, but in being able to separate painful emo- 
 tions from the pure and exquisite joy of remembering 
 her. To-day the old struggle sought to begin afresh, 
 but he was not disposed to yield, and did not cease to 
 summon Isabella's image, in all its beauty, before his 
 soul. 
 
 Henrica returned to her aunt in a deeply-agitated 
 mood. Was the adventuress of whom Wilhelm had 
 spoken, the only creature whom she loved with all the 
 ardor of her passionate soul ? Was Isabella her lost sis- 
 ter ? Many incidents were opposed to it, yet it was pos- 
 sible. She tortured herself with questions, and the less 
 peace her aunt gave her, the more unendurable her head- 
 ache became, the more plainly she felt that the fever^ 
 against whose relaxing power she had struggled for days, 
 would conquer her. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 87 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 On the evening of the third day after Wilhelm's in- 
 terview with Henrica, his way led him through Nobel- 
 strasse past the Hoogstraten mansion. 
 
 Ere reaching it, he saw two gentlemen, preceded by 
 a servant carrying a lantern, cross the causeway towards 
 it. 
 
 Wilhelm's attention was attracted. The servant now 
 seized the knocker, and the light of his lantern fell on 
 the men's faces. Neither was unfamiliar to him. 
 
 The small, delicate old man, with the peaked hat 
 and short black velvet cloak, was Abbe Picard, a gay 
 Parisian, who had come to Ley den ten years before and 
 gave French lessons in the wealthy families of the city. 
 He had been Wilhelm's teacher too, but the musician's 
 father, the Receiver-General, would have nothing to do 
 with the witty abbe ; for he was said to have left his 
 beloved France on account of some questionable trans- 
 actions, and Herr Cornelius scented in him a Spanish 
 spy. The other gentleman, a grey-haired, unusually stout 
 man, of middle height, who required a great deal of 
 cloth for his fur-bordered cloak, was Signor Lamperi, the 
 representative of the great Italian mercantile liouse of 
 Bonvisi in Antwerp, who was in tlie habit of annually 
 coming to Leyden on business for a few weeks with the 
 storks and swallows, and was a welcome guest in every 
 tap-room as the inexhaustible narrator of funny stories, 
 ELefore these two men entered the house, they were 
 joined by a third, preceded by two servants carrying Ian- 
 
88 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 terns. A wide cloak enveloped his tall figure ; he too 
 stood on the threshold of old age and was no stranger 
 'to Wilhelm, for the Catholic Monseigneur Gloria, who 
 often came to Leyden from Haarlem, was a patron of 
 the noble art of music, and when the young man set out 
 on his journey to Italy had provided him, spite of his 
 heretical faith, with valuable letters of introduction. 
 
 Wilhelm, as the door closed behind the three gentle- 
 men, continued his way. Belotti had told him the day 
 before that the young lady seemed very ill, but since 
 her aunt was receiving guests, Henrica was doubtless 
 better. 
 
 The first story in the Hoogstraten mansion was 
 brightly lighted, but in the second a faint, steady glow 
 streamed into Nobelstrasse from a single window, while 
 she for whom the lamp burned sat beside a table, her 
 eyes sparkling with a feverish glitter, as she pressed her 
 forehead against the marble top. Henrica was entirely 
 alone in the wide, lofty room her aunt had assigned her. 
 Behind curtains of thick faded brocade was her bedstead, 
 a heavy structure of enormous width. The other articles 
 of furniture were large and shabby, but had once been 
 splendid. Every chair, every table looked as if it had 
 been taken from some deserted banqueting-hall. Nothing 
 really necessary was lacking in the apartment, but it was 
 anything but home-like and cosey, and no one would ever 
 have supposed a young girl occupied it, had it not been 
 for a large gilt harp that leaned against the long, hard 
 couch beside the fireplace. 
 
 Henrica's head was burning but, though she had 
 wrapped a shawl around her lower limbs, her feet were 
 freezing on the uncarpeted stone floor. 
 
 A short time after the three gentlemen had entered 
 
THE burgomaster's Ji^fFiTirpp^^^, 89 
 
 her aunt's house, a woman's figure, ascCndfed. flie , st^Slr^?Sv^ 
 leading from the first to the second story. Henrica's 
 
 approaching form had reached the room7 *-^ij9" T^^th 
 quickened breathing, she sat erect. - ^ ; 
 
 A thin hand, without any preHminary knock, now 
 opened the door and old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten 
 walked up to her niece. 
 
 The elderly dame had once been beautiful, now and 
 at this hour she presented a strange, unpleasing appear- 
 ance. 
 
 The thin, bent figure was attired in a long trailing 
 robe of heavy pink silk. The little head almost disap- 
 peared in the ruff, a large structure of immense height 
 and width. Long chains of pearls and glittering gems 
 hung on the sallow skin displayed by the open neck of her 
 dress, and on the false, reddish-yellow curls rested a roll 
 of light-blue velvet decked with ostrich plumes. A strong 
 odor of various fragrant essences preceded her. She 
 herself probably found them somewhat overpowering, 
 for her large glittering fan was in constant motion and 
 fluttered violently, when in answer to her curt : " Quick, 
 quick," Henrica returned a resolute " no, ma tanteT 
 
 The old lady, however, was not at all disconcerted 
 by the refusal, but merely repeated her " Quick, quick," 
 more positively, adding as an important reason : 
 
 " Monseigneur has come and wants to hear you." 
 
 " He does me great honor," replied the young girl, 
 ** great honor, but how often must I repeat : 1 will not 
 come." 
 
 " Is it allowable to ask why not, my fair one?" said 
 the old lady. 
 
9© THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 "• Because I am not fit for your society," cried Hen- 
 rica vehemently, *' because my head aches and my eyes 
 burn, because I can't sing to-day, and because — because 
 — because — I entreat you, leave me in peace." 
 
 Old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten let her fan sink by 
 her side, and said coolly : 
 
 •'Were you singing two hours ago — yes or no ?" 
 
 -Yes." 
 
 '* Then your headache can't be so very bad, and 
 Denise will dress you." 
 
 "If she comes, I'll send her away. When I just 
 took the harp, 1 did so to sing the pain away. It was 
 relieved for a few minutes, but now my temples are • 
 throbbing with twofold violence." 
 
 " Excuses." 
 
 ** Believe what you choose. Besides — even if I felt : 
 better at this moment than a squirrel in the woods, I 
 wouldn't go down to see the gentlemen. I shall stay 
 here. I have given my word, and I am a Hoogstraten 
 as well as you." 
 
 Henrica had risen, and her eyes flashed with a \ 
 gloomy fire at her oppressor. The old lady waved her 
 fan faster, and her projecting chin trembled. Then 
 she said curtly : 
 
 " Your word of honor ! So you won't ! You won't ! '^ 
 
 " Certainly not," cried the young girl with undutiful 
 positiveness. 
 
 " Everybody must have his way," replied the old 
 lady, turning towards the door. " What is too wilful is ! 
 too wilful. Your father won't thank you for this." 
 
 With these words Fraulein Van Hoogstraten raised 
 her long train and approached the door. There she 
 paused, and again glanced enquiringly at Henrica. The : 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 9! 
 
 latter doubtless noticed her aunt's hesitation, but with- 
 out heeding the impHed threat intentionally turned her 
 back. 
 
 As soon as the door closed, the young girl sank back 
 into her chair, pressed her forehead against the marble 
 slab and let it remain there a long time. Then she rose 
 as suddenly and hastily as if obeying some urgent sum- 
 mons, raised the lid of her trunk, tossed the stockings^ 
 bodices and shoes, that came into her way, out on the 
 floor, and did not rise until she had found a few sheets 
 of writing-paper which she had laid, before leaving her 
 father's castle, among the rest of her property. 
 
 As she rose from her kneeling posture, she was 
 seized with giddiness, but still kept her feet, carried to 
 the table first the white sheets and a portfolio, then the 
 large inkstand that had already stood several days in 
 her room, and seated herself beside it. 
 
 Leaning far back in her chair, she began to write. 
 The book that served as a desk lay on her knee, the 
 paper on the book. Creaking and pausing, the goose- 
 quill made large, stiff letters on the white surface. 
 Henrica was not skilled in writing, but to-day it must 
 have been unspeakably difficult for her; her high fore- 
 head became covered with perspiration, her mouth was 
 distorted by pain, and whenever she had finished a few 
 lines, she closed her eyes or drank greedily from the 
 water-pitcher that stood beside her. 
 
 The large room was perfectly still, but the peace that 
 surrounded her was often disturbed by strange noises, 
 and tones, that rose from the dining-hall direcdy under 
 her chamber. The cHnking of glasses, shrill tittering, 
 loud, deep laughter, single bars of a dissolute love-song, 
 cheers, and then the sharp rattle of a shattered wine- 
 
92 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ^ 
 
 i 
 
 glass reached her in mingled sounds. She did not wish i 
 to hear it, but could not escape and clenched her white I 
 teeth indignantly. Yet meantime the pen did not i 
 wholly stop. i 
 
 She wrote in broken, or long, disconnected sentences, \ 
 almost incoherently involved. Sometimes there were ) 
 gaps, sometimes the same word was twice or thrice re- \ 
 peated. The whole resembled a letter written by a j 
 lunatic, yet every line, every stroke of the pen, expressed j 
 the same desire uttered with passionate longing : " Take | 
 me away from here ! Take me away from this woman \ 
 and this house !" i 
 
 The epistle was addressed to her father. She im- 
 plored him to rescue her from this place, come or send 
 for her. '' Her uncle, Matanesse Van Wibisma," she 
 said, "seemed to be a sluggish messenger; he had | 
 probably enjoyed the evenings at her aunt's, which filled \ 
 her, Henrica, with loathing. She would go out into the | 
 world after her sister, if her father compelled her to stay { 
 here." Then she began a description of her aunt and ■ 
 her life. The picture of the days and nights she had \ 
 now spent for weeks with the old lady, presented in ^ 
 vivid characters a mixture of great and petty troubles, : 
 external and mental humiliations. i 
 
 Only too often the same drinking and carousing had i 
 gone on below as to-day — Henrica had always been | 
 compelled to join her aunt's guests, elderly dissolute I 
 men of French or Italian origin and easy morals, j 
 While describing these conventicles, the blood crimsoned 1 
 her flushed cheeks still more deeply, and the long strokes .; 
 of the pen grew heavier and heavier. What the abbe j 
 related and her aunt laughed at, what the ItaHan \ 
 screamed and Monseigneur smiUngly condemned with j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 95 
 
 a slight shake of the head, was so shamelessly bold that 
 she would have been defiled by repeating the words. 
 
 Was she a respectable girl or not? She would 
 rather hunger and thirst, than be present at such a ban- 
 quet again. If the dining-room was empty, other unpre- 
 cedented demands were made upon Henrica, for then 
 her aunt, who could not endure to be alone a moment, 
 was sick and miserable, and she was obliged to nurse 
 her. That she gladly and readily served the suffering, 
 she wrote, she had sufficiently proved by her attendance 
 on the village children when they had the small-pox, 
 but if her aunt could not sleep she was compelled to 
 watch beside her, hold her hand, and listen until morn- 
 ing as she moaned, whined and prayed, sometimes curs- 
 ing herself and sometimes the treacherous world. She, 
 Henrica, had come to the house strong and well, but 
 so much disgust and anger, such constant struggling to 
 control herself had robbed her of her health. 
 
 The young girl had written until midnight. The 
 letters became more and more irregular and indistinct, 
 the Hnes more crooked, and with the last words : " My 
 head, my poor head ! You will see that I am losing my 
 senses. I beseech you, I beseech you, my dear, stem 
 father, take me home. I have again heard something 
 about Anna — " her eyes grew dim, her pen dropped 
 from her hand, and she fell back in the chair uncon- 
 scious. 
 
 There she lay, until the last laugh and sound of rat- 
 tling glass had died away below, and her aunt's guests 
 had left the house. 
 
 Denise, the cameriera, noticed the light in the room, 
 entered, and after vainly endeavoring to rouse Henrica, 
 called her mistress. 
 
94 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. '* 
 
 i 
 
 The latter followed the maid, muttering as she \ 
 ascended the stairs : j 
 
 '^ Fallen asleep, found the time hang heavy — that's • 
 all ! She might have been lively and laughed with us ! j 
 Stupid race ! ' Men of butter,' King Philip says. That i 
 wild Lamperi was really impertinent to-night, and the j 
 abbe said things — things — " | 
 
 The old lady's large eyes were sparkling vinously, | 
 and her fan waved rapidly to and fro to cool the flush ] 
 on her cheeks. i 
 
 She now stood opposite to Henrica, called her, \ 
 shook her and sprinkled her with perfumed water from j 
 the large shell, set in gold, which hung as an essence- \ 
 bottle from her belt. When her niece only muttered i 
 incoherent words, she ordered the maid to bring her I 
 medicine-chest. ' 
 
 Denise had gone and Fraulein Van Hoogstraten ■ 
 now perceived Henrica's letter, raised it close to her \ 
 eyes, read page after page with increasing indignation, ' 
 and at last tossed it on the floor and tried to shake her J 
 niece awake ; but in vain. . J 
 
 Meantime Belotti had been informed of Henrica's ' 
 serious illness and, as he liked the young girl, sent for a j 
 physician on his own responsibility, and instead of the ] 
 family priest summoned Father Damianus. Then he I 
 went to the sick girl's chamber. ) 
 
 Even before he crossed the threshold, the old lady i 
 in the utmost excitement, exclaimed : ^ 
 
 " Belotti, what do ydu say now, Belotti ? Sickness ; 
 in the house, perhaps contagious sickness, perhaps the j 
 plague." I 
 
 ''It seems to be only a fever," replied the Ital- ? 
 ian soothingly. " Come, Denise, we will carry the r 
 
 J 
 
THK BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 95 
 
 young lady to the bed. The doctor will soon be 
 here." 
 
 ''The doctor?" cried the old lady, striking her fan 
 on the marble top of the table. '' Who permitted you, 
 Belotti — " 
 
 "We are Christians," interrupted the servant, not 
 without dignity. 
 
 " Very well, very well," she cried. " Do what you 
 please, call whom you choose, but Henrica can't stay 
 here. Contagion in the house, the plague, a black 
 tablet." 
 
 " Excellenza is disturbing herself unnecessarily. Let 
 us first hear what the doctor says." 
 
 " I won't hear him ; I can't bear the plague and the 
 small-pox. Go down at once, Belotti, and have the 
 sedan-chair prepared. The old chevalier's room in the 
 rear building is empty." 
 
 " But, Excellenza, it's gloomy, and so dam[) that 
 the north wall is covered with mould." 
 
 " Then let it be aired and cleaned. What does this 
 delay mean ? You have only to obey. I^o you under- 
 stand?" 
 
 " The chevalier's room isn't fit for my mistress's sick 
 niece," replied Belotti civilly, but resolutely. 
 
 "Isn't it? And you know exactly?" asked his 
 mistress scornfully. " Go down, Denise, and order the 
 sedan-chair to be brought up. Have you anything 
 more to say, Belotti ? " 
 
 " Yes, Padrona," replied the Italian, in a trembling 
 voice. " 1 beg your excellenza to dismiss me." 
 
 " Dismiss you from my service ?" 
 
 " With your excellenza's permission, yes — from your 
 service." 
 
C)6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 The old woman started, clasped her hands tightly 
 upon her fan, and said : 
 
 " You are irritable, Belotti." 
 
 " No, Padrona, but I am old and dread the misfor- 
 tune of being ill in this house." 
 
 Fraulein Van Hoogstraten shrugged her shoulders 
 and turning to her maid, cried : 
 
 "The sedan-chair, Denise. You are dismissed, 
 Belotti." 
 
 CHAPTER X. j 
 
 i 
 
 The night, on which sorrow and sickness had entered ; 
 
 the Hoogstraten mansion, was followed by a beautiful i 
 
 morning. Holland again became pleasant to the storks, ' 
 
 that with a loud, joyous clatter flew down into the ; 
 
 meadows on which the sun was shining. It was one of ■ 
 
 those days the end of April often bestows on men, as if to 1 
 show them that they render her too little, her successor too 
 
 much honor. April can boast that in her house is born ] 
 
 the spring, whose vigor is only strengthened and beauty ; 
 developed by her blooming heir. 
 
 It was Sunday, and whoever on such a day, while \ 
 the bells are ringing, wanders in Holland over sunny 
 
 paths, through flowery meadows where countless cattle, I 
 
 woolly sheep, and idle -horses are grazing, meeting \ 
 
 peasants in neat garments, peasant women with shining i 
 
 gold ornaments under snow-white lace caps, citizens in j 
 
 gay attire and children released from school, can easily i 
 
 fancy that even nature wears a holiday garb and glitters - 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 97 
 
 in brighter green, more brilliant blue, and more varied 
 ornaments of flowers than on work-days. 
 
 A joyous Sunday mood doubtless filled the minds of 
 the burghers, who to-day were out of doors on foot, in 
 large over-crowded wooden wagons, or gaily-painted 
 boats on the Rhine, to enjoy the leisure hours of the day 
 of rest, eat country bread, yellow butter, and fresh 
 cheese, or drink milk and cool beer, with their wives 
 and children. 
 
 The organist, Wilhelm, had long since finished play- 
 ing in the church, but did not wander out into the fields 
 with companions of his own age, for he liked to use such 
 days for longer excursions, in which walking was out of 
 the question. 
 
 They bore him on the wings of the wind over his 
 native plains, through the mountains and valleys of Ger- 
 many, across the Alps to Italy. A spot propitious for 
 such forgetfulness of the present and his daily surround- 
 ings, in favor of the past and a distant land, was ready. 
 His brothers, Ulrich and Johannes, also musicians, but 
 who recognized Wilhelm's superior talent without envy 
 and helped him develop it, had arranged for him, during 
 his stay in Italy, a prettily-furnished room in the narrow 
 side of the pointed roof of the house, from which a 
 broad door led to a little balcony. Here stood a wooden 
 bench on which Wilhelm liked to sit, watching the 
 flight of his doves, gazing dreamily into the distance or, 
 when inclined to artistic creation, listening to the melo- 
 dies that echoed in his soul. 
 
 This highest part of the house aflbrded a beautiful 
 prospect; the view was almost as extensive as the one 
 from the top of the citadel, the old Roman tower 
 situated in the midst of Leyden. Like a spider in its 
 
gS THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 web, Wilhelm's native city lay in the midst of countless 
 streams and canals that intersected the meadows. The 
 red brick masonry of the city wall, with its towers and 
 bastions, washed by a dark strip of water, encircled the 
 pretty place as a diadem surrounds a young girl's head; 
 and' like a chaplet of loosely-bound thorns, forts and re- 
 doubts extended in wider, frequently broken circles 
 around the walls. The citizens' herds of cattle grazed be- 
 tween the defensive fortifications and the city wall, while 
 beside and beyond them appeared villages and hamlets. 
 On this clear April day, looking towards the north, 
 Haarlem lake was visible, and on the west, beyond the 
 leafy coronals of the Hague woods, must lie the downs 
 which nature had reared for the protection of the country 
 against the assaults of the waves. Their long chain of 
 hillocks offered a firmer and more unconquerable resist- 
 ance to the pressure of the sea, than the earthworks and 
 redoubts of Alfen, Leyderdorp and Valkenburg, the 
 three forts situated close to the banks of the Rhine, pre- 
 sented to hostile armies. The Rhine ! Wilhelm gazed 
 down at the shallow, sluggish river, and compared it to 
 a king deposed from his throne, who has lost power and 
 splendor and now kindly endeavors to dispense benefits 
 in little circles with the property that remains. The 
 musician was familiar with the noble, undivided German 
 Rhine; and often followed it in imagination towards the 
 south but more often still his dreams conveyed him 
 with a mighty leap to Lake Lugano, the pearl of the 
 Western Alps, and when he thought of it and the Medi- 
 terranean, beheld rising before his mental vision emerald 
 green, azure blue, and golden light; and in such hours 
 all his thoughts were transformed within his breast into 
 harmonies and exquisite music. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 99 
 
 And his journey from Lugano to Milan ! The con- 
 veyance that bore him to Leonardo's city was plain and 
 overcrowded, but in it he had found Isabella. And 
 Rome, Rome, eternal, never-to-be-forgotten Rome, 
 where so long as we dwell there, we grow out of our- 
 selves, increase in strength and intellectual power, and 
 which makes us wretched with longing when it Hes 
 behind us. 
 
 By the Tiber Wilhelm had first thoroughly learned 
 what art, his glorious art was ; here, near Isabella, a 
 new world had opened to him, but a sharp frost had 
 passed over the blossoms of his heart that had unfolded 
 in Rome, and he knew they were blighted and could 
 bear no fruit — yet to-day he succeeded in recalling her 
 in her youthful beauty, and instead of the lost love, 
 thinking of the kind friend Isabella and dreaming of a 
 sky blue as turquoise, of slender columns and bubbling, 
 fountains, olive groves and marble statues, cool churches 
 and gleaming villas, sparkling eyes and fiery wine, mag- 
 nificent choirs and Isabella's singing. 
 
 The doves that cooed and clucked, flew away and 
 returned to the cote beside him, could now do as they 
 chose, their guardian neither saw nor heard them. 
 
 Allertssohn, the fencing-master, ascended the ladder 
 to his watch-tower, but he did not notice him until he 
 stood on the balcony by his side, greeting him ^ith his 
 deep voice. 
 
 "Where have we been, Herr Wilhelm?" asked 
 the old man. " In this cloth-weaving Leyden ? No ! 
 Probably with the goddess of music on Olympus, if she 
 has her abode there." 
 
 " Rightly guessed," replied Wilhelm, pushing the 
 hair back from his forehead with both hands. " I 
 
lOO THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 have been visiting her, and she sends you a friendly 
 greeting." 
 
 " Then offer one from me in return," replied the 
 other, " but she usually belongs to the least familiar of 
 my acquaintances. My throat is better suited to drink- 
 ing than singing. Will you allow me ?" 
 
 The fencing-master raised the jug of beer which 
 Wilhelm's mother filled freshly every day and placed in 
 her darhng's room, and took a long pull. Then wiping 
 his moustache, he said : 
 
 " That did me good, and I needed it. The men 
 wanted to go out pleasuring and omit their drill, but we 
 forced them to go through it. Junker von Warmond, 
 Duivenvoorde and I. Who knows how soon it may 
 be necessary to show what we can do. Roland, my 
 fore man, such imprudence is like a cudgel, against 
 which one can do nothing with Florentine rapiers, clever 
 tierce and quarte. My wheat is destroyed by the hail." 
 
 " Then let it lie, and see if the barley and clover 
 don't do better," replied Wilhelm gaily, tossing vetches 
 and grains of .wheat to a large dove that had alighted 
 on the parapet of his tower. 
 
 " It eats, and what use is it ? " cried Allertssohn, 
 looking at the dove. '^ Herr von Warmond, a young 
 man after God's own heart, has just brought me two 
 falcons; do you want to see how I tame them ?" 
 
 " No, Captain, I have enough to do with my music 
 and my doves." 
 
 ^' That is your affair. The long-necked one yonder 
 is a queer-looking fellow." 
 
 " And of what country is he probably a native ? 
 There he goes to join the others. Watch him a little 
 while and then answer me." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. lOI 
 
 '^ Ask King Soloman that ; he was on intimate terms 
 with birds." 
 
 " Only watch him, you'll find out presently.*' 
 
 *^The fellow has a stiff neck, and holds his head un- 
 usually high." 
 
 *' And his beak ?" 
 
 *^ Curved, almost like a hawk's ! Zounds, why does 
 the creature strut about with its toes so far apart ? 
 Stop, bandit ! He'll peck that litde dove to death. As 
 true as I live, the saucy rascal must be a Spaniard !" 
 
 " Right, it is a Spanish dove. It flew to me, but I 
 can't endure it and drive it away ; for I keep only a few 
 pairs of the same breed and try to get the best birds pos- 
 sible. Whoever raises many different kinds in the 
 same cote, will accomplish nothing." 
 
 " That gives food for thought. But I believe you 
 haven't chosen the handsomest species." 
 
 " No, sir. What you see are a cross between the 
 carrier and tumblers, the Antwerp breed of carrier- 
 pigeons. Bluish, reddish, spotted birds. I don't care 
 for the colors, but they must have small bodies and large 
 wings, with broad quills on their flag-feathers, and 
 above all ample muscular strength. The one yonder — 
 stop, I'll catch him — is one of my best flyers. Try to 
 lift his pinions." 
 
 " Heaven knows the little thing has marrow in its 
 bones! How the tiny wing pinches; the falcons are 
 not much stronger." 
 
 " It's a carrier-dove too, that finds its way alone." 
 
 " Why do you keep no white tumblers ? I should 
 think they could be watched farthest in their flight." 
 
 ** Because doves fare like men. Whoever shines 
 very brightly and is seen from a distance, is set upon by 
 
I02 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Opponents and envious people, and birds of prey pounce 
 upon the white doves first. I tell you, Captain, whoever 
 has eyes in his head, can learn in a dove-cote how 
 things come to pass among Adam and Eve's posterity 
 on earth." 
 
 "There is quarrelling and kissing up here just as 
 there is in Leyden." 
 
 " Yes, exactly the same, Captain. If I mate an old 
 dove with one much younger, it rarely turns out well. 
 When the male dove is in love, he understands how to 
 pay his fair one as many attentions, as the most elegant 
 gallant shows the mistress of his heart. And do you 
 know what the kissing means ? The suitor feeds his 
 darling, that is, seeks to win her affection by beautiful 
 gifts. Then the wedding comes, and they build a nest. 
 If there are young birds, they feed them together in per- 
 fect harmony. The aristocratic doves brood badly, and 
 we put their eggs under birds of more ordinary breed." 
 
 " Those are the noble ladies, who have nurses for 
 their infants." 
 
 " Unmated doves often make mischief among the 
 mated ones." 
 
 " Take warning, young man, and beware of being a 
 bachelor. I'll say nothing against the girls who remain 
 unmarried, for I have found among them many sweet, 
 helpful souls." 
 
 " So have I, but unfortunately some bad ones too, 
 as well as here in the dove-cote. On the whole my 
 wards lead happy married lives, but if it comes to a sep- 
 aration — " 
 
 " Which of the two is to blame ? " 
 
 *' Nine times out of ten the little wife." 
 
 *' Roland, my fore man, exactly as it is among 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 103 
 
 human beings," cried the fencing-master, clapping his 
 hands. 
 
 " What do you mean by your Roland, Herr Allerts ? 
 You promised me a short time agO: — but who is coming 
 up the ladder ? " 
 
 " I hear your mother." 
 
 " She is bringing me a visitor. I know that voice — 
 and yet. Wait. It's old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten's 
 steward." 
 
 " From Nobelstrasse ? Let me go, Wilhelm, for this 
 Clipper crew — " 
 
 " Wait a little while, there is only room for one on 
 the ladder," said the musician, holding out his hand to 
 Belotti to guide him from the last rung into his room. 
 
 " Spaniards and the allies of Spain," muttered the 
 fencing-master, opened the door, and called while de- 
 scending the ladder : " I'll wait down below till the air 
 is pure again." 
 
 The steward's handsome face, usually smoothly 
 shaven with the most extreme care, was to-day covered 
 with a stubbly beard, and the old man looked sad and 
 worn, as he began to tell Wilhelm what had occurred 
 in his mistress's house since the evening of the day 
 before. 
 
 *^ Years may make a hot-tempered person weaker, 
 but not calmer," said the Italian, continuing his story. 
 " I can't look on and see the poor angel, for she isn't far 
 from the Virgin's throne, treated like a sick dog that is 
 flung out into the court-yard, so I got my discharge." 
 
 " That does you honor, but was rather out of place 
 just now. And has the young lady really been carried 
 to the damp room ?" 
 
 " No, sir. Father Damianus came and made the old 
 
I04 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 excellenza understand what4;he holy Virgin expected of a | 
 Christian, and when the padrona still tried to carry out | 
 her will, the holy man spoke to her in words so harsh \ 
 and stern that she yielded. The signorina is now lying j 
 in bed with burning cheeks, raving in delirium." \ 
 
 " And who is attending the patient ?" \ 
 
 *' I came to you about the physician, my dear sir, for ! 
 Doctor de Bont, who instantly obeyed my summons, ■ 
 was treated so badly by the old excellenza, that he i 
 turned his back upon her and told me, at the door of i 
 the house, he wouldn't come again." ! 
 
 Wilhelm shook his head, and the Itahan continued : ! 
 
 " There are other doctors in Leyden, but Father | 
 Damianus says de Bont or Bontius, as they call him, is ; 
 the most skilful and learned of them all, and as the old | 
 excellenza herself had an attack of illness about noon, | 
 and certainly won't leave her bed very speedily, the way \ 
 is open, and Father Damianus says he'll go to Doctor \ 
 Bontius himself if necessary. But as you are a native ■ 
 of the city and acquainted with the signorina, 1 wanted I 
 to spare him the rebuff he wcjuld probably meet from the - 
 foe of our holy Church. The poor man has enough to \ 
 suffer from good-for-nothing boys and scoffers, when he \ 
 goes through the city with the sacrament." ! 
 
 ^' You know -people are strictly forbidden to disturb ■ 
 him in the exercise of his calling." 
 
 ^' Yet he can't show himself in the street without 
 being jeered. We two cannot change the world, sir.'** 
 So long as the Church had the upper hand, she burned . 
 and quartered you, now you have the power here, our * 
 priests are persecuted and scorned." ; 
 
 " Against the law and the orders of the magistrates." I 
 
 '*You can't control the people, and Father Dami-j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. I05 
 
 anus is a lamb, who bears everything patiently, as good 
 a Christian as many saints before whom we burn 
 candles. Do you know the doctor ?" 
 
 " A htde, by sight." 
 
 " Oh, then go to him, sir, for the young lady's sake," 
 cried the old man earnesdy. " It is in your power to save 
 a human life, a beautiful young life." 
 
 The steward's eyes glittered with tears. As Wil- 
 helm laid his hand on his arm, saying kindly: "I will 
 try," the fencing-master called: "Your council is lasting 
 too long for me. I'll come another time." 
 
 " No, Meister, come up a minute. This gendeman 
 is here on account of a poor sick girl. The poor, help- 
 less creature is now lying without any care, for her aunt, 
 old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten, has driven Doctor de 
 Bont from her bed because he is a Calvinist." 
 
 " From the sick girl's bed ?" 
 
 " It's abominable enough, but the old lady is now 
 ill herself." 
 
 *' Bravo, bravo ! " cried the fencing-master, clapping 
 his hands. " If the devil himself isn't afraid of her and 
 wants to fetch her, I'll pay for his post-horses. But the 
 girl, the sick girl ? " 
 
 ^' Herr Belotti begs me to persuade de Bont to visit 
 her again. Are you on friendly terms with the doctor?" 
 
 ''I was, Wilhelm, I was; but — last Friday we had 
 some sharp words about the new morions, and now the 
 learned demi-god demands an Apology from me, but to 
 sound a retreat isn't written here — " 
 
 " Oh, my dear sir," cried Belotti, with touching ear- 
 nestness. " The poor child is lying helpless in a raging 
 fever. If Heaven has blessed you with children — " 
 
 " Be calm, old man, be calm," replied the fencing- 
 
I06 THE burgomaster's WIFE. i 
 
 master, stroking Belotti's grey hair kindly. My children '■_ 
 are nothing to you, but we'll do what we can for the ; 
 young girl. Farewell till we meet again, gentlemen, i 
 Roland, my fore man, what shall we live to see ! Hemp \ 
 is still cheap in Holland, and yet such a monster has J 
 lived amongst us to be as old as a raven." i 
 
 With these words he went down the ladder. On ■■ 
 reaching the street, he pondered over the words in which \ 
 he should apologize to Doctor Bontius, with a face as i 
 sour as if he had wormwood in his mouth ; but his eyes I 
 and bearded lips smiled. \ 
 
 His learned friend made the apology easy for him^ i 
 and when Belotti came home, he found the doctor by : 
 the sick girl's bed. i 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Frau Elizabeth von Nordwyk and Frau Van < 
 Hout had each asked the burgomaster's wife to go into \ 
 the country with them to enjoy the beautiful spring day, | 
 but in spite of Barbara's persuasions, Maria could not ■ 
 be induced to accept their invitation. j 
 
 A week had elapsed since her husband's departure, a ; 
 week whose days had run their course from morning to | 
 evening as slowly as the brackish water in one of the ^ 
 canals, intersecting the meadows of Holland, flowed to- i 
 wards the river. 
 
 Sleep loves the couches of youth, and had again \ 
 found hers, but with the rising of the sun the dissatisfac- \ 
 tion, anxiety and secret grief, that slumber had kindly i 
 interrupted, once more returned. She felt that it was ; 
 
i 
 
 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 107 
 
 not right, and her father would have blamed her if he 
 had seen her thus. 
 
 There are women who are ashamed of rosy cheeks, 
 unrestrained joy in life, to whom the emotion of sorrow 
 affords a mournful pleasure. To this class Maria cer- 
 tainly did not belong. She would fain have been happy, 
 and left untried no means of regaining the lost joy of 
 her heart. Honestly striving to do her duty, she 
 returned to little Bessie ; but the child was rapidly re- 
 covering and called for Barbara, Adrian or Trautchen, 
 as soon as she was left alone with her. 
 
 She tried to read, but the few books she had brought 
 from Delft were all familiar, and her thoughts, ere be- 
 coming fixed on the old volumes, pursued their own 
 course. 
 
 Wilhelm brought her the new motet, and she en- 
 deavored to sing it ; but music demands whole hearts 
 from those who desire to enjoy her gifts, and therefore 
 melody and song refused comfort as well as pleasure to 
 her, whose mind was engrossed by wholly different things. 
 If she helped Adrian in his work, her patience failed 
 much sooner than usual. On the first market-day, she 
 went out with Trautchen to obey her husband's direc- 
 tions and make purchases and, while shopping at the 
 various places where different wares were offered — here 
 fish, yonder meat or vegetables, amid the motley crowd, 
 hailed on every side by cries of: '^ Here, Frau Biirger- 
 meisterin ! I have what you want, Frau Burger- 
 meisterin !" forgot the sorrow that oppressed her. 
 
 With newly-animated self-reHance, she examined 
 flour, pulse and dried fish, making it a point of honor 
 to bargain carefully ; Barbara should see that she knew 
 how to buy. The crowd was very great every where> 
 
Io8 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ^ 
 
 for the city magistrates had issued a proclamation bid- j 
 ding every household, in view of the threatened danger,:^ 
 to supply itself abundantly with provisions on all the « 
 market-days ; but the purchasers made way for the j 
 burgomaster's pretty young wife, and this too pleased = 
 her. 
 
 She returned home with a bright face, happy in hav- I 
 mg done her best, and instantly went into the kitchen j 
 to see Barbara. 1 
 
 Peter's good-natured sister had plainly perceived \ 
 how sorely her young sister-in-law's heart was troubled, i 
 and therefore gladly saw her go out to make her pur- j 
 chases. Choosing and bargaining would surely dispel i 
 her sorrows and bring other thoughts. True, the J 
 cautious house-keeper, who expected everything good I 
 from Maria except the capacity of showing herself an j 
 able, clever mistress of the house, had charged Trautchen ] 
 to warn her mistress against being cheated. But when \ 
 in market the demand is two or three times greater than ; 
 the supply, prices rise, and so it happened that when ; 
 Maria told the widow how much she had paid for this | 
 or that article, Barbara's " My child, that's perfectly un- j 
 heard-of!" or, "It's enough to drive us to beggary," j 
 followed each other in quick succession. 1 
 
 These exclamations, which under the circumstances 1 
 were usually entirely unjustifiable, vexed Maria ; but she i 
 wished to be at peace with her sister-in-law, and though ; 
 it was hard to bear injustice, it was contrary to her j 
 nature and would have caused her pain to express her ] 
 indignation in violent words. So she merely said with | 
 a little excitement : ' 
 
 " Please ask what other ladies are paying, and then j 
 scold, if you think it right." j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. IO9 
 
 With these words she left the kitchen. 
 " My child, I'm not scolding at all," Barbara called 
 after her, but Maria would not hear, hastily ascended 
 ' the stairs and locked herself into her room. Her joy- 
 i ousness had again vanished. 
 
 I On Sunday she went to church. After dinner she 
 '' filled a canvas-bag with provisions for Adrian, who was 
 , going on a boating excursion with several friends, and 
 I then sat at the window in her chamber. 
 
 Stately men, among them many members of the 
 council, passed by with their gaily-dressed wives and 
 children ; ^ young girls with flowers in their bosoms 
 moved arm in arm, by twos and threes, along the foot- 
 path beside the canal, to dance in the village outside 
 the Zyl-Gate. They walked quietly forward with eyes 
 discreetly downcast, but many a cheek flushed and 
 many an ill-suppressed smile hovered around rosy lips, 
 when the youths, who followed the girls moving so de- 
 i corously along, as gaily and swiftly as sea-gulls flutter 
 J around a ship, uttered teasing jests, or whispered into 
 their ears words that no third party need hear. \ 
 
 All who were going towards the Zyl-Gate seemed 
 
 gay and careless, every face showed what joyous hours 
 
 in the open air and sunny meadows were anticipated. 
 
 1 The object that attracted them appeared beautiful and 
 
 ! desirable to Maria also, but what should she do among 
 
 : the happy, how could she be alone amid strangers witli 
 
 her troubled heart ? The shadows of the houses seemed 
 
 especially dark to-day, the air of the city heavier than 
 
 I usual, as if the spring had come to every human being, 
 
 , great and small, old and young, except herself 
 
 The buildings and tlie trees tliat bordered the Ach- 
 tergracht were already casting longer shadows, and the 
 
no THE burgomaster's WIFE. | 
 
 V 
 
 i 
 
 golden mists hovering over the roofs began to bel 
 mingled with a faint rosy Hght, when Maria heard a i 
 horseman trotting up the street. She drew herself up^ 
 rigidly and her heart throbbed violently. She would not| 
 receive Peter any differently from usual, she must be- 
 frank to him and show him how she felt, and that mat- j 
 ters could not go on so, nay she was already trying to? 
 find fitting words for what she had to say to him. Just ^ 
 at that moment, the horse stopped before the door. She 
 went to the window, saw her husband swing himself 
 from the saddle and look joyously up to the window of 
 her room and, though she made no sign of greeting, her 
 heart drew her towards him. Every thought, every; 
 fancy was forgotten, and with winged steps she flew] 
 down the corridor to the stairs. Meantime he had en- 1 
 tered, and she called his name. " Maria, child, are you;^ 
 there !" he shouted, rushed up the steps as nimbly as a| 
 youth, met her on .one of the upper stairs and drew herj 
 with overflowing tenderness to his heart. I 
 
 " At last, at last, I have you again ! " he cried joy-i 
 ously, pressing his lips to her eyes and her fi-agrant- 
 hair. She had clasped her hands closely around hisi 
 neck, but he released himself, held them in his, andi 
 asked : " Are Barbara and Adrian at home ? " { 
 
 She shook her head. j 
 
 The burgomaster laughed, stooped, Hfted her up like ^ 
 a child, and carried her into his room. As a beautiful ] 
 tree beside a burning house is seized by the neighboring | 
 flames, although immediately protected with cold water, ; 
 Maria, in spite of her long-cherished resolve to receive ^ 
 him coolly, was overwhelmed by the warmth of herl 
 husband's feelings. She cordially rejoiced in having him ^ 
 once more, and willingly believed him, as he told her in I 
 
 1 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. HI 
 
 loving words how painfully he had felt their separation, 
 how sorely he had missed her, and how distinctly he, 
 who usually lacked the ability to remember an absent 
 person, had had her image before his eyes. 
 
 How warmly, with what convincing tones he under- 
 stood how to give expression to his love to-day ! She 
 was still a happy wife, and showed him that she was 
 without reserve. 
 
 Barbara and Adrian returned home, and there was 
 now much to tell at the evening meal. Peter had had 
 many a strange experience on the journey, and gained 
 fresh hope, the boy had distinguished himself at school, 
 and Bessie's sickness might already be called a danger 
 happily overcome. Barbara was radiant with joy, for 
 all seemed well between Maria and her brother. 
 
 The beautiful April night passed pleasantly away. 
 
 When Maria was braiding black velvet into her hair 
 the next morning, she was full of grateful emotion, for she 
 had found courage to tell Peter that she desired to have 
 a larger share in his anxieties than before, and received a 
 kind assent. A worthier, richer life, she hoped, would 
 now begin. He was to tell her this very day what he 
 had discussed and accomplished with the Prince and at 
 Dortrecht, for hitherto no word of all this had escaped 
 his lips. 
 
 Barbara, who was moving about in the kitchen and 
 just on the point of catching three chickens to kill them, 
 let them live a litde longer, and even tossed half a 
 handful of barley into their coop, as she heard her sister- 
 in-law come singing down-stairs. The broken bars of 
 Wilhelm's last madrigal sounded as sweet and full of 
 promise as the first notes of the nightingale, which the 
 gardener hears at the end of a long winter. It was 
 
112 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 \ 
 
 spring again in the house, and her pleasant round face, f 
 in its large cap, looked as bright and unclouded as a* 
 sunflower amid its green leaves, as she called to Maria : ^ 
 
 " This is a good day for you, child; we'll melt down 1 
 the butter and salt the hams." \ 
 
 The words sounded as joyous as if she had offered } 
 her an invitation to Paradise, and Maria willingly helped i 
 in the work, which began at once. When the widow i 
 moved her hands, tongues could not remain silent, and ] 
 the conversation that had probably taken place between ! 
 Peter and his wife excited her curiosity not a little. ^ 
 
 She turned the conversation upon him cleverly i 
 enough, and, as if accidentally, asked the question : ] 
 
 " Did he apologize for his departure on the anni- I 
 versary of your wedding-day ? " \ 
 
 " I know the reason; he could not stay." I 
 
 " Of course not, of course not ; but whoever is green i 
 the goats eat. We mustn't allow the men to go too far, ' 
 Give, but take also. -An injustice endured is a florin, : 
 for which in marriage a calf can be bought." \ 
 
 " I will not bargain with Peter, and if anything ] 
 weighed heavily on my mind, I have willingly forgotten • 
 it after so long a separation." I 
 
 *' Wet hay may destroy a barn, and any one to whom \ 
 the hare runs can catch him ! People ought not to keep | 
 their troubles to themselves, but tell them ; that's why j 
 they have tongues, and yesterday was the right time to ; 
 make a clean breast of everything that grieves you." ' 
 
 " He was in such a joyous mood when he came ; 
 home, and then : Why do you think I feel unhappy ? " i 
 
 *' Unhappy. Who said so?" ^ 
 
 Maria blushed, but the widow seized the knife and ■ 
 opened the hen-coop. : 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. II3 
 
 Trautchen was helping tlie two ladies in the kitchen, 
 but she was frequently interrupted in her work, for this 
 morning the knocker on the door had no rest, and those 
 who entered must have brought the burgomaster no 
 pleasant news, for his deep; angry voice was often 
 audible. 
 
 His longest discussion was with Herr Van Hout, 
 who had come to him, not only to ask questions and 
 tell what occurred, but also to make complaints. 
 
 It was no ordinary spectacle, when these two men, 
 who, towering far above their fellow-citizens, not only 
 in stature, but moral earnestness and enthusiastic devo- 
 tion to the cause of liberty, declared their opinions and 
 expressed their wrath. The inflammable, restless Van 
 Hout took the first part, the slow, steadfast Van der 
 Werff, with mighty impressiveness, the second. 
 
 A bad disposition ruled among the fathers of the 
 city, the rich men of old famihes, the great weavers and 
 brewers, for to them property, life and consideration 
 were more than religion and liberty, while the poor men, 
 who laboriously supported their families by the sweat of 
 their brows, were joyously determined to sacrifice money 
 and blood for the good cause. 
 
 There was obstacle after obstacle to conquer. The 
 scaffolds and barns, firames and all other wood-work that 
 could serve to conceal a man, were to be levelled to the 
 earth, as all the country-houses and other buildings near 
 the city had formerly been. Much newly-erected wood- 
 work was already removed, but the rich longest resisted 
 having the axe put to theirs. New earthworks had 
 been commenced at the important fort of Valkenburg ; 
 but part of the land, where the workmen were obliged 
 to dig, belonged to a brewer, who demanded a large 
 
\ 
 
 114 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ] 
 
 \ 
 
 sum in compensation for his damaged meadow. When I 
 the siege was raised in March, ])aper-money was re- 1 
 stored, round pieces of pasteboard, one side of which | 
 bore the Netherland hon, with the inscription, *' Haec I 
 libertatis ergo,'' while the -other had the coat-of-arms of ^ 
 the city and the motto " God guard Leyden." These \ 
 were intended to be exchanged for coin or provisions, but i 
 rich speculators had obtained possession of many pieces, \ 
 and were trying to raise their value. Demands of every \ 
 kind pressed upon him, and amid all these claims the ' 
 burgomaster was also compelled to think of his own \ 
 affairs, for all intercourse with the outside world would \ 
 soon be cut off, and it was necessary to settle many ; 
 things with the representative of his business in Ham- ^ 
 burg. Great losses were threatening, but he left no *■. 
 means untried to secure for his family what might yet be \ 
 saved. \ 
 
 He rarely saw wife or children ; yet thought he was » 
 fulfilling the promise Maria had obtained from him the | 
 evening after his return, when he briefly answered her | 
 questions or voluntarily gave her such sentences as : f 
 ''There was warm work at the town-hall to-day!" or, *'It I 
 is more difiicult to circulate the paper-money than we \ 
 expected !" He did not feel the kindly necessity of hav- 1 
 ing a confidante and expressing his feelings, and his first | 
 wife had been perfectly contented and happy, if he sat si- ji 
 lently beside her during quiet hours, called her his treasure, | 
 petted the children, or even praised her cracknels and * 
 Sunday roast. Business and public affairs had been his ': 
 concern, the kitchen and nursery hers. What they hadfj 
 shared, was the consciousness of the love one felt for the.ii 
 other, their children, the distinction, honors and posses- j 
 sions of the household. t 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. I15 
 
 Maria asked more and he was ready to grant it, but 
 when in the evening she pressed the wearied man with 
 questions he was accustomed to hear only from the Hps 
 of men, he put her off for the answers till less busy times, 
 or fell asleep in the midst of her inquiries. 
 
 She saw how many burdens oppressed him, how un- 
 weariedly he toiled — but why did he not move a portion 
 of the load to other shoulders ? 
 
 Once, during the beautiful spring weather, he went 
 out with her into the country. She seized upon the op- 
 portunity to represent that it was his duty to himself and 
 her to gain more rest. 
 
 He listened patiently, and when she had finished her 
 entreaty and warnings, took her hand in his, saying : 
 
 '' You have met Herr Marnix von St. Aldegonde 
 and know what the cause of liberty owes him. Do you 
 know his motto ?" 
 
 She nodded and answered softly : '" Repos ailleursy 
 
 *^ Where else can we rest," he repeated firmly. 
 
 A slight shiver ran through her limbs, and as she 
 withdrew her hands, she could not help thinking : 
 *' Where else ; — so not here. Rest and happiness have 
 no home here." She did not utter the words, but could 
 not drive them from her mind. 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 
 During these May days the Hoogstraten mansion 
 was the quietest of all the houses in quiet Nobelstrasse. 
 By the orders of Doctor Bontius and the sick lady's at 
 tomey, a mixture of straw and sand lay on the cause- 
 
Il6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 way before it. The windows were closely curtained, and ^ 
 a piece of felt hung between the door and the knocker. | 
 The door was ajar, but a servant sat close behind it to 1 
 answer those who sought admission. I 
 
 On a morning early in May the musician^ Wilhelni | 
 Corneliussohn, and Janus Dousa turned the corner of I 
 Nobelstrasse. Both men were engaged in eager conver- I 
 sation, but as they approached the straw and sand, their i 
 voices, became lower and then ceased entirely. I 
 
 ** The carpet we spread under the feet of the con- \ 
 queror Death," said the nobleman. " I hope he will | 
 lower the torch only once here and do honor to age, lit- I 
 tie worthy of respect as it may be. Don't stay too long i 
 in the infected house, Herr Wilhelm." ^ 
 
 The musician gently opened the door. The servant I 
 silently greeted him and turned towards the stairs to call | 
 Belotti; for the *' player-man " had already enquired r 
 more than once for the steward. . ) 
 
 Wilhelm entered the little room where he usually \ 
 waited, and for the first time found another visitor there> ; 
 but in a somewhat peculiar attitude. Father Damianus l 
 sat bolt upright in an arm-chair, with his head drooping I 
 on one side, sound asleep. The face of the priest, a man | 
 approaching his fortieth year, was as pink and white | 
 as a child's, and framed by a thin light-brown beard. A | 
 narrow circle of thin light hair surrounded his large ^ 
 tonsure, and a heavy dark rosary of olive-wood beads | 
 hung from the sleeper's hands. A gende, kindly smile | 
 hovered around his half-parted lips. ) 
 
 " This mild saint in long woman's robes doesn't look! 
 as if he could grasp anything strongly" thought Wilhelm,^ 
 " yet his hands are callous and have toiled hard." | 
 
 When Belotti entered the room and saw the sleeping | 
 
 '■>i 
 
 y 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. II7 
 
 priest, he carefully pushed a pillow under his head and 
 beckoned to Wilhelm to follow him into the entry. 
 
 *' We won't grudge him a little rest," said the Italian. 
 *' He has sat beside the padrona's bed from yesterday 
 noon until two hours ago. Usually she doesn't know 
 what is going on around her, but as soon as conscious- 
 ness returns she wants religious consolation. She still 
 refuses to take the sacrament for the dying, for she won't 
 admit that she is approaching her end. Yet often, when 
 the disease attacks her more sharply, she asks in mortal 
 teiTor if everything is ready, for she is afraid to die with- 
 out extreme unction." 
 
 *' And how is Fraulein Henrica ?" 
 
 "A very little better." 
 
 The priest had now come out of the little room. 
 Belotti reverently kissed his hand and Wilhelm bowed 
 respectfully. 
 
 '' I had fallen asleep," said Damianus simply and 
 naturally, but in a voice less deep and powerful than 
 would have been expected from his broad breast and 
 tall figure. " I will read the mass, visit my sick, and then 
 return. Have you thought better of it, Belotti ?" 
 
 ^' It won't do sir, the Virgin knows it won't do. My 
 dismissal was given for the first of May, this is the 
 eighth, and yet I'm still here — 1 haven't left the house 
 because I'm a Christian ! Now the ladies have a good 
 physician, Sister Gonzaga is doing her duty, you your- 
 self will earn by your nursing a place among the martyrs 
 in Paradise, so, without making myself guilty of a sin, I 
 can tie up my bundle." 
 
 *' You will nof go, Belotti," said the priest firmly. " If 
 you still insist on having your own way, at least do not 
 call yourself a Christian." 
 
Il8 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " You will stay," cried Wilhelm, " if only for the sake , 
 of the young lady, to whom you still feel kindly." '• 
 
 Belotti shook his head, and answered quietly : ; 
 
 " You can add nothing, young sir, to what the holy i 
 Father represented to me yesterday. But my mind is ! 
 made up, I shall go ; yet^ as I value the holy Father's ] 
 good opinion and yours, I beg you to do me the favor ] 
 to listen to me. I have passed my sixty-second birth- \ 
 day, and an old horse or an old servant stands a long ] 
 time in the market-place before any one will buy them. ; 
 There might probably be a place in Brussels for a ! 
 Catholic steward, who understands his business, but this I 
 old heart longs to return to Naples — ardently, ardently, i 
 unutterably. You have seen our blue sea and our sky, I 
 young sir, and I yearn for them, but even more for } 
 other, smaller things. It now seems a joy that I can j 
 speak in my native language to you, Herr Wilhelm, and :| 
 you, holy Father. But there is a country where every one i 
 uses the same tongue that I do. There is a little village I 
 at the foot of Vesuvius — merciful Heavens ! Many a f 
 person would be afraid to stay there, even half an hour, i 
 when the mountain quakes, the ashes fall in showers, ^ 
 and the glowing lava pours out in a stream. The '\ 
 houses there are by no means so well built, and the .; 
 window-panes are not so clean as in this country. 1 | 
 almost fear that there are few glass windows in Resina, • 
 but the children don't freeze, any more than they do 1 
 here. What would a Leyden house-keeper say to our j 
 village streets ? Poles with vines, boughs of fig-trees, I 
 and all sorts of under-clothing on the roofs, at the win- I 
 dows, and the crooked, sloping balconies; orange and j 
 lemon-trees with golden fruit grow in the little gar- j 
 dens, which have neither straight paths nor symmetrical j 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. II9 
 
 beds. Everything there grows together topsy-turvy. 
 The boys, who in rags that no tailor* has darned or 
 mended, clamber over the white vineyard walls, the 
 little girls, whose mothers conib their hair before the 
 doors of the houses, are not so pink and white, nor so 
 nicely washed as the Holland children, but I should 
 like to ^ee again the brown-skinned, black-haired httlc 
 ones with the dark eyes, and end my days amid all the 
 clatter in the warm air, among my nephews, nieces and 
 blood-relations." 
 
 As he uttered these words, the old man's features 
 had flushed and his black eyes sparkled w ith a fire, that 
 but a short time before the northern air and his long 
 years of servitude seemed to have extinguished. Since 
 neither the priest nor the musician answered immediately, 
 he continued more quietly : 
 
 '* Monseigneur Gloria is going to Italy now, and I 
 can accompany him to Rome as courier. From thence 
 I can easily reach Naples, and hve there on the interest 
 of my savings free from care. My future master will 
 leave on the 15th, and on the 12th I must be in Ant- 
 werp, where I am to meet him." 
 
 The eyes of the priest and the musician met. Wil- 
 helm lacked courage to seek to withhold the steward from 
 carrying out his plan, but Damianus summoned up 
 his resolution, laid his hand on the old man's shoulder, 
 and said : 
 
 " If you wait here a few weeks more, Belbtti, you 
 will find the true rest, the peace of a good conscience. 
 The crown of life is promised to those, who are faithful 
 unto death. When these sad days are over, it will be 
 easy to smooth the way to your home. We shall meet 
 agam towards noon, Belotti. If my assistance is neces- 
 
I20 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 sary, send for me ; old Ambrosius knows where to find 
 me. May God's blessing rest upon you, and if you will 
 accept it from me, on you also, Meister Wilhelm." 
 
 After the priest had left the house, Belotti said, sigh- 
 ing : 
 
 *' He'll yet force me to yield to his will. He abuses 
 his power over souls. I'm no saint, and what he asks 
 of me — " 
 
 " Is right," said Wilhelm firmly. 
 
 *' But you don't know what it is to throw away, like 
 a pair of worn-out shoes, the dearest hope of a long, sad 
 life. And for whom, I ask you, for whom ? Do you 
 know my padrona ? Oh ! sir, I have experienced 
 in this house things, which your youth does not dream 
 could be possible. The young lady has wounded you. 
 Am I right ot wrong ?" 
 
 " You are mistaken, Belotti." 
 
 " Really ? I am glad for your sake, you are a modest 
 artist, but the signorina bears the Hoogstraten name, 
 and that is saying everything. Do you know her 
 father ?" 
 
 " No, Belotti." 
 
 *' That's a race — a race! Have you never heard 
 anything of the story of our signorina's older sister ?'^ " 
 
 " Has Henrica an older sister?" 
 
 *' Yes, sir, and when I think of her. — Imagine the 
 signorina, exactly like our signorina, only taller, more 
 stately, more beautiful." 
 
 *' Isabella !" exclaimed the musician. A conjecture, 
 which had been aroused since his conversation with 
 Henrica, appeared to be confirmed ; he seized the 
 steward's arm so suddenly and unexpectedly, that the 
 latter drew back, and continued eagerly : *' What do 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 121 
 
 you know of her? I beseech you, Belotti, tell rae 
 all." 
 
 The servant looked up the stairs, then shaking his 
 head, answered : 
 
 " You are probably mistaken. There has never been 
 an Isabella in this house to my knowledge, but I will 
 gladly place myself at your service. Come again after 
 sunset, but you must expect to hear no pleasant tale." 
 
 Twilight had scarcely yielded to darkness, when the 
 musician again entered the Hoogstraten mansion. The 
 little room was empty, but Belotti did not keep him 
 waiting long. 
 
 The old man placed a dainty little waiter, bearing a 
 jug of wine and a goblet, on the table beside the lamp 
 and, after informing Wilhelm of the invalids' condition, 
 courteously offered him a chair. When the musician 
 asked him why he had not brought a cup for himself 
 too, he replied : 
 
 " I drink nothing but water, but allow me to take the 
 liberty to sit down. The servant who attends to the 
 chambers has left the house, and I've done nothing but 
 go up and down stairs all day. It tries my old legs, and 
 we can expect no quiet night." 
 
 A single candle lighted the little room. Belotti, 
 who had leaned far back in his chair, opened his 
 clenched hands and slowly began : 
 
 '' I spoke this morning of the Hoogstraten race. 
 Children of Hie same parents, it is true, ^re often very un- 
 like, but in your little country, which speaks its own 
 language and has many things ])eculiar to itself — you 
 won't deny that — every old family has its special traits. 
 I know, for I have been in many a noble household in 
 Holland. Every race has its own peculiar blood and 
 
122 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 ways. Even where — by your leave — there is a crack in 
 the brain, it rarely happens to only one member of a 
 family. My mistress has more of her French mother's 
 nature. But I intended to speak only of the signorina, 
 and am wandering too far from my subject." 
 
 " No, Belotti, certainly not, we have plenty of time, 
 and I shall be glad to listen to you, but first you must 
 answer one question." 
 
 ** Why, sir, how your cheeks glow ! Did you meet 
 the signorina in Italy ?" 
 
 " Perhaps so, Belotti." 
 
 " Why, of course, of course ! Whoever has once 
 seen her, doesn't easily forget. What is it you wish to 
 know ?'* 
 
 " First, the lady's name." 
 
 ** Anna." 
 
 " And not Isabella also ?" 
 
 " No, sir, she was never called anything but Anna." 
 
 ** And when did she leave Holland ? " 
 
 *^ Wait; it was — four years ago last Easter." 
 
 ** Has she dark, brown or fair hair ? " 
 
 *' I've said already that she looked just like Fraulein 
 Henrica. But what lady might not have fair, brown or 
 dark hair ? I think we shall reach the goal sooner, if 
 you will let me ask a question now. Had the lady you 
 mean a large semi-circular scar just under the hair, ex- 
 actly in the middle of her forehead ?" 
 
 " Enough," cried Wilhelm, rising hastily. " She fell 
 on one of her father's weapons when a child." 
 
 " On the contrary, sir, the handle of Junker Van 
 Hoogstraten's weapon fell on the forehead of his own 
 daughter. How horrified you look ! Oh ! I have wit- 
 nessed worse things in this house. Now it is your turn 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 23 
 
 again : In what city of my home did you meet the 
 signorina ? " 
 
 '* In Rome, alone and under an assumed name. 
 Isabella — a Holland girl! Pray go on with your story, 
 Belotti; I won't interrupt you again. What had the 
 child done, that her own father — '* 
 
 " He is the wildest of all the wild Hoogstratens. 
 Perhaps you may have seen men like him in Italy — 
 in this country you might seek long for such a hurri- 
 cane. You must not think him an evil-disposed man, 
 but a word that goes against the grain, a look askance 
 will rob him of his senses, and things are done which he 
 repents as soon as they are over. The signorina received 
 her scar in the same way. She was a mere child, and 
 of course ought not to have touched fire-arms, neverthe- 
 less she did whenever she could, and .once a pistol went 
 off and the bullet struck one of the best hunting-dogs. 
 Her father heard the report and, when he saw the ani- 
 mal lying on the ground and the pistol at the little girPs 
 feet, he seized it and with the sharp-edged handle 
 struck — '* 
 
 " A child, his own daughter!" exclaimed Wilhelm in- 
 dignantly. 
 
 "People are differently constituted," Belotti con- 
 tinued. " Some, the class to which you probably belong, 
 cautiously consider before they speak or act ; the second 
 reflect a long time and, when they are ready, pour fortli 
 a great many words, but rarely act at all ; while the 
 third, and at their head the Hoogstraten family, heap 
 deeds on deeds, and if they ever think, it is only after 
 the act is accomplished. If they then find that they 
 have committed an injustice, pride comes in and forbids 
 them to confess, atone for, or recall it. So one misfor- 
 
124 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 tune follows another ; but the gentlemen pay no heed 
 and find forgetfulness in drinking and gambling, carous- 
 ing and hunting. There are plenty of debts, but all 
 anxiety concerning them is left to the creditors, and boys 
 who receive no inheritance are supplied with a place at 
 court or in the army ; for the girls, thank God, there is 
 no lack of convents, if they confess our holy religion, 
 and both have expectations from rich aunts and other 
 blood relations, who die without childrgfk" 
 
 " You paint in vivid colors." 
 
 *' But they are true, and they all suit the Junker; 
 though to be sure he need not keep his property for sons, 
 since his wife gave him none. He met her at court in 
 Brussels, and she came from Parma." 
 
 " Did you know her ?" 
 
 " She died before I came to the padrona's house. 
 The two young ladies grew up without a mother. You 
 have heard that their father would even attack them, yet 
 he doubtless loved them and would never resolve to 
 place them in a convent. True, he often felt — at least 
 lie freely admitted it in conversations with her excellenza 
 — that there were more suitable places for young girls 
 than his castle, where matters went badly enough, and 
 so he at last sent his oldest daughter to us. My mistress 
 usually could not endure the society of young girls, but 
 Fraulein Anna was one of her nearest relatives, and I 
 know she invited her of her own accord. I can still see 
 in memory the signorina at sixteen ; a sweeter creature, 
 Herr Wilhelm, my eyes have never beheld before or since, 
 and yet she never remained the same. I have seen her 
 as soft as Flemish velvet, but at other times she could 
 rage like a November storm in your country. She was 
 always beautiful as a rose and, as her mother's old 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 125 
 
 cameriera — she was a native of Lugano — had brought 
 her up, and the priest who taught her came from Pisa 
 and was acknowledged to be an excellent musician, she 
 spoke my language like a child of Tuscany and was per- 
 fectly familiar with music. You have doubtless heard 
 her singing, her harp and lute-playing, but you should 
 know that all the ladies of the Hoogstraten family, with 
 the exception of my mistress, possess a special talent for 
 your art. In summer we lived in the beautiful country- 
 house, that was torn down before the seige by your 
 friends — with litde justice I think. Many a stately guest 
 rode out to visit us. We kept open house, and where 
 there is a good table and a beautiful young lady like our 
 signorina, the gallants are not far off. Among them was 
 a very aristocradc gentleman of middle age, the Mar- 
 quis d Avennes, whom her excellenza had expressly in- 
 vited. We had never received any prince with so much 
 attention; but this was a matter of course, for his mother 
 was a relative of her excellenza. You must know that 
 my mistresSj on her mother's side, is descended from a 
 family in Normandy. The Marquis d'Avennes was cer- 
 tainly an elegant cavalier, but rather dainty than manly. 
 He was soon madly in love with Fraulein Anna, and 
 asked in due form for her hand. Her excellenza favored 
 the match, and the father said simply: *You will take 
 him' He would listen to no opposition. Other 
 gentlemen don't consult tlieir daughters when a suitable 
 lover appears. So the signorina became the marquis's 
 betrothed wife, but the padrona said firmly that her 
 niece was too young to be married. She induced Jun- 
 ker Van Hoogstraten, whom she held as firmly as 
 a farrier holds a filly, to defer the wedding until 
 Easter. The outfit was to be provided during the 
 
I2t) THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. \ 
 
 i 
 
 winter. The condition that he must wait six months i 
 was imposed on the marquis, and he went back to i 
 France with the ring on his finger. His betrothed bride j 
 did not shed a single tear for him, and as soon as he 1 
 had gone, flung the engagement ring into the jewel-cup ^ 
 on her dressing-table, before the eyes of the camariera, [ 
 from whom I heard the story. She did not venture to ; 
 oppose her father, but did not hesitate to express her ' 
 opinion of the marquis to her excellenza, and her aunt, ' 
 though she had favored the Frenchman's suit, allowed | 
 it. Yet there had often been fierce quarrels between ] 
 the old and young lady, and if the padrona had had ' 
 reason to clip the wild falcon's wings and teach her ; 
 what is fitting for noble ladies, the signorina would | 
 have been justified in complaining of many an exaction, | 
 by which the padrona had spoiled her pleasure in life. ; 
 I am sorry to destroy the confidence of your youth, but ; 
 Avhoever grows grey, with his eyes open, will meet per- : 
 sons who rejoice, nay to whom it is a necessity to injure ; 
 others. Yet it is a consolation, that no one is wicked i 
 simply for the sake of wickedness, and I have often i 
 found — how shall I express it? — that the worst im- ^ 
 pulses arise from the perversion, or even the excess- 
 of the noblest virtues, whose reverse or caricature they i 
 become. 1 have seen base envy proceed from beautiful < 
 ambition, contemptible avarice from honest emulation,] 
 fierce hate from tender love. My mistress, when she J 
 was young, knew how to love truly and faithfully, but j 
 she was shamefully deceived, and now rancor, not against j 
 an individual, but against life, has taken possession of i 
 her, and her noble loyalty has become tenacious ad- ■ 
 lierence to bad wishes. How this has happened you J 
 will learn, if you will continue to listen. j 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 12/ 
 
 '• When winter came, I was ordered to go to Brus- 
 sels and establish the new household in splendid style. 
 The ladies were to follow me. It was four years ago. 
 The Duke of Alva then lived as viceroy in Brussels, 
 and this nobleman held my mistress in high esteem, 
 nay had even twice paid us the honor of a visit. His 
 aristocratic officers also frequented our house, among 
 them Don Luis d'Avila, a nobleman of ancient 
 family, who was one of the duke's favorites. Like 
 the Marquis d'Avennes, he was no longer in his early 
 youth, but was a man of totally different stamp ; 
 tall, strong as if hammered from steel, a soldier of in- 
 vincible strength and skill, a most dreaded seeker of 
 quarrels, but a man whose glowing eyes and wonderful 
 gift of song must have exerted a mysterious, bewitching 
 ])ower over women. Dozens of adventures, in which he 
 was said to have taken part, were told in the servant's 
 hall and half of them had some foundation of truth, as 
 I afterwards learned by experience. If you suppose this 
 heart-breaker bore any resemblance to the gay, curly- 
 haired minions of fortune, on whom young ladies lavish 
 their love, you are mistaken; Don Luis was a grave 
 man with close-cut hair, who never wore anything but 
 dark clothes, and even carried a sword, whose hilt, in- 
 stead of gold and silver, consisted of blackened metal. 
 He resembled death much more than blooming love. 
 Perhaps this very thing made him irresistible, since we 
 are all born for death and no suitor is so sure of victory 
 as he. 
 
 " The padrona had not been favorably disposed to 
 him at first, but this mood soon changed, and at New 
 Year's he top was admitted to small evening receptions 
 of intimate friends. He came whenever we invited him, 
 
128 THE burgomaster's WIFE. I 
 
 but had no word, no look, scarcely a greeting for our I 
 young lady. Only when it pleased the signorina to sing, ] 
 he went near her and sharply criticised anything in her ^ 
 execution that chanced to displease him. He often sang \ 
 himself too, and then usually chose the same songs as \ 
 Fraulein Anna, as if to surpass her by his superior skill. \ 
 
 *^ So things went on till the time of the carnival. On ] 
 Shrove-Tuesday the padrona gave a large entertainment, ] 
 and when I led the servants and stood behind the sig- ] 
 norina and Don Luis, to whom her excellenza had long j 
 been in the habit of assigning the seat beside her niece, i 
 I noticed that their hands met under the table and rested j 
 in each other's clasp a long time. My heart was so full | 
 of anxiety, that it was very hard for me to keep the at- | 
 tention so necessary on that evening — and when the J 
 next morning, the padrona summoned me to settle the ] 
 accounts, I thought it my duty to modestly remark that ■ 
 Don Luis d'Avila's wooing did not seem disagreeable \ 
 to the young lady in spite of her betrothal. She let me i 
 speak, but when I ventured to repeat what people said \ 
 of the Spaniard, angrily started up and showed me to the | 
 door. A faithful servant often hears and sees more than I 
 his employers suspect, and I had the confidence of the j 
 padrona's foster-sister, who is now dead ; but at that \ 
 time Susanna knew everything that concerned her mis- } 
 stress. I 
 
 " There was a bad prospect for the expectant bride- | 
 groom in France, for whenever the padrona spoke of \ 
 him, it was with a laugh we knew, and which boded no i 
 good ; but she still wrote frequently to the marquis and j 
 his mother, and many a letter from Rochebrun reached 
 our house. To be sure, her excellenza also gave Don J 
 Luis more than one secret audience. ] 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 29 
 
 " During Lent a messenger from Fraulein Van 
 Hoogstraten's father arrived with the news, that at 
 Easter he, himself, would come to Brussels from Haar- 
 lem, and the marquis from Castle Rochebrun, and on 
 Maundy-Thursday I received orders to dress the private 
 chapel with flowers, engage post-horses, and do several 
 other things. On Good Friday, the day of our Lord^s 
 crucifixion — I wish I were telHng lies — early in the 
 morning of Good Friday the signorina was dressed in 
 all her bridal finery. Don Luis appeared clad in 
 black, proud and gloomy as usual, and by candle-light, 
 before sunrise on a cold, damp morning — it seems to 
 me as if it were only yesterday — the Castilian was mar- 
 ried to our young mistress. The padrona, a Spanish 
 officer and I were the witnesses. At seven o'clock the 
 carriage drove up, and after it was packed Don Luis 
 handed me a little box to put in the vehicle. It was 
 heavy and I knew it well ; the padrona was in the habit 
 of keeping her gold coin in it. At Easter the whole 
 city learned that Don Luis d'Avila had eloped with 
 the beautiful Anna Van Hoogstraten, after killing her 
 betrothed bridegroom in a duel on Maundy-Thursday at 
 Hals on his way to Brussels — scarcely twenty-four 
 hours before the wedding. 
 
 " I shall never forget how Junker Van Hoogstraten 
 raged. The padrona refused to see him and pretended 
 to be ill, but she was as well as only she could be during 
 these last few years." 
 
 *' And do you know how to interpret your mistress's 
 mysterious conduct ? " asked Wilhelm. 
 
 ''Yes sir; her reasons are perfecdy evident. But I 
 must hasten, it is growing late; besides I cannot tell 
 you minute particulars, for I was myself a child when the 
 
 9 
 
130 THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 
 
 event happened, though Susanna has told me many things 
 that would probably be worth relating. Her excellenza's 
 mother was a Chevreaux, and my mistress spent the best 
 years of her life with her mother's sister, who during the 
 winter lived in Paris. It was in the reign of the late 
 King Francis, and you doubtless know that this great 
 Prince was a very gallant gentleman, who was said to 
 have broken as many hearts as lances. My padrona, 
 who in those days was very beautiful, belonged to the 
 ladies of his court, and King Francis, especially distin- 
 guished her. But the young lady knew how to guard 
 her honor, for she had early found in the gallant Mar- 
 quis d'Avennes a knight to whom she was loyally de- 
 voted, and for whom she had wept bitterly many a night. 
 Like master, like servant, and though the marquis had 
 worn the young lady's color for years and rendered her 
 every service of an obedient knight, his eyes and heart 
 often wandered to the right and left. Yet he always 
 returned to his liege-lady, and when the sixth year came, 
 the Chevreaux's urged the marquis to put an end to his 
 trifling and think of marriage. My mistress began to 
 make her preparations, and Susanna was a witness of 
 her consultation with the marquis about whether she 
 would keep or sell the Holland estates and castles. But 
 the wedding did not take place, for the marquis was 
 obliged to go to Italy with the army and her excellenza 
 lived in perpetual anxiety about him ; at that time the 
 French fared ill in my country, and he often left her 
 whole months without news. At last he returned and 
 found in the Chevreaux's house his betrothed wife's little 
 cousin, who had grown up into a charming young lady. 
 You can imagine the rest. The rose-bud Hortense now 
 pleased the marquis far better than the Holland flower 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 131 
 
 of five and twenty. The Chevreaux's were aristocratic 
 but deeply in debt, and the suitor, while fighting in Italy, 
 had inherited the whole of his uncle's great estate, so 
 they did not suffer him to sue in vain. My mistress re- 
 turned to Holland. Her father challenged the marquis, 
 but no blood was spilled in the duel, and Monsieur 
 d'Avennes led a happy wedded life with Hortense de 
 Chevreaux. Her son was the signorina's hapless lover. 
 Do you understand, Herr Wilhelm ? She had nursed 
 and fostered the old grudge for half a life time ; for its 
 sake she had sacrificed her own kinswoman to Don 
 Luis, but in return she repaid by the death of the only 
 son of a hated mother, the sorrow she had suffered for 
 years on her account." 
 
 The musician had clenched the handkerchief, with 
 which he had wiped the perspiration from his brow, 
 closely in his hand, and asked : 
 
 *' What more have you heard of Anna ? " 
 
 ^'Very little," replied Belotti. "Her father has 
 torn her from his heart, and calls Henrica his only 
 daughter. Happiness abandons those who are bur- 
 dened by a father's curse, and she certainly did not find 
 it. Don Luis is said to have been degraded to the 
 rank*of ensign on account of some wild escapades, and 
 who knows what has become of the poor, beautiful 
 signorina. The padrona sometimes sent money to her 
 in Italy, by way of Florence, through Signor Lamperi — 
 but I have heard nothing of her during the last few 
 months." 
 
 " One more question, Belotti," said Wilhelm. '' How 
 could Henrica's father trust her to your mistress, after 
 what had befallen his older daughter in her house ? " 
 
 '' Money — miserable money ! To keep his castle 
 9* 
 
132 THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 
 
 and not lose his inheritance, he resigned his child. Yes, 
 sir, the signorina was bargained for, like a horse, and 
 her father didn't sell her cheap. Drink some wine, sir^ 
 you look ill." 
 
 '^ It is nothing serious," said Wilhelm, " but the fresh 
 air will probably do me good. Thanks for your story, 
 Belotti." 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 On the afternoon of the sixteenth of May, Burgo- 
 master Van der Werff 's wife was examining chests and 
 boxes. Her husband was at the town-hall, but had 
 told her that towards evening, the Prince's commis- 
 sioner, H err Dietrich Van Bronkhorst, the two Seigneurs 
 von Nordwyk, the city clerk Van Hout, and several 
 other heads of municipal affairs and friends of freedom 
 would meet at his house for a confidential consultation. 
 Maria had the charge of providing the gentlemen with 
 a nice collation, wine, and many similar cares. 
 
 This invitation had a very cheering influence on the 
 young wife. It pleased her to be able to play the hostess, 
 according to the meaning of the word in her parents' 
 house. How long she had been debarred from hearing 
 any grave, earnest conversation. True, there had been 
 no lack of visitors : the friends and relatives of her hus- 
 band's family, who called upon her and talked witli 
 Barbara, often begged her to come to their houses; 
 among them were many who showed themselves kindly 
 disposed and could not help respecting her worth, but 
 not one to whom she was attracted by any warm affec- 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. I33 
 
 tion. Maria, whose life was certainly not crowded with 
 amusements, dreaded their coming, and when they did 
 call, endured their presence as an unavoidable evil. The 
 worthy matrons were all much older than herself and, 
 while sitting over their cakes, stewed fruit, and hippocras, 
 knitting, spinning or netting, talked of the hard times 
 during the siege, of the cares of children and servants, 
 washing and soap-making, or subjected to a rigid scrutiny 
 the numerous incomprehensible and reprehensible acts 
 other women were said to have committed, to be com- 
 mitting, or to desire to commit, until Maria's heart grew 
 heavy and her lonely room seemed to her a peaceful 
 asylum. 
 
 She could find words only when the conversation 
 turned upon the misery of the country and the sacred 
 duty of bearing every privation a second time, if neces- 
 sary for the freedom of the nation, and then she gladly 
 listened to the sturdy women, who evidently meant 
 what they said ; but when the hours were filled with idle 
 gossip, it caused her actual pain. Yet she dared not 
 avoid it and was obhged to wait until the departure of 
 the last acquaintance ; for after she had ventured to re- 
 tire early several times, Barbara kindly warned her 
 against it, not concealing that she had had great diflft- 
 culty in defending her against the reproach of pride and 
 incivility. 
 
 "Such chat," said the widow, "is pleasant and 
 strengthens the courage, and whoever leaves the visitors 
 while they are together, can pray the Lord for a favor- 
 able report." 
 
 One lady in Ley den pleased the burgomaster's wife. 
 This was the wife of Herr Van Hout, the city clerk, 
 but the latter rarely appeared in company, for though a 
 
134 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 delicate, aristocratic-looking woman, she was obliged to 
 be busy from morning till night, to keep the children and 
 household in good order on a narrow income. 
 
 Maria felt brighter and happier than she had done 
 for many days, as she stood before the shelf that con- 
 tained the table-furniture and the cupboard where the 
 silver was kept. All the handsome dishes belonging to 
 the house were bright and shining, free from every grain 
 of dust, so too were the white linen cloths, trimmed 
 with lace. She selected what she needed, but many of 
 the pewter, glass, and silver articles did not please her ; 
 for they did not match, and she found scratches and 
 cracks on numerous pieces. 
 
 When her mother had begun to prepare her wedding- 
 outfit, Peter expressed a desire that in these hard times 
 the money should be kept and no useless things pur- 
 chased. There was an abundance of household articles 
 of every kind in his home, and he would have thought 
 it wrong to buy even a plate. In fact there was no lack 
 of anything on the shelves and cupboards, but she had 
 not selected and bought them herself; they belonged to 
 her, but not entirely, and what was worse, her eyes, 
 accustomed to prettier things, could find no pleasure in 
 these dull, scratched pewter plates, these pitchers, cups 
 and tankards painted in coarse figures with glaring 
 colors. The clumsy glass, too, did not suit her taste, 
 and, while looking it over and selecting what was neces- 
 sary, she could not help thinking of her recently-wedded 
 friends, who, with sparkling eyes, had showed her their 
 spick-and-span new table-furniture as proudly and hap- 
 pily, as if each piece had been their own work. But, 
 even with the articles she possessed^ a table could be 
 set very prettily and daintily. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. I35 
 
 She had gone out with Adrian before dinner to cut 
 some flowers in the garden by the city wall, and also 
 gathered some delicate grasses in the meadow before the 
 gate. These gifts of May were now tastefully arranged, 
 mixed with peacock-feathers, and placed in vases, and 
 she was deHghted to see even the clumsiest dishes win a 
 graceful aspect from the garlands she twined around 
 them. Adrian watched her in astonishment. He would 
 not have marvelled if, under her hands, the dark dining- 
 room had been transformed into a hall of mother-of- 
 pearl and crystal. 
 
 When the table was laid, Peter returned home for a 
 moment. He was going to ride out to Valkenburg with 
 Captain Allertssohn, Janus Dousa, and other gentlemen, 
 to inspect the fortifications before his guests appeared. 
 As he passed through the dining-room, he waved his 
 hand to his wife and glancing over the table, said : 
 
 *' This decoration was not necessary, least of all the 
 flowers. We expect to hold a serious consultation, and 
 you have arranged a wedding-banquet." 
 
 Perceiving that Maria cast down her eyes, he ex- 
 claimed kindly : 
 
 '^ But it can remain so for aught I care," and left the 
 room. 
 
 Maria stood irresolutely before her work. Bitter 
 emotions were again beginning to stir in her mind, and 
 she was already extending her hand defiantly towards 
 one particularly beautiful vase, when Adrian raised his 
 large eyes to her face, exclaiming in a tone of earnest 
 entreaty : 
 
 ^' No, mother, you mustn't do that, it looks quite too 
 pretty." 
 
 Maria smiled, passed her hand over the boy's 
 
136 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 curls, took two cakes from a dish, gave them to him, 
 and said : 
 
 "One for you, the other for Bessie; our flowers 
 shall stay." 
 
 Adrian hurried off with the sweet gifts, but Maria 
 glanced over the table once more, saying : 
 
 " Peter never wants anything but what is absolutely 
 necessary ; yet that surely isn't all, or God would have 
 made all the birds with grey feathers." 
 
 After helping Barbara in the kitchen, she went to 
 her own room. There she arranged her hair, put a 
 fresh, beautifully-starched ruff around her neck and 
 carefully-plaited lace in the open bosom of her dress, 
 but wore her every-day gown, for her husband did 
 not wish to give the assembly at his house a festal 
 aspect. 
 
 Just as she had put the last gold pin in her hair, and 
 was considering whether the place of honor at the table 
 belonged to Herr Van Bronkhorst, as representative of 
 the Prince, or to the older Herr von Nordwyk, Trautchen 
 knocked at the door and informed her, that Doctor 
 Bontius wished to see the burgomaster on urgent bus- 
 iness. The maid-servant had told the physician that 
 her master had ridden out, but he would not be put 
 off, and asked permission to see her mistress. 
 
 Maria instantly went to Peter's room. The doctor 
 seemed to be in haste. His only greeting was to point 
 with the gold head of his long staff towards the peaked 
 black hat, that never left his head, even beside the sick- 
 bed, and asked m a curt, hurried tone : 
 
 " When will Meister Peter come home ?" 
 
 " In an hour," replied Maria. " Sit down. Doctor." 
 
 " Another time. It will keep me too long to wait for 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. I37 
 
 your husband. After all, you can come with me even 
 without his consent." 
 
 " Certainly ; but we are expecting visitors." 
 
 " Yes. If I find time, I shall come too. The gentle- 
 men can do without me, but you are necessary to the 
 sick person to whom I wish to take you." 
 
 ^' I have no idea of whom you are speaking." 
 
 ^' Haven't you ? Then once more, it is of some one 
 who is suffering, and that will be enough for you at 
 first." 
 
 " And you think I could — " 
 
 ^' You can do far more than you know. Barbara is 
 attending to affairs in the kitchen, and now I tell you 
 again : You must help a sufferer." 
 
 '' But, Doctor—" 
 
 ^' I must beg you to hurry, for my time is limited. 
 Do you wish to make yourself useful ; yes or no ?" 
 
 The door of the dining-room had remained open. 
 Maria again glanced at the table, and all the pleasures 
 she had anticipated this evening passed through her 
 mind. But as the doctor was preparing to go, she 
 stopped him, saying : 
 
 '^ I will come." 
 
 The manners of this blunt, but unselfish and clever 
 man were familiar to Maria who, without waiting for a 
 reply, brought her shawl, and led the way downstairs. 
 As they passed by the kitchen, Bontius called to 
 Barbara : 
 
 ^'Tell Meister Peter, I have taken his wife to see 
 Fraulein Van Hoogstraten in Nobelstrasse." 
 
 Maria could scarcely keep up with the doctor's rapid 
 strides and had some difficulty in understanding him, as in 
 broken sentences he told her that all the Clipper friends 
 
138 THE burgomaster's WIFE. J 
 
 of the Hoogstraten family had left the city, the old ' 
 Fraulein was dead, the servants had run away from fear ^ 
 of the plague, which had no existence, and Henrica was I 
 now deserted. She had been very ill with a severe fever, 'j 
 but was much better during the past few days. " Mis- ) 
 fortune has taken up its abode in the Clipper nest," he ; 
 added. " The scythe-man did the old lady a favor when j 
 he took her. The French maid, a feeble nonentity, held \ 
 out bravely, but after watching a few nights broke down ' 
 entirely and was to have been carried to St. Catharine's i 
 hospital, but the Italian steward, who is not a bad fel- i 
 low, objected and had her taken to a Catholic laundress. ; 
 He has followed to nurse her. No one is left in the de- j 
 serted house to attend to the young lady, except Sister 1 
 Gonzaga, a good little nun, one of the three who were| 
 allowed to remain in the old convent near you, but early | 
 this morning, to cap the climax of misfortune, the kindf 
 old woman scalded her fingers while heating a bath.l 
 The Catholic priest has faithfully remained at his post,| 
 but what can we men do in nursing the sick girl! You| 
 doubtless now suspect why I brought you with me. You,;; 
 ought not and cannot become the stranger's nurse per-| 
 manently; but if the young lady is not to sink after all, 
 she must now have some face about her which she can 
 love, and God has blessed you with one. Look at the 
 sick girl, talk with her, and if you are what I believe | 
 you — but here we are." | 
 
 The air of the dark entrance hall of the Hoogstraten ! 
 residence was filled with a strong odor of musk. Thej 
 old lady's death had been instantly announced at the 1 
 town-hall by Doctor Bontius' representative, and an? 
 armed man was marching up and down in the hall, | 
 keeping guard, who told the physician that Herr Van 1^ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 39 
 
 Hout had already been here widi his men and put seals 
 on all the doors. 
 
 On the staircase Maria siezed her guide's arm in ter- 
 ror ; for through an open door-way of the second story, 
 to which she was ascending with her companion, she 
 saw in the dusk a shapeless figure, moving strangely 
 hither and thither, up and down. Her tone was by no 
 means confident as, pointing towards it with her finger, 
 she asked the doctor : 
 
 " What is that ? " 
 
 The physician had paused with her, and seeing the 
 strange object to which the burgomaster's wife pointed, 
 recoiled a step himself. But the cool-headed man quickly 
 perceived the real nature of the ghostly apparition, and 
 leading Maria forward exclaimed smiling : 
 
 '' What in the world are you doing there on the 
 floor. Father Damianus ? " 
 
 " I am scouring the boards," repHed the priest 
 quietly. 
 
 " Right is right," cried the doctor indignantly. ** You 
 are too good for maid-servant's work. Father Damianus, 
 especially when there is plenty of money without an 
 owner here in the house, and we can find as many 
 scrubbing-women as we want to-morrow." 
 
 '' But not to-day, doctor; and the young lady won't 
 stay in yonder room any longer. You ordered her to 
 go to sleep yourself, and Sister Gonzaga says she 
 won't close her eyes so long as she is next door to the 
 corpse." 
 
 " Then Van Hout's men ought to have carried her 
 on her bed into the old lady's beautiful sitting-room." 
 
 " That's sealed, and so are all the other handsome 
 chambers on this story. The men were obliging and 
 
140 THE burgomaster's WIFE. I 
 
 1 
 
 tried to find scrub-women, but the poor things are afraid I 
 of the plague." \ 
 
 " Such rumors grow hke wire-grass," cried the doc- \ 
 tor. ^Nobody sows it, yet who can uproot it when it is j 
 once here ? " \ 
 
 " Neither you nor I," repHed the priest. "The! 
 young lady must be brought into this room at once ; 
 but it looked neglected, so I've just set it to rights. It 
 will do the invalid good, and the exercise can't hurt me.'* 
 
 With these words Father Damianus rose, and seeing] 
 Maria, said : ! 
 
 " You have brought a new nurse ? That's right. I > 
 need not praise Sister Gonzaga, for you know her; but ' 
 I assure you Fraulein Henrica won't allow her to remain 
 with her long, and I shall leave this house as soon as 
 the funeral is over." 
 
 " You have done your duty ; but what does this 
 news about the Sister mean ? " cried the physician 
 angrily. " I'd rather have your old Gonzaga with her^ 
 burnt fingers than — What has happened ?" j 
 
 The priest approached and, hastily casting a side| 
 glance at the burgomaster's wife, exclaimed : % 
 
 " She speaks through her nose, and Fraulein Henrica | 
 said just now it made her ache to hear her talk; I mustl 
 keep her away." 1 
 
 Doctor Bontius reflected a moment, and then saidrl 
 
 " There are eyes that cannot endure a glare of light, ^ 
 and perhaps certain tones may seem unbearable to irn-l 
 tated ears. Frau Van der Werif, you have been kept^ 
 waiting a long time, please follow me." | 
 
 It had grown dark. The curtains of the sick-room i 
 were lowered and a small lamp, burning behind a screen, I 
 shed but a feeble hght, | 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. I4I 
 
 The doctor approached the bed, felt Henrica's pulse^ 
 said a few words in a low tone to prepare her for her 
 visitor, and then took the lamp to see how the invalid 
 looked. 
 
 Maria now beheld a pale face with regular outline, 
 whose dark eyes, in their size and lustre, formed a strik- 
 ing contrast to the emaciated cheeks and sunken feat- 
 ures of the sick girl. 
 
 3 After old Sister Gonzaga had restored the lamp to 
 its former place, the physician said ; 
 
 " Excellent ! Now, Sister, go and change the band- 
 age on your arm and lie down.'* Then he beckoned 
 Maria to approach. 
 
 Henrica's face made a strange impression upon the 
 burgomaster's wife. She thought her beautiful, but the 
 large eyes and firmly-shut lips seemed peculiar, rather 
 than attractive. Yet she instantly obeyed the physician's 
 summons, approached the bed, said kindly that she had 
 been glad to come to stay with her a short time, and 
 asked what she desired. 
 
 At these words, Henrica raised herself and with a 
 sigh of relief, exclaimed : 
 
 " That does me good 1 Thanks, Doctor. That's a 
 human voice again. If you want to please me, Frau 
 Van der Werff, keep on talking, no matter what you say. 
 I Please come and sit down here. With Sister Gonzaga's 
 hands, your voice, and the doctor's — yes, I will say with 
 Doctor Bontius' candor, it won't be difficult to recover 
 entirely." 
 
 " Good, good," murmured the physician. ^^ Kind 
 
 I Sister Gonzaga's injuries are not serious and she will stay 
 
 with you, but when it is time for you to sleep, you will 
 
 i be moved elsewhere. You can remain liere an hour^ 
 
I 
 
 142 THE burgomaster's WIFE. I 
 
 1 
 
 Frau Van der Werff, but that will be enough for to-day. \ 
 I'll go to your house and send the servant for you| 
 with a lantern." .| 
 
 When the two ladies were left alone together, Maria 'I 
 said : ^ 
 
 " You set great value on the sound of voices ; so do.^ 
 I, perhaps more than is desirable. True, I have never!^ 
 had any serious illness — " i? 
 
 " This is my first one too," replied Henrica, '^ but I ! 
 know now what it is to be compelled to submit to every- jj 
 thing we don't like, and feel with two-fold keenness '■ 
 everything that is repulsive. It is better to die than.i 
 suffer." J 
 
 " Your aunt is dead," said Maria sympathizingly. 
 
 " She died early this morning. We had little in com- 5; 
 men save the tie of blood." ^| 
 
 " Are your parents no longer living ?" ?! 
 
 " Only my father; but what of that ?" | 
 
 " He will rejoice over your recovery; Doctor Bon-,^ 
 tius says you will soon be perfectly well." *! 
 
 ^' I think so too," replied Henrica confidently, and| 
 then said softly, without heeding Maria's presence:! 
 " There is one beautiful thing. When I am well again, } 
 I shall once more — Do you practise music?" | 
 
 " Yes, dear Fraulein." I 
 
 "Not merely as a pastime, but because you feel youq 
 cannot live without it ?" | 
 
 " You must keep quiet, Fraulein. Music ; — yes, I '■ 
 think my life would be far poorer without it than it is. " •! 
 
 " Do you sing ? " 
 
 "Very seldom here; but when a girl in Delft we;; 
 sung every day." | 
 
 " Of course you were the soprano ? " {! 
 
 I 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 143 
 
 '^ Yes, Fraulein." 
 
 " Let the Fraulein drop, and call me Henrica." 
 
 '' With all my heart, if you will call me Maria, or 
 Frau Maria." 
 
 " I'll try. Don't you think we could practise many a 
 song together ? " 
 
 Just as these words were uttered. Sister Gonzaga 
 entered the room, saying that the wife of Receiver Gen- 
 eral Cornelius had called to ask if she could do anything 
 for the sick lady. 
 
 " What does that mean ? " asked Henrica angrily. 
 <' I don't know the woman." 
 
 " She is the mother of Herr Wilhelm, the musician," 
 jsaid the young wife. 
 
 j " Oh !" exclaimed Henrica. " Shall I admit her, 
 I Maria ?" 
 
 The latter shook her head and answered firmly : 
 
 '^ No, Fraulein Henrica. It is not good for you to 
 I have more than one visitor at this hour, and besides — " 
 ' '' Well ?" 
 
 ^' She is an excellent woman, but I fear her blunt 
 manner, heavy step, and loud voice would not benefit 
 you just now. Let me go to her and ask what she desires." 
 
 " Receive her kindly, and tell her to remember me to 
 her son. - I am not very delicate, but I see you under- 
 stand me; such substantial fare would hardly suit me 
 just now." 
 
 After Maria had performed her errand and talked 
 with Henrica for a time, Frau Van Hout was announced. 
 Her husband, who had been present when the doors of 
 the house of death were sealed, had told her about the 
 invalid and she came to see if the poor girl needed any- 
 thing. 
 
144 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 "You might receive her," said Maria, "for she would c, 
 surely please you; but the bell is ringing again, and you 5 
 have talked enough for to-day. Try to sleep now. I'll | 
 go home with Frau Van Hout and come again to-mor- ; 
 row, if agreeable to you." ■ 
 
 " Come, pray come !" exclaimed the young girl. " Doi 
 you want to say anything more to me ?" ; 
 
 " I should like to do so, Fraulein Henrica. You ' 
 ought not to stay in this sad house. There is plenty of 1 
 room in ours. Will you be our guest until your'i 
 fkther^" I 
 
 "Yes, take me home with you!" cried the invalid,] 
 tears sparkling in her eyes. " Take me away from here,] 
 only take me away — and I will be grateful to you alls 
 my life." x 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. I 
 
 Maria had not mounted the stairs so joyously for j 
 weeks as she did to-day. She would have sung, had it ' 
 been seemly, though she felt a little anxious ; for per- 1 
 haps her husband would not think she had done right to I 
 invite, on her own authority, a stranger, especially a sick j 
 stranger, who was a friend of Spain, to be their guest. ; 
 
 As she passed the dining-room, she heard the gentle- J 
 men consulting together. Then Peter began to speak, i 
 She noticed the pleasant depth of his voice, and said to I 
 herself that Henrica would like to hear it. A few ' 
 minutes after she entered the apartment, to greet her i 
 husband's guests, who were also hers. Joyous excite- 1 
 ment and the rapid walk through the air of the May 1 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 145 
 
 evening, which, though the day had been warm, was still 
 cool, had flushed her cheeks and, as she modestly 
 crossed the threshold with a respectful greeting, which 
 nevertheless plainly revealed the pleasure afforded by 
 the visit of such guests, she looked so winning and 
 lovely, that not a single person present remained un« 
 moved by the sight. The older Herr Van der Does 
 clapped Peter on the shoulder and then struck the palm 
 of his hand with his fist, as if to say : " I won't ques^ 
 tion that !" Janus Dousa whispered gaily to Van 
 Hout, who was a good Latin scholar : 
 
 *' Oculi sunt in amore duces y 
 
 Captain Allertssohn started up and raised his hand 
 to his hat with a military salute; Van Bronkhorst, the 
 Prince's Commissioner, gave expression to his feelings 
 in a courtly bow. Doctor Bontius smiled contentedly^ 
 like a person who has successfully accomplished a haz- 
 ardous enterprise, and Peter proudly and happily strove 
 to attract his wife's attention to himself. But this was 
 not to be, for as soon as Maria perceived that she was 
 the mark for so many glances, she lowered her eyes with 
 a deep blush, and then said far more firmly than would 
 have been expected from her timid manner : 
 
 " Welcome, gentlemen ! My greeting comes late, but 
 I would have gladly offered it earlier." 
 
 " I can bear witness to that," cried Doctor Bontius, 
 rising and shaking hands with Maria more cordially than 
 ever before. Then he motioned towards Peter, and ex- 
 claimed to the assembled guests : " Will you excuse the 
 burgomaster for a moment ?" 
 
 As soon as he stood apart with the husband and 
 wife at the door, he began : 
 
 " You have invited a new visitor to the house, Frau 
 
146 THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 Van der AVerff; I won't drink another drop of Malmsey, j 
 
 if I'm mistaken." ■ 
 
 " How do you know ?" asked Maria gaily. ^ 
 
 " I see it in your face." ^ 
 
 "And the young lady shall be cordially welcome toj 
 
 me," added Peter. ,; 
 
 "Then you know?" asked Maria. j 
 
 "The doctor did not conceal his conjecture fromj 
 
 me." ,j 
 
 "Why yes, the sick girl will be glad to come to us,; 
 
 and to-morrow — " 
 
 " No, I'll send for her to-day," interrupted Peter. • 
 
 "To-day?" But dear me! It's so late; perhaps! 
 
 she is asleep, the gentlemen are here, and our spare : 
 
 bed — " exclaimed Maria, glancing disapprovingly and^ 
 
 irresolutely from the physician to her husband. : 
 
 " Calm yourself, child," replied Peter. " The doc- • 
 
 tor has ordered a covered litter from St. Catharine's J 
 
 hospital, Jan and one of the city-guard will carry ; 
 
 her, and Barbara has nothing more to do in the ] 
 
 kitchen and is now preparing her own chamber for ; 
 
 her." . : 
 
 "And," chimed in the physician, "perhaps the sick \ 
 
 girl may find sleep here. Besides, it will be far more ; 
 
 agreeable to her pride to be carried through the streets ] 
 
 unseen, under cover of the darkness." \ 
 
 " Yes, yes," said Maria sadly, " that may be so ; but . 
 
 I had been thinking — People ought not^ to do anything j 
 
 too hastily." \ 
 
 " Will you be glad to receive the young lady as a i 
 
 guest ?" asked Peter. ) 
 
 " Why, certainly." j 
 
 " Then we won't do things by halves, but show her ; 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 47 
 
 all the kindness in our power. There is Barbara beck- 
 oning; the litter has come, Doctor. Guide the noc- 
 turnal procession in God's name, but don't keep us 
 waiting too long." 
 
 The burgomaster returned to his seat, and Bontius 
 left the room. 
 
 Maria followed him. In the entry, he laid his hand 
 on her arm and asked : 
 
 " Will you know next time, what I expect from 
 you ?" 
 
 '^ No," replied the burgomaster's wife, in a tone 
 which sounded gay, though it revealed the disappoint- 
 ment she felt ; '' no — but you have taught me that you 
 are a man who understands how to spoil one's best 
 pleasures." 
 
 " I will procure you others," replied the doctor 
 laughing and descended the stairs. He was Peter's 
 oldest friend, and had made many objections to the 
 burgomaster's marriage with a girl so many years his 
 junior, in these evil times, but to-day he showed himself 
 satisfied with Van der Werff 's choice. 
 
 Maria returned to the guests, filled and offered 
 glasses of wine to the gentl^en, and then went to her 
 sister-in-law's room, to help her prepare everything for 
 the sick girl as well as possible. She did not do so 
 unwillingly, but it seemed as if she would have gone 
 to the work with far greater pleasure early the next 
 morning. 
 
 Barbara's spacious chamber looked out upon the 
 court-yard. No sound could be heard there of the 
 conversation going on between the gentlemen in the 
 dining-room, yet it was by no means quiet among these 
 men who, though animated by the same purpose, differed 
 
148 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 widely about the ways and means of bringing it to a 
 successful issue. 
 
 There they sat, the brave sons of a litde nation, the 
 stately leaders of a small community, poor in numbers 
 and means of defence, which had undertaken to bid 
 defiance to the mightiest power and finest armies of its 
 age. They knew that the storm-clouds, which had been 
 threatening for weeks on the horizon, would rise faster 
 and faster, mass together, and burst in a furious tempest 
 over Leyden, for Herr Van der Werff had summoned 
 them to his house because a letter addressed to himself 
 and Commissioner Van Bronkhorst by the Prince, con- 
 tained tidings, that the Governor of King Philip of 
 Spain had ordered Sefior del Campo Valdez to besiege 
 Leyden a second time and reduce it to subjection. 
 They were aware, that William of Orange could not 
 raise an army to divert the hostile troops from their aim 
 or relieve the city before the lapse of several months ; 
 they had experienced how little aid was to be expected 
 from the Queen of England and the Protestant Princes 
 of Germany, while the horrible fate of Haarlem, a neigh- 
 boring and more powerful city, rose as a menacing 
 example before their eyes^ But they were conscious of 
 serving a good cause, relied upon the faith, courage and 
 statesmanship of Orange, were ready to die rather than 
 allow themselves to be enslaved body and soul by the 
 Spanish tyrant. Their behef in God's justice was deep 
 and earnest, and each individual possessed a joyous 
 confidence in his own resolute, manly strength. 
 
 In truth, the men who sat around the table, so 
 daintily decked with flowers by a woman's hand, under- 
 stood how to empty the large fluted goblets so nim- 
 bly, that jug after jug of Peter's Malmsey and Rhine 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. I49 
 
 wine were brought up from the cellar, the men who 
 made breaches in the round pies and huge joints of 
 meat, juicier and more nourishing than any country ex- 
 cept theirs can furnish — did not look as if pallid fear 
 had brought them together. 
 
 The hat is the sign of liberty, and the free man keeps 
 his hat on. So some of the burgomaster's guests sat at 
 the board with covered heads, and how admirably the 
 high plaited cap of dark-red velvet, with its rich orna- 
 ments of plumes, suited the fresh old face of the senior 
 Seigneur of Nordwyk and the clever countenance of his 
 nephew Janus Dousa ; how well the broad-brimmed hat 
 with blue and orange ostrich-feathers — the colors of the 
 House of Orange — became the waving locks of the young 
 Seigneur of Warmond, Jan Van Duivenvoorde. How 
 strongly marked and healthful were the faces of the other 
 men assembled here ! Few countenances lacked ruddy 
 color, and strong vitality, clear intellect, immovable will 
 and firm resolution flashed from many blue eyes 
 around^ the table. Even the black-robed magistrates, 
 whose plaited ruffs and high white collars were very be- 
 coming, did not look as if the dust of documents had 
 injured their health. The moustaches and beards on the 
 lips of each, gave them also a manly appearance. They 
 were all joyously ready to sacrifice themselves and their 
 property for a great spiritual prize, yet looked as if they 
 had a firm foothold in the midst of life ; their hale, sen- 
 sible faces showed no traces of enthusiasm ; only the 
 young Seigneur of Warmond's eyes sparkled with a 
 touch of this feeling, while Janus Dousa's glance often 
 seemed turned within, to seek things hidden in his own 
 heart; and at such moments his sharply-cut, irregular 
 features possessed a strange charm. 
 
150 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 The broad, stout figure of Commissioner Van 
 Bronkhorst occupied a great deal of room. His body- 
 was by no means agile, but from the round, closely- 
 shaven head looked forth a pair of prominent eyes, that 
 expressed unyielding resolution. 
 
 The brightly-lighted table, around which such guests 
 had gathered, presented a gay, magnificent spectacle. 
 The yellow leather of the doublets worn by Junker von 
 Warmond, Colonel Mulder, and Captain Allertssohn, the 
 colored silk scarfs that adorned them, and the scarlet 
 coat of brave Dirk Smaling contrasted admirably with 
 the deep black robes of Pastor Verstroot, the burgo- 
 master, the city clerk, and their associates ! The violet 
 of the commissioner's dress and the dark hues of the 
 fur-bordered surcoats worn by the elder Herr Van der 
 Does and Herr Van Montfort blended pleasandy and 
 harmonized the light and dark shades. Everything 
 sorrowful seemed to have been banished far from this 
 brilHant, vigorous round table, so words flowed freely 
 and voices sounded full and strong enough. 
 
 Danger was close at hand. The Spanish vanguard 
 might appear before Leyden any day. Many prepara- 
 tions were made. English auxiHaries were to garrison 
 the fortifications of Alfen and defend the Gouda lock. 
 The defensive works of Valkenburg had been strength- 
 ened and entrusted to other British troops, the city 
 soldiers, the militia and volunteers were admirably 
 drilled. They did not wish to admit foreign troops 
 within the walls, for during the first siege they had 
 proved far more troublesome than useful, and there was 
 little reason to fear that a city guarded by water, walls 
 and trees would be taken by storm. 
 
 What most excited the gentlemen was the news Van 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 151 
 
 Hout had brought. Rich Herr Baersdorp, one of the 
 four burgomasters, who had the largest grain business 
 in Leyden, had undertaken to purchase considerable 
 quantities of bread-stuffs in the name of the city. 
 Several ship loads of wheat and rye had been delivered 
 by him the day before, but he v/as still in arrears with 
 three-quarters of what was ordered. He openly said 
 that he had as yet given no positive orders for it„ 
 because owing to the prospect of a good harvest, a fall 
 in the price of grain was expected in the exchanges of 
 Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and he would still have 
 several weeks time before the commencement of the 
 new blockade. 
 
 Van Hout Avas full of indignation, especially as two 
 out of the four burgomasters sided with their colleague 
 Baersdorp. 
 
 The elder Herr von Nordvvyk agreed with him, ex- 
 claiming : 
 
 " With all due respect to your dignity, Herr Peter,, 
 your three companions in office belong to the ranks of 
 bad friends, who would willingly be exchanged for open 
 enemies." 
 
 " Herr von Noyelles," said Colonel Mulder, " has 
 written about them to the Prince, the good and truthful 
 words, that they ought to be sent to the gallows." 
 
 ** And they will suit them," cried Captam Allertssohn, 
 " so long as hangmen's nooses and traitors' necks are 
 made for each other." 
 
 '' Traitors — no," said Van der Werff resolutely. 
 " Call them cowards, call them selfish and base-minded 
 — ^but not one of them is a Judas." 
 
 " Right, Meister Peter, that they certainly are not, and 
 perhaps even cowardice has nothmg to do with their con- 
 
152 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 duct," added Herr von Nordwyk. " Whoever has eyes 
 to see and ears to hear, knows the views of the gentle- 
 men belonging to the old city families, who are reared 
 from infancy as future magistrates; and I speak not 
 only of Leyden, but the residents of Gouda and Delft, 
 Rotterdam and Dortrecht. Among a hundred, sixty 
 would bear the Spanish yoke, even do violence to con- 
 ■science, if only their liberties and rights were guaranteed. 
 The cities must rule and they themselves in them ; that 
 is all they desire. Whether people preach sermons or 
 read mass in the church, whether a Spaniard or a Hol- 
 lander rules, is a matter of secondary importance to 
 them. I except the present company, for you would not 
 be here, gentlemen, if your views were similar to those 
 of the men of whom I speak." 
 
 '^ Thanks for those words," said Dirk Smaling, " but 
 with all due honor to your opinion, you have painted 
 matters in too dark colors. May I ask if the nobles do 
 not also cling to their rights and liberties ?" 
 
 ^^ Certainly, Herr Dirk ; but they are commonly ot 
 longer date than yours," replied Van Bronkhorst. '' The 
 nobleman needs a ruler. He is a lustreless star, if the 
 sun that lends him light is lacking. I, and with me all 
 the nobles who have sworn fealty to him, now believe 
 that our sun must and can be no other person than the 
 Prince of Orange, who is one of ourselves, knows, loves, 
 and understands us; not Philip, who has no comprehen- 
 sion of what is passing within and around us, is a for- 
 eigner and detests us. We will uphold William with our 
 fortunes and our lives for, as I have already said, vve 
 need a sun, that is, a monarch — but the cities think they 
 have power to shine and wish to be admired as bright 
 stars themselves. True, they feel that, in these troublous 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 1 53 
 
 times, the country needs a leader, and that they can find 
 no better, wiser and more faithful one than Orange; but 
 if it comes to pass — and may God grant it — that the 
 Spanish yoke is broken, the noble William's rule will seem 
 wearisome, because they enjoy playing sovereign them- 
 selves. In short : the cities etidiire a ruler, the nobles 
 gather 7'ound hiin and need him. No real good will be 
 accomplished until noble, burgher and peasant cheerfully 
 yield to him, and unite to battle under his leadership for 
 the highest blessings of life." 
 
 " Right," said Van Hout. '' The well-disposed 
 nobility may well serve as an example to the governing 
 classes here and in the other cities, but the people, the 
 poor hard-working people, know what is coming and, 
 thank God, have not yet lost a hearty love for what 
 you call the highest blessings of life. They wish to be 
 and remain Hollanders, curse the Spanish butchers with 
 eloquent hatred, desire to serve God according to the 
 yearning of their own souls, and believe what their own 
 hearts dictate — and these men call the Prince their 
 Father William. Wait a litde ! As soon as trouble op- 
 presses us, the poor and lowly will stand firm, if the rich 
 and great waver and deny the good cause." 
 
 "They are to be trusted," said Van der Werff, 
 '^ firmly trusted." 
 
 " And because I know them," cried Van Hout, " we 
 shall conquer, with God's assistance, come what may." 
 
 Janus Dousa had been looking into his glass. Now 
 he raised his head and with a hasty gesture, said : 
 
 " Strange that those who toil for existence with their 
 hands, and whose uncultured brains only move when 
 their daily needs require it, are most ready to sacrifice 
 the little they possess, for spiritual blessings." 
 
154 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 " Yes," said the pastor, " the kmgdom of heaven 
 stands open to the simple-hearted. It is strange that 
 the poor and unlearned value religion, liberty and their 
 native land far more than the perishable gifts of this 
 world, the golden calf around which the generations 
 throng." 
 
 " My companions are not flattered to-day," replied 
 Dirk Smaling ; ^' but I beg you to remember in our 
 favor, that we are playing a great and dangerous game, 
 and property-holders must supply the lion's share of the 
 stake." 
 
 " By no means," retorted Van Hout, " the highest 
 stake for which the die will be cast is life, and this has 
 the same value to rich and poor. Those who will hold 
 back — I think I know them — have no plain motto or 
 sign, but a proud escutcheon over their doors. Let us 
 wait." 
 
 " Yes, let us wait," said Van der Werff ; " but there 
 are more important matters to be considered now. Day 
 after to-morrow will be Ascension Day, when the bells 
 will ring for the great fair. More than one foreign 
 trader and traveller has passed through the gates yester- 
 day and the day before. Shall we order the booths to 
 be set up, or have the fair deferred until some other 
 time? If the enemy hastens his march, there will be 
 great confusion, and we shall perhaps throw a rich prize 
 into his hands. Pray give me your opinion, gentle- 
 men." 
 
 ''The traders ought to be protected from loss and 
 the fair postponed," said Dirk Smaling. 
 
 '' No," repHed Van Hout, " for if this prohibition is 
 issued, we shall deprive the small merchants of consid- 
 erable profit and prematurely damp their courage." 
 
THE burgomaster's V\^E^»fN, ^ y. \ 
 
 '' Let them have their festival," cH^^^i^^ofllsgL. ' 
 " We mustn't do coming trouble the favor^^ spoilinj^ 
 the happy present on its account. If you vV^^^Tlpiact ^ 
 wisely, follow the advice of Horace." --fZL.^ 
 
 '' The Bible also teaches that ' sufficient unto the 
 day is the evil thereof,' " added the pastor, and Captain 
 Allertssohn exclaimed : 
 
 *' On my Hfe, yes ! My soldiers, the city-guard and 
 volunteers must have their parade. Marching in full 
 uniform, with all their weapons, while beautiful eyes 
 smile upon them, the old wave greetings, and children 
 run before with exultant shouts, a man learns to feel 
 himself a soldier for the first time." 
 
 So it was determined to let the fair be held. While 
 other questions were being eagerly discussed, Henrica 
 found a loving welcome in Barbara's pleasant room. 
 When she had fallen asleep, Maria went back to her 
 guests, but did not again approach the table; for the 
 gentlemen's cheeks were flushed and they were no 
 longer speaking in regular order, but each was talking 
 about whatever he choose. The burgomaster was dis- 
 cussing with Van Hout and Van Bronkhorst the means 
 of procuring a supply of grain for the city, Janus 
 Dousa and Herr von Warmond were speaking of the 
 poem the city clerk had repeated at the last meeting of 
 the poets' club, Herr Van der Does senior and the 
 pastor were arguing about the new rules of the church, 
 and stout Captain Allertssohn, before whom stood a 
 huge drinking-horn drained to the dregs, had leaned his 
 forehead on Colonel Mulder's shoulder and, as usual 
 when he felt particularly happy over his wine, was 
 shedding tears. 
 
156 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ! 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 The next day after the meeting of the council, : 
 Burgomaster Van der Werff, Herr Van Hout, and a.i 
 notary, attended by two constables, went to Nobelstrasse I 
 to set old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten's property in order. • 
 The fathers of the city had determined to seize the j 
 Clippers' abandoned dwellings and apply the property • 
 found in them to the benefit of the common cause. \ 
 
 The old lady's hostility to the patriots was known to \ 
 all, and as her nearest relatives, Herr Van Hoogstraten j 
 and Matanesse Van Wibisma, liad been banished from | 
 Ley den, the duty of representing the heirs fell upon the i 
 city. It was to be expected that only notorious 
 Clippers would be remembered in the dead woman's j 
 will, and if this was the case, the revenue from the 1 
 personal and real estate would fall to the city, until the • 
 deserters mended their ways, and adopted a course of ; 
 conduct that would permit the magistrates to again i 
 open their gates to them. Whoever continued to cling j 
 to the Spaniards and oppose the cause of hberty, would : 
 forfeit his share of the inheritance. This was no new I 
 procedure. King Philip had taught its practice, nay not ■ 
 only the estates of countless innocent persons who had \ 
 been executed, banished or gone into voluntary exile | 
 for the sake of the new religion, but also the property 
 of good Catholic patriots had been confiscated for his 
 benefit. After being anvil so many years, it is pleasant 
 to play hammer; and if that was not always done in a 
 proper and moderate way, people excused themselves 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 57 
 
 on the ground of having experienced a hundred-fold 
 harsher and more cruel treatment from the Spaniards. 
 It might have been unchristian to repay in the same 
 coin, but they dealt severe blows only in mortal conflict, 
 and did not seek the Clippers' lives. 
 
 At the door of the house of death, the magistrates 
 met the musician Wilhelm Corneliussohn and his mother, 
 who had come to offer Henrica a hospitable reception in 
 their house. The mother, who had at first refused to ex- 
 tend her love for her neighbor to the young Clipper girl, 
 now found it hard to be deprived of the opportunity to 
 do a good work, and gave expression to these feelings in 
 the sturdy fashion peculiar to her. 
 
 Belotti was standing in the entry, no longer attired 
 in the silk hose and satin-bordered cloth garments of the 
 steward, but in a plain burgher dress. He told the musi- 
 cian and Peter, that he remained in Leyden principally 
 because he could not bear to leave the sick maid, De- 
 nise, in the lurch ; but other matters also detained him, 
 especially, though he was reluctant to acknowledge it, 
 the feeling, strengthened by long years of service, that 
 he belonged to the Hoogstraten house. The dead 
 woman's attorney had said that his account books were 
 in good order, and willingly paid the balance due him. 
 His savings had been well invested, and as he never 
 touched the interest, but added to the capital, had 
 considerably increased. Nothing detained him in Ley- 
 den, yet he could not leave it until everything was 
 settled in the house where he had so long ruled. 
 
 He had daily inquired for the sick lady, and after 
 her death, though Denise began to recover, still lingered 
 in Leyden ; he thought it his duty to show the last 
 honors to the dead by attending her funeral. 
 
15^ THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 The magistrates were glad to find Belotti in the 
 
 house. The notary had managed his Uttle property, \ 
 
 and respected him as an honest man. He now asked | 
 
 him to act as guide to his companions and himself. ! 
 
 The most important matter was to find the * dead ; 
 
 woman's will. Such a document must be in existence, ■ 
 
 for up to the day after Henrica's illness it had been in t 
 
 the lawyer's possession, but was then sent for by the old I 
 
 lady, who desired to make some changes in it. He j 
 
 could give no information about its contents, for his ] 
 
 dead partner, whose business had fallen to him, had \ 
 
 assisted in drawing it up. ; 
 
 The steward first conducted the visitors to the i 
 
 padrona's sitting-room and boudoir, but though they \ 
 
 searched the writing-tables, chests and drawers, and dis- ; 
 
 covered many letters, money and valuable jewels in ) 
 
 boxes and caskets, the document was not found. ; 
 
 The gentlemen thought it was concealed in a secret i 
 
 drawer, and ordered one of the constables to call a lock- | 
 
 smith. Belotti allowed this to be done, but meantime ^ 
 
 hstened with special attention to the low chanting that j 
 
 issued from the bedroom where the old lady's body lay. ^ 
 
 He knew that the will would most probably be found ■ 
 
 there, but was anxious to have the priest complete the \ 
 
 consecration of his mistress undisturbed. As soon as all \ 
 
 was still in the death-chamber, he asked the gentlemen j 
 
 to follow him. j 
 
 The lofty apartment into which he led them, was ] 
 
 filled with the odor of incense. A large bedstead, over | 
 
 which a pointed canopy of heavy silk rose to the ceiling, i 
 
 stood at the back, the cofiin in which the dead woman j 
 
 lay had been placed in the middle of the room. A linen | 
 
 cloth, trimmed with lace, covered the face. The delicate : 
 
THK BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 159 
 
 hands, still unwrinkled, were folded, and lightly clasped 
 a well-worn rosary. The lifeless form was concealed be- 
 neath a costly coverlid, in the centre of which lay an 
 exquisitely-carved ivory crucifix. 
 
 The visitors bowed mutely before the corpse. Belotti 
 approached it and, as he saw the padrona's well-known 
 hands, a convulsive sob shook the old man's breast. 
 Then he knelt beside the coffin, pressed his lips, to the 
 cold, slender fingers, and a warm tear, the only one shed 
 for this dead form, fell on the hands now clasped for- 
 ever. 
 
 The burgomaster and his companion did not inter- 
 rupt him, even when he laid his forehead upon the wood 
 of the coffin and uttered a brief, silent prayer. After he 
 had risen, and an elderly priest in the sacerdotal robes 
 had left the room. Father Damianus beckoned to the 
 acolytes, with whom he had lingered in the back- 
 ground, and aided by them and Belotti put the lid on 
 the coffin, then turned to Peter Van der Werff, saying : 
 
 '• We intend to bury Fraulein Van Hoogstraten at 
 midnight, that no offence may be given." 
 
 '' Very well, sir ! " replied the burgomaster. " What- 
 ever may happen, we shall not expel you from the city. 
 Of course, if you prefer to go to the Spaniards — " 
 
 Damianus shook his head and, interrupting the burgo- 
 master, answered modestly : 
 
 ^' No, sir; I am a native of Utrecht and will gladly 
 pray for the liberty of Holland." 
 
 " There, there !" exclaimed Van Hout. " Those were 
 good words, admirable words ! Your hand. Father." 
 
 " There it is ; and, so long as you don't change the 
 ' haec libertatis ergo ' on your coins to ' haec jrligionis 
 ergo,' not one of those words need be altered." 
 
i6o THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 " A free country and in it religious liberty for each j 
 individual, even for you and your followers,'* said the ^ 
 burgomaster, '^ is what we desire. Doctor Bontius has ; 
 spoken of you, worthy man ; you have cared well for \ 
 this dead woman. Bury her according to the customs ; 
 of your church ; we have come to arrange the earthly ; 
 possessions she leaves behind. Perhaps this casket may j 
 contain the will." ] 
 
 " No, sir," replied the priest. " She opened the ! 
 sealed paper in my presence, when she was first taken | 
 sick, and wrote a few words w^henever she felt stronger. , 
 An hour before her end, she ordered the notary to be i 
 sent for, but when he came life had departed. I could | 
 not remain constantly beside the corpse, so I locked up \ 
 the paper in the linen chest. There is the key." j 
 
 The opened will was soon found. The burgomaster i 
 quietly unfolded it, and, while reading its contents aloud, j 
 the notary and city clerk looked over his shoulder. | 
 
 The property was to be divided among various l 
 churches and convents, where masses were to be read \ 
 for her soul, and her nearest blood relations. Belotti : 
 and Denise received small legacies. j 
 
 " It is fortunate," exclaimed Van Hout, " that this j 
 paper is a piece of paper and nothing more." j 
 
 " The document has no legal value whatever," added ] 
 the notary, " for it was taken from me and opened with j 
 the explicit statement, that changes were to be made. | 
 Here is a great deal to be read on the back." j 
 
 The task, that the gendemen now undertook, was no \ 
 easy one, for the sick woman had scrawled short notes | 
 above and below, hither and thither, on the blank back ' 
 of the document, probably to assist her memory while j 
 composing a new will. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. l6l 
 
 At the very top a crucifix was sketched with an un- 
 steady hand, and below it the words : " Pray for us ! 
 Everything shall belong to holy Mother Church." 
 
 Farther down they read : " Nico, I like the lad» 
 The castle on the downs. Ten thousand gold florins in 
 money. To be secured exclusively to him. His father 
 is not to touch it. Make the reason for disinheriting 
 him conspicuous. Van Vliet of Haarlem was the 
 gentleman whose daughter my cousin secretly wedded. 
 On some pitiful pretext he deserted her, to form another 
 marriage. If he has forgotten it, I have remembered 
 and would fain impress it upon him. Let Nico pay 
 heed : False love is poison. My Hfe has been ruined 
 by it — ruined." 
 
 The second " ruined " was followed by numerous 
 repetitions of the same word. The last one, at the very 
 end of the sentence, had been ornamented with numer- 
 ous curves and spirals by the sick woman's pen. 
 
 On the right-hand margin of the sheet stood a series 
 of short notes : 
 
 *' Ten thousand florins to Anna. To be secured to 
 herself Otherwise they will fall into the clutches of 
 that foot-pad, d'Avila. 
 
 " Three times as much to Henrica. Her father will 
 pay her the money — from the sum he owes me. Where 
 he gets it is his aflair. Thus the account with him 
 would be settled. 
 
 '' Belotti has behaved badly. He shall be passed 
 over. 
 
 ^" Denise may keep what was given her." 
 In the middle of the paper, written in large char- 
 acters, twice and thrice underlined, was the sentence : 
 " The ebony casket with the Hoogstraten and 
 
1 62 THE burgomaster's WIFE. i 
 
 ] 
 
 d'Avila arms on the lid is to be sent to the widow j 
 of the Marquis d'Avennes. Forward it to Chateau | 
 Rochebrun in Normandy." \ 
 
 The men, who had mutually deciphered these words, \ 
 looked at each other silently, until Van Hout ex-? 
 claimed : ^ 
 
 " What a confused mixture of malice and feminine ^ 
 weakness. Let a woman's heart seem ever so cold;j 
 glacier flowers will always be found in it." j 
 
 " I'm sorry for the young lady in your house, ■ 
 Herr Peter," cried the notary, ^'it would be easier to get i 
 sparks from rye-bread, than such a sum from the debt-j 
 laden poor devil. The daughter's portion will be^ 
 curtailed by the father; that's what I call bargaining] 
 between relations." j 
 
 " What can be in the casket ? " asked the notary. j 
 
 ^' There it is," cried Van Hout. I 
 
 " Bring it here, Belotti." i 
 
 *' We must open it," said the lawyer, "perhaps she; 
 is trying to convey her most valuable property across \ 
 the frontiers." i 
 
 " Open it ? Contrary to the dead woman's express ] 
 desire?" asked Van der Werffl ; 
 
 " Certainly !" cried the notary. " We were sent here \ 
 to ascertain the amount of the inheritance. The Hd is ' 
 fastened. Take the picklock, Meister. There, it is open." t 
 
 The city magistrates found no valuables in the] 
 casket, merely letters of different dates. There were not j 
 many. Those at the bottom, yellow with age, contained i 
 vows of love from the Marquis d'Avennes, the morel 
 recent ones were brief and signed Don Louis d'Avila. \ 
 Van Hout, who understood the CastiHan language inj 
 which they were written, hastily read them. As he was^ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 63 
 
 approaching the end of the last one, he exclaimed with 
 lively indignation : 
 
 " We have here the key of a rascally trick in our 
 hands ! t) o jyou^ remember; the 'excitement aroused four 
 years ago 'by the duel, in which "the Marquis d'Avennes 
 fell a victim to a Spanish brawler? The miserable bravo 
 writes in this letter that he has .... It will be worth the 
 trouble ; I'll translate it for you. The first part of the 
 note is of no- importance ; but now comes the point : 
 ^ And now, after having succeeded in crossing swords 
 with the marquis and killing him, not without personal 
 danger, a fate he has doubtless deserved, since he aroused 
 your displeasure to such a degree, the condition you 
 imposed upon me is fulfilled, and to-morrow I hope 
 through your favor to receive the sweetest reward. 
 Tell Donna Anna, my adored betrothed, that I would 
 fain lead her to the altar early to-morrow morning, for 
 the d'Avennes are influential and the following day my 
 safety will perhaps be imperilled. As for the rest, I 
 hope I may be permitted to rely upon the fairness and 
 generosity of my patroness." 
 
 Van Hout flung the letter on the table, exclaiming ; 
 "See, what a dainty hand the bravo writes. And, Jove's 
 thunder, the lady to whom this plotted murder was to 
 have been sent, is doubtless the mother of the unfortu- 
 nate marquis, whom the Spanish assassin slew." 
 
 " Yes, Herr Van Hout," said Belotti, " I can con- 
 firm your supposition. The marquise was the wife of 
 the man, who broke his plighted faith to the young 
 Fraulein Van Hoogstraten. She, who lies there, saw 
 many suns rise and set, ere her vengeance ripened." 
 
 " Throw the scrawl into the fire ! " cried Van Hout 
 impetuously. 
 
164 THE burgomaster's WIFE. -, 
 
 " No/' replied Peter. " We will not send the letters,! 
 but you must keep them in the archives. God's mills | 
 grind slowly, and who knows what good purpose these! 
 sheets may yet serve." i 
 
 The city clerk nodded assent and folding the papers, j 
 said : " I think the dead woman's property will be an ] 
 advantage to the city." \ 
 
 " The Prince will dispose of it," replied Van derS 
 Werff. " How long have you served this lady,i 
 Belotti ? " ] 
 
 " Fifteen years." ■ 
 
 "Then remain in Leyden for a time. I think youj 
 may expect the legacy she originally left you. I will' 
 urge your claim." \ 
 
 A few hours before the nocturnal burial of old: 
 Fraulein Van Hoogstraten, Herr Matanesse Van Wi-j 
 bisma and his son Nicolas appeared before the city, but j 
 were refused admittance by the men who guarded thei 
 gates, although both appealed to their relative's death.] 
 Henrica's father did not come, he had gone several daysi 
 before to attend a tourney at Cologne. \ 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 i 
 
 Between twelve and one o'clock on the 26th ofj 
 May, Ascension-Day, the ringing of bells announced' 
 the opening of the great fair. The old circuit of the; 
 boundaries of the fields had long since given place to a | 
 church festival, but the name of '' Ommegang" remained j 
 interwoven with that of the fair, and even after the new] 
 
 \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 65 
 
 religion had obtained the mastery, all sorts of process- 
 ions took place at the commencement of the fair. 
 
 In the days of Catholic rule the cross had been 
 borne through the streets in a solemn procession, in 
 which all Leyden took part, now the banners of the 
 city and standards bearing the colors of the House of 
 Orange headed the train, followed by the nobles on 
 horseback, the city magistrates in festal array, the clergy 
 in black robes, the volunteers in magnificent uniforms, 
 the guilds with their emblems, and long joyous ranks of 
 school-children. Even the poorest people bought some- 
 thing new for their little ones on this day. Never 
 did mothers braid their young daughters' hair more 
 carefully, than for the procession at the opening of the 
 fair. Spite of the hard times, many a stiver was taken 
 from slender purses for fresh ribbons and new shoes, 
 becoming caps and bright-hued stockings. The spring 
 sunshine could be reflected from the 'little girls' shining, 
 smoothly-combed hair, and the big boys and little 
 children looked even gayer than the flowers in Hen- 
 Van Montfort's garden, by which the procession was 
 obliged to pass. Each wore a sprig of green leaves in 
 his cap beside the plume, and the smaller the boy, the 
 larger the branch. There was no lack of loud 
 talk and merry shouts, for every child that passed its 
 home called to its mother, grandparents, and the 
 servants, and when one raised its voice many others in- 
 stantly followed. The grown people too were not 
 silent, and as the procession approached the town-hall, 
 head-quarters of military companies, guild-halls or 
 residences of popular men, loud cheers arose, mingled 
 with the ringing of bells, the shouts of the sailors on 
 both arms of the Rhine and on the canals, the playing 
 
1 66 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 of the city musicians at the street corners, and the rattle j 
 of guns and roar of cannon fired by the gunners and 
 their assistants from the citadel. It was a joyous tumult 
 in jocund spring ! These merry mortals seemed to lull ^ 
 themselves carelessly in the secure enjoyment of peace ■ 
 and prosperity, and how blue the sky was, how warmly 5 
 and brightly the sun shone ! The only grave, anxious t 
 faces were among the magistrates ; but the guilds and t 
 the children behind did not see them, so the rejoicings j 
 continued without interruption until the churches re- 1 
 ceived the procession, and words so earnest and full of i 
 warning echoed from the pulpits, that many grew | 
 thoughtful. \ 
 
 All three phases of time belong to man, the past \ 
 to the graybeard, the future to youth, and the present J 
 to childhood. What cared the little boys and girls of ■ 
 Ley den, released from school during the fair, for the j 
 peril close at hand ? Whoever, on the first day and \ 
 during the great linen-fair on Friday and the following i 
 days, received spending money from parents or god- \ 
 parents, or whoever had eyes to see, ears to hear, and a | 
 nose to smell, passed through the rows of booths with ^ 
 his or her companions, stopped before the camels and ' 
 dancing-bears, gazed into the open taverns, where not ; 
 only lads and lasses, but merry old peoi)le whirled in ; 
 the dance to the music of bagpipes, clarionets and j 
 violins — examined gingerbread and other dainties with I 
 the attention of an expert, or obeyed the blasts of ] 
 the trumpet, by which the quack doctor's negro sum- ; 
 moned the crowd. i 
 
 Adrian, the burgomaster's son, also strolled day J 
 after day, alone or with his companions, through the 
 splendors of the fair, often grasping with the secure j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 167 
 
 sense of wealth the leather purse that hung at his belt, 
 for it contained several stivers, which had flowed in 
 from various sources; his father, his mother, Barbara 
 and his godmother. Captain Van Duivenvoorde, his 
 particular friend, on whose noble horse he had often 
 ridden, had taken him three times into a wafer booth, 
 where he eat till he was satisfied, and thus, even on the 
 Tuesday after Ascension-Day, his httle fortune was but ' 
 sHghtly diminished. He intended to buy something 
 very big and sensible : a knight's sword or a cross-bow ; 
 perhaps even — ^but this thought seemed like an evil 
 temptation — the ginger-cake covered with almonds, 
 which was exhibited in the booth of a Delft con- 
 fectioner. He and Bessie could surely nibble for weeks 
 upon this giant cake, if they were economical, and 
 economy is an admirable virtue. Something must at 
 any rate be spared for "little brothers,"* the nice spiced 
 cakes which were baked in many booths before the 
 eyes of the passers-by. 
 
 On Tuesday afternoon his way led him past the 
 famous Rotterdam cake-shop. Before the door of the 
 building, made of boards lightly joined together and 
 decked with mirrors and gay pictures, a stout, pretty 
 woman, in the bloom of youth, sat in a high arm-chair, 
 pouring rapidly, with remarkable skill, liquid dough into 
 the hot iron plate, provided with numerous indentations, 
 that stood just on a level with her comfortably outspread 
 lap. Her assistant hastily turned with a fork the little 
 cakes, browning rapidly in the hollows of the iron, and 
 when baked, laid them neatly on small plates. The 
 waiter prepared them for purchasers by putting a large 
 piece of yellow butter on the smoking pile. A tempt- 
 
 * A kind of griddle or pancake. 
 
1 68 THE burgomaster's wife. ] 
 
 ing odor, that only too vividly recalled former enjoy- ! 
 ment, rose from the fireplace, and Adrian's fingers were ] 
 already examining the contents of his purse, when the | 
 negro's trumpet sounded and the quack doctor's cart | 
 stopped directly in front of the booth. \ 
 
 The famous Doctor Morpurgo was a fine-looking! 
 man, dressed in bright scarlet, who had a thin, coal-^ 
 black beard hanging over his breast. His movements \ 
 were measured and haughty, the bows and gestures ^ 
 with which he saluted the assembled crowd, patron- J 
 izing and affable. After a sufficient number of curious | 
 persons had gathered around his cart, which was! 
 stocked with boxes and vials, he began to address \ 
 them in broken Dutch, spiced with numerous foreign j 
 words. I 
 
 He praised the goodness of the Providence which s 
 had created the marvel of human organism. Every- j 
 thing, he said, was arranged and formed wisely and in I 
 the best possible manner, but in one respect nature] 
 fared badly in the presence of adepts. 
 
 " Do you know where the error is, ladies and gentle- \ 
 men ? " he asked. \ 
 
 " In the purse," cried a merry barber's clerk, " it i 
 grows prematurely thin every day." \ 
 
 ^' Right, my son," answered the quack graciously. \ 
 *' But nature also provides it with the great door from I 
 which your answer has come. Your teeth are a bung- 1 
 ling piece of workmanship. They appear with pain,] 
 decay with time, and so long as they last torture those j 
 who do not industriously attend to them. But art will : 
 correct nature. See this box — " and he now began to ; 
 praise the tooth-powder and cure for toothache he had j 
 invented. Next he passed to the head, and described \ 
 
THE burgomaster's \VIFE. 169 
 
 in vivid colors, its various pains. But they too were to 
 be cured, people need only buy his arcanum. It was 
 to be had for a trifle, and whoever bought it could sweep 
 away every headache, even the worst, as with a broom. 
 
 Adrian listened to the famous doctor with mouth 
 wide open. Specially sweet odors floated over to him 
 from the hot surface of the stove before the booth, and 
 he would have gladly allowed himself a plate of fresh 
 cakes. The baker's stout wife even beckoned to him 
 with a spoon, but he closed his hand around the purse 
 and again turned his eyes towards the quack, whose 
 cart was now surrounded by men and women buying 
 tinctures and medicines. 
 
 Henrica lay ill in his father's house. He had been 
 taken into her room twice, and the beautiful pale face, 
 with its large dark eyes, had filled his heart with pity. 
 The clear, deep voice in which she addressed a few 
 words to him, also seemed wonderful and penetrated the 
 inmost depths of his soul. He was told one morning 
 that she was there, and since that time his mother rarely 
 appeared and the house was far more quiet than usual ; 
 for everybody walked lightly, spoke in subdued tones, 
 rapped cautiously at a window instead of using the 
 knocker, and whenever Bessie or he laughed aloud or 
 ran up or down-stairs, Barbara, his mother, orTrautchen 
 appeared and whispered : " Gently, children, the young 
 lady has a headache." 
 
 There were many bottles in the cart which were 
 warranted to cure the ailment, and the famous Mor- 
 purgo seemed to be a very sensible man, no buffoon 
 like the other mountebanks. The wife of the baker, 
 Wilhelm Peterssohn, who stood beside him, a woman 
 he knew well, said to her companion that the doctor's 
 
lyo THE burgomaster's wife. • i 
 
 remedies were good, they had quickly cured her god- i 
 mother of a bad attack of erysipelas. j 
 
 The words matured the boy's resolution. Fleeting ; 
 visions of the sword, the cross-bow, the gingerbread \ 
 and the nice little brothers once more rose before his i 
 mind, but with a powerful effort of the will he thrust i 
 them aside, held his breath that he might not smell ! 
 the alluring odor of the cakes, and hastily approached ! 
 the cart. Here he unfastened his purse from his belt, ; 
 poured its contents into his hand, showed the coins to \ 
 the doctor, who had fixed his black eyes kindly on the ] 
 odd customer, and asked : " Will this be enough ?" i 
 
 ''For what?" | 
 
 '' For the medicine to cure headache." 1 
 
 The quack separated the little coins in Adrian's \ 
 hand with his forefinger, and answered gravely : " No, j 
 my son, but I am always glad to advance the cause of ; 
 knowledge. ' There is still a great deal for you to learn i 
 at school, and the headache will prevent it. Here are J 
 the drops and, as it's you, I'll give this prescription for ; 
 another arcanum into the bargain." ■ 
 
 Adrian hastily wrapped the httle vial the quack , 
 handed him in the piece of printed paper, received his ; 
 dearly-bought treasure, and ran home. On the way he i 
 was stopped by Captain Allertssohn, who came towards i 
 him with the musician Wilhelm. | 
 
 " Have you seen my Andreas, Master Good-for- j 
 nothing ? " he asked. | 
 
 " He was standing listening to the musicians," re- I 
 plied Adrian, released himself from the captain's grasp, ; 
 and vanished among the crowd. j 
 
 '' A nimble lad," said the fencing-master. '' My boy I 
 is standing with the musicians again. He has nothing ] 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. lyi 
 
 but your art in his mind. He would rather blow 
 on a comb than comb his hair with it, he's always 
 tooting on every leaf and pipe, makes triangles of 
 broken sword-blades, and not even a kitchen pot is safe 
 from his drumming; in short there's nothing but sing- 
 song in the good-for-nothing fellow's head ; he wants 
 to be a musician or something of the sort." 
 
 " Right, right ! " replied Wilhelm eagerly ; '^ he has 
 a fine ear and the best voice in the choir." 
 
 " The matter must be duly considered," replied the 
 captain, ^' and you, if anybody, are the person to tell us 
 what he can accomplish in your art. If you have time 
 this evening, Herr Wilhelm, come to me at the watch- 
 house, I should like to speak to you. To be sure, you'll 
 hardly find me before ten o'clock. I have a stricture 
 in my throat again, and on such days — Roland, my 
 fore man ! " 
 
 The captain cleared his throat loudly and vehem- 
 ently. " I am at your service," said Wilhelm, " for the 
 night is long, but I won't let you go now until I know 
 what you mean by your fore man Roland." 
 
 " Very well, it's not much of a story, and perhaps you 
 won't understand. Come in here; I can tell it better 
 over a mug of beer, and the legs rebel if they're de- 
 prived of rest four nights in succession." 
 
 When the two men were seated opposite to each 
 other in the tap-room, the fencing-master pushed his 
 moustache away from his lips, and began : " How 
 long ago is it — ? We'll say fifteen years, since I was 
 riding to Haarlem with the innkeeper Aquanus, who 
 as you know, is a learned man and has all sorts of old 
 stuff and Latin manuscripts. He talks well, and when 
 the conversation turned upon our meeting with many 
 
172 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 things in life that we fancy we have already seen, re- 
 marked that this could be easily explained, for the 
 human soul was an indestructible thing, a bird that 
 never dies. So long as we live it remains with us, and 
 when we die flies away and is rewarded or punished 
 according to its deserts ; but after centuries, which are 
 no more to the Lord than the minutes in which I 
 empty this fresh mug — one more, bar-maid — the merci- 
 ful Father releases it again, and it nestles in some new- 
 born child. This made me laugh; but he was not at all 
 disturbed and told the story of an old Pagan, a wonder- 
 fully wise chap, who knew positively that his soul had 
 formerly lodged in the body of a mighty hero. This 
 same hero also remembered exactly where, during his 
 former life, he had hung his shield, aVid told his asso- 
 ciates. They searched and found the piece of armor, 
 with the initials of the Christian and surname which had 
 belonged to the philosopher in his life as a soldier, 
 centuries before. This puzzled me, for you see — now 
 don't laugh — something had formerly happened to me 
 very much like the Pagan's experience. I don't care 
 much for books, and from a child have always read the 
 same one. I inherited it from my dead father and the 
 work is not printed, but written. I'll show it to you 
 some time — it contains the history of the brave Roland. 
 Often, when absorbed in these beautiful and true stories, 
 my cheeks have grown as red as fire, and I'll confess to 
 you, as I did to my travelling-companion: If I'm not 
 mistaken, I've sat with King Charles at the board, or 
 I've worn Roland's chain armor in battle and in the 
 tourney. I beheve I have seen the Moorish king, 
 Marsilia, and once when reading how the dying Roland 
 wound his horn in the valley of the Roncesvalles, I felt 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 75 
 
 such a pain in my throat, that it seemed as if it would 
 burst, and fancied I had felt the same pain before. 
 When I frankly acknowledged all this, my companion 
 exclaimed that there was no doubt my soul had once 
 inhabited Roland's body, or in other words, that in a 
 former life I had been the Knight Roland." 
 
 The musician looked at the fencing-master in amaze- 
 ment and asked : " Could you really believe that. 
 Captain ? " 
 
 " Why not," rephed the other. '' Nothing is im- 
 possible to the Highest. At first I laughed in the man's 
 face, but his words followed me ; and when I read the 
 old stories — I needn't strain my eyes much, for at every 
 line I know beforehand what the next will be — I 
 couldn't help asking myself — In short, sir, my soul 
 probably once inhabited Roland's body, and that's why ' 
 I call him my ^ fore man.' In the course of years, it 
 has become a habit to swear by him. Folly, you will 
 think, but I know Avhat I know, and now I must go. 
 We will have another talk this evening, but about other 
 matters. Yes, everybody in this world is a little crack- 
 brained, but at least I don't bore other people. I 
 only show my craze to intimate friends, and strangers 
 who ask me once about the fore man Roland rarely do 
 so a second time. The score, bar-maid — There it is 
 again. We must see whether the towers are properly 
 garrisoned, and charge the sentinels to keep their eyes 
 open. If you come prepared for battle, you may save 
 yourself a walk, I'll answer for nothing to-day. You will 
 probably pass the new Rhine. Just step into my house, 
 and tell my wife she needn't wait supper for me. Or, no, 
 I'll attend to that myself; there's something in the air, 
 you'll see it, for I have the Roncesvalles throat again." 
 
174 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 In the big watch-house that had been erected beside 
 the citadel, during the siege of the city, raised ten 
 months before, city-guards and volunteers sat together 
 in groups after sunset, talking over their beer or passing 
 the time in playing cards by the feeble light of thin 
 tallow candles. 
 
 The embrasure where the officers' table stood was 
 somewhat better lighted. Wilhelm, who, according to 
 his friend's advice, appeared in the uniform of an ensign 
 of the city-guards, seated himself at the empty board 
 just after the clock in the steeple had struck ten. While 
 ordering the waiter to bring him a mug of beer. Captain 
 Allertssohn appeared with Junker von Warmond, who 
 had taken part in the consultation at Peter Van der 
 Werff 's, and bravely earned his captain's sash two years 
 before at the capture of Brill. As this son of one of the 
 richest and most aristocratic families in Holland, a 
 youth whose mother had borne the name of Egmont, 
 entered, he drew his hand, encased in a fencing-glove, 
 from the captain's arm and said, countermanding the 
 musician's order : 
 
 '' Nothing of that sort, waiter ! The little keg from 
 the Wurzburger Stein can't be empty yet. We'll find 
 the bottom of it this evening. What do you say, 
 Captain. ? " 
 
 " Such an arrangement will lighten the keg and not 
 specially burden us," replied the other. " Good-evening, 
 Herr Wilhelm, punctuality adorns the soldier. People 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 17S 
 
 are beginning to understand how much depends upon 
 it. I have posted the men, so that they can overlook 
 the country in every direction. I shall have them 
 relieved from time to time, and at intervals look after 
 them myself. This is good liquor. Junker. All honor 
 to the man who melts his gold into such a fluid. The 
 first glass must be a toast to the Prince." 
 
 The three men touched their glasses, and soon after 
 drank to the liberty of Holland and the prosperity of 
 the good city of Ley den. Then the conversation took 
 a Hvely turn, but duty was not forgotten, for at the end 
 of half an hour the captain rose to survey the horizon 
 himself and urge the sentinels to vigilant watchfulness. 
 
 When he returned, Wilhelm and Junker von War- 
 mond were so engaged in eager conversation, that they 
 did not notice his entrance. The musician was speak- 
 ing of Italy, and AUertssohn heard him exclaim im- 
 petuously : 
 
 " Whoever has once seen that country can never 
 forget it, and when I am sitting on the house-top with 
 my doves, my thoughts only too often fly far away 
 with them, and my eyes no longer see our broad, 
 monotonous plains and grey, misty sky." 
 
 " Oh ! ho ! Meister Wilhelm," interrupted the cap- 
 tain, throwing himself into the arm-chair and stretching 
 out his booted legs. " Oh ! ho ! This time I've dis- 
 covered the crack in your brain. Italy, always Italy ! 
 I know Italy too, for I've been in Brescia, looking for 
 good steel sword-blades for the Prince and other nobles, 
 I crossed the rugged Apennines and went to Florence, 
 to see fine pieces of armor. From Livorno I went by 
 sea to Genoa, where I obtained chased gold and silver- 
 work for shoulder-belts and sheaths. Truth is truth — 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
 176 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 the brown-skinned rascals can do fine work. But the \ 
 country — the country! Roland, my fore man — how] 
 any sensible man can prefer it to ours is more than I 
 understand." j 
 
 " Holland is our mother," replied von Warmond. ^ 
 " As good sons we believe her the best of women ; yet \ 
 we can admit, without shame, that there are more beau- \ 
 tiful ones in the world." -i 
 
 " Do you blow that trumpet too ? " exclaimed the , 
 fencing-master, pushing his glass angrily further upon i 
 the table. Did you ever cross the Alps ? " j 
 
 " No, but—" I 
 
 " But you beheve the color-daubers of the artist \ 
 guild, whose eyes are caught by the blue of the sky and j 
 sea, or the musical gentry who allow themselves to be j 
 deluded by the soft voices and touching melodies there, ] 
 but you would do well to listen to a quiet man too for ; 
 once." : 
 
 " Go on. Captain." 
 
 ^^ Very well. And if anybody can get an untruthful : 
 word out of me, I'll pay his score till the Day of Judg- ] 
 ment. I'll begin the story at the commencement. First ' 
 you must cross the horrible Alps. There you see barren, - 
 dreary rocks, cold snow, wild glacier torrents on which j 
 no boat can be used. Instead of watering meadows, ; 
 the mad waves fling stones on their banks. Then we i 
 reach the plains, where it is true many kinds of plants ^ 
 grow. I was there in June, and made my jokes about : 
 the tiny fields, where small trees stood, serving as props I 
 for the vines. It didn't look amiss, but the heat, ^ 
 Junker, the heat spoiled all pleasure. And the dirt in i 
 the taverns, the vermin, and the talk about bravos, who ] 
 shed the blood of honest Christians in the dark for a ; 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 77 
 
 little paltry money. If your tongue dries up in your 
 mouth, you'll find nothing but hot wine, not a sip of 
 cool beer. And the dust, gentlemen, the frightful dust. 
 As for the steel in Brescia — it's worthy of all honor. 
 But the feather was stolen from my hat in the tavern, and 
 the landlord devoured onions as if they were white bread. 
 May God punish me if a single piece of honest beef, 
 such as my wife can set before me every day — and we 
 don't live like princes — ever came between my teeth. 
 And the butter, Junker, the butter! We burn oil in 
 lamps, and grease door-hinges with it, when they creak, 
 but the Italians use it to fry chickens and fish. Confound 
 such doings ! " 
 
 " Beware, Captain," cried Wilhelm, *' or I shall take 
 you at your word and you'll be obliged to pay my score 
 for life. Olive-oil is a pure, savory seasoning." 
 
 '^ For a man that likes it. I commend Holland 
 butter. Olive-oil has its value for polishing steel, but 
 butter is the right thing for roasting and frying; so 
 that's enough ! But I beg you to hear me farther. 
 From Lombardy I went to Bologna, and then crossed 
 the Apennines. Sometimes the road ascended, then 
 suddenly plunged downward again, and it's a queer 
 pleasure, which, thank God, we are spared in this country, 
 to sit in the saddle going dow^n a mountain. On the 
 right and left, lofty cliffs tower like walls. Your breath- 
 ing becomes oppressed in the narrow valleys, and if you 
 want to get a distant view — there's nothing to be seen, 
 for everywhere some good-for-nothing mountain thrusts 
 itself directly before your nose. I believe the Lord created 
 those humps for a punishment to men after Adam's fall. 
 On the sixth day of creation the earth was level. It 
 was in August, and when the noon sun was reflected 
 
IjS THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 from the rocks, the heat was enough to kill one ; it's a 
 miracle, that I'm not sitting beside you dried up and 
 baked. The famous blue of the Itahan sky ! Always 
 the same ! We have it here in this country too, but it 
 alternates with beautiful clouds. There are few things 
 in Holland I like better than our clouds. When the 
 rough Apennines at last lay behind me, I reached the 
 renowned city of Florence." 
 
 " And can you deny it your approval?" asked the 
 musician. 
 
 " No, sir, there are many proud, stately palaces and 
 beautiful churches and no lack of silk and velvet every- 
 where, the trade of cloth-weaving too is flourishing; but 
 my health, my health was not good in your Florence, 
 principally on account of the heat, and besides I found 
 many things different from what I expected. In the 
 first place, there's the river Arno ! The stream is a 
 puddle, nothing but a puddle ! Do you know what the 
 water looks like ? Like the pools that stand between 
 the broken fragments and square blocks in a stone- 
 cutter's yard, after a heavy thunder-shower." 
 
 " The score. Captain, the score ! " 
 
 " I mean the yard of a stone-cutter, who does 
 a large business, and pools of tolerable width. Will you 
 still contradict me if I maintain — the Arno is a shallow, 
 narrow stream, just fit to sail a boy's bark-boat. It 
 spreads over a wide surface of grey pebbles, very much 
 as the gold fringe straggles over the top of Junker von 
 Warmond's fencing-glove." 
 
 *' You saw it at the end of a hot summer," replied 
 Wilhelm, '' it's very different in spring." 
 
 " Perhaps so ; but I beg you to remember the 
 Rhine, the Meuse, and our other rivers, even the Marne, 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 1 79 
 
 Drecht and whatever the smaller streams are called. 
 They remam full and bear stately ships at all seasons of 
 the year. Uniform and reliable is the custom of this 
 country; to-day one way, to-morrow another, is the 
 Itahan habit. It's just the same with the blades in the 
 fencing-school." 
 
 " The Italians wield dangerous weapons," said von 
 Warmond. 
 
 " Very true, but they bend to and fro and lack firm- 
 ness. I know what I'm talking about, for I lodged 
 with my colleague Torelli, the best fencing-master in 
 the city. I'll say nothing of the meals he set before 
 me. To-day macaroni, to-morrow macaroni with a 
 couple of chicken drumsticks to boot, and so on. I've 
 often drawn my belt tighter after dinner. As for the art 
 of fencing, Torelli is certainly no bungler, but he too 
 has the skipping fashion in his method. You must keep 
 your eyes open in a passado with him, but if I can once 
 get to my quarte, tierce, and side-thrust, I have him." 
 
 '' An excellent series," said Junker von Warmond. 
 ^' It has been useful to me." 
 
 " I know, I know," replied the captain eagerly. 
 *' You silenced the French brawler with it at Namur. 
 There's the catch in my throat again. Something 
 will happen to-day, gentlemen, something will surely 
 happen." 
 
 The fencing-master grasped the front of his ruff with 
 his left hand and set the glass on the table with his 
 right. He had often done so far more carelessly, but 
 to-day the glass shattered into many fragments. 
 
 '' That's nothing," cried the young nobleman. 
 ** Waiter, another glass for Captain AUertssohn." 
 
 The fencing-master pushed his chair back from the 
 
l8o THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 table, and looking at the broken pieces of greenish glass, 
 said in an altered tone, as if speaking to himself rather 
 than his companions: 
 
 '' Yes, yes, something serious will happen to-day. 
 Shattered into a thousand pieces. As God wills ! I 
 know where my place is." 
 
 Von Warmond filled a fresh glass, saying with a 
 slight shade of reproof in his tone : '' Why, Captain, 
 Captain, what whims are these ? Before the battle of 
 Brill I fell in jumping out of the boat and broke my 
 sword. I soon found another, but the idea came into 
 my head : ' you'll meet your death to-day.' Yet here I 
 sit, and hope to empty many a beaker with you." 
 
 "It has passed already," said the fencing-master, 
 raising his hat and wiping the perspiration from his 
 forehead with the back of his hand. ^' Every one must 
 meet his death-hour, and if mine is approaching to-day 
 — be it as God wills ! My family won't starve. The 
 house on the new Rhine is free from mortgage, and 
 though they don't inherit much else, I shall leave my 
 children an honest name and trustworthy friends. I know 
 you won't lose sight of my second boy, the musician, 
 Wilhelm. Nobody is indispensable, and if Heaven , 
 wishes to call me from this command. Junker von 
 Nordwyk, Jan Van der Does, can fill my place. You, 
 Herr von Warmond, are in just the right spot, and the 
 good cause will reach a successful end even without 
 me." 
 
 The musician listened with surprise to the softened 
 tone of the strange man's voice, but the young nobleman 
 raised his drinking-cup, exclaiming : 
 
 " Such heavy thoughts for a light glass ! You make 
 too much of the matter, Captain. Take your bumper 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. l8l 
 
 again, and pledge me : Long live the noble art of 
 fencing, and your series : quarte, tierce and side-thrust !" 
 
 " They'll live," replied Allertssohn, " ay, they'll live. 
 Many hundreds of noble gentlemen use the sword in 
 this country, and the man who sits here has taught 
 them to wield it according to the rules. My series has 
 served many in duelling, and I, Andreas, their master, 
 have made tierce follow quarte and side-thrust tierce 
 thousands of times, but always with buttons on the foils 
 and against padded doublets. Outside the walls, in 
 the batde-field, no one, often as I have pressed upon 
 the leaders, has ever stood against me in single combat. 
 This Brescian sword-blade has more than once pierced 
 a Spanish jerkin, but the art I teach, gentlemen, the art 
 I love, to which my life has been devoted, I have never 
 practised in earnest. That is hard to bear, gentlemen, 
 and if Heaven is disposed, before calling him away from 
 earth, to grant a poor man, who is no worse than his 
 neighbors, one favor, I shall be permitted to cross blades 
 once in a true, genuine duel, and try my series against an 
 able champion in a mortal struggle. If God would 
 grant Andreas this^ — " 
 
 Before the fencing-master had finished the last sen- 
 tence, an armed man dashed the door open, shouting: 
 
 " The light is raised at Leyderdorp ! " 
 
 At these words Allertssohn sprang from his chair 
 as nimbly as a youth, drew himself up to his full height, 
 adjusted his shoulder-belt and drew down his sash, ex- 
 claiming : 
 
 "To the citadel, Hornist, and sound the call for 
 assembling the troops. To your volunteers, Captain 
 Van Duivenvoorde. Post yourself with four companies 
 at the Hohenort Gate, to be ready to take part, if the 
 
1 82 THE burgomaster's WIFE. | 
 
 battle approaches the city-walls. The gunners must j 
 provide matches. Let the garrisons in the towers be i 
 doubled. Klaas, go to the sexton of St. Pancratius and \ 
 tell him to ring the alarm-bell, to warn the people at | 
 the fair. Your hand, Junker. I know you will be at i 
 your post, and you, Meister Wilhelm." 
 
 " I'll go with you," said the musician resolutely. \ 
 " Don't reject me. I have remained quiet long enough ; \ 
 I shall stifle here." 
 
 Wilhelm's cheeks flushed, and his eyes sparkled : 
 with a lustre so bright and angry, that Junker von War- \ 
 mond looked at his phlegmatic friend in astonishment^ j 
 while the captain called : I 
 
 " Then station yourself in the first company beside j 
 my ensign. You don't look as if you felt hke jesting^ l 
 and the work will be in earnest now, bloody earnest." j 
 
 Allertssohn walked out of doors with a steady step> i 
 addressed his men in a few curt, vigorous words, ordered I 
 the drummers to beat their drums, while marching j 
 through the city, to rouse the people at the fair, j 
 placed himself at the head of his trusty little band, and.; 
 led them towards the new Rhine. \ 
 
 The moon shone brightly down into the quiet streets^ ; 
 was reflected from the black surface of the river, andi 
 surrounded the tall peaked gables of the narrow houses ; 
 with a silvery lustre. The rapid tramp of the soldiers i 
 was echoed loudly back from the houses through the j 
 silence of the night, and the vibration of the air, shaken | 
 by the beating of the drums, made the papes rattle. \ 
 
 This time no merry cliildren with paper flags and j 
 wooden swords preceded the warriors, this time no gay ] 
 girls and proud mothers followed them, not even an old ^ 
 man, who remembered former days, when he himself \ 
 
 \ 
 I 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 183 
 
 bore arms. As the silent troops reached the neighbor^ 
 hood of Allertssohn's house, the clock in the church-^ 
 steeple slowly struck twelve, and directly after the 
 alarm-bell began to sound from the tower of Pancratius. 
 
 A window in the second story of the fencing-master's 
 house was thrown open, and his wife's face appeared. 
 An anxious married life with her strange husband had 
 prematurely aged pretty little Eva's countenance, but 
 the mild moonlight transfigured her faded features. The 
 beat of her husband's drums was familiar to her, and 
 when she saw him at midnight marching past to the 
 horrible call of the alarm-bell, a terrible dread over- 
 powered her and would scarcely allow her to call: 
 *' Husband, husband ! What is the matter, Andreas ? '* 
 
 He did not hear, for the roll of the drums, the 
 tramp of the soldiers' feet on the pavement and the 
 ringing of the alarm-bell drowned her voice ; but he saw 
 her distinctly, and a strange feeling stole over him. Her 
 face, framed in a white kerchief and illumined by the 
 moonhght, seemed to him fairer than he had ever seert 
 it since the days of his wooing, and he felt so youthful 
 and full of chivalrous daring, on his way to the field of 
 danger, that he drew himself up to his full height and 
 marched by, keeping most perfect time to the beat of 
 the drums, as in lover-like fashion he threw her a kiss 
 with his left hand, while waving his sword in the right. 
 
 The beating of drums and waving of banners had 
 banished every gloomy thought from his mind. So he 
 marched on to the Gansort. There stood a cart, the 
 home of travelling traders, who had been roused from 
 sleep by the alarm-bell, and were hastily collecting their 
 goods. An old woman, amid bitter lamentations, was 
 just harnessing a thin horse to the shafts, and from a 
 
184 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 tiny window a child's wailing voice was heard calling, 
 '' mother, mother," and then, '' father, father." 
 
 The fencing-master heard the cry. The smile faded 
 from his lips, and his step grew heavier. Then he 
 turned and shouted a loud '^ Forward " to his men. 
 Wilhelm was marching close behind him and at a sign 
 from the captain approached ; but Allertssohn, quick- 
 ening his pace, seized the musician's arm, saying in a 
 low tone : 
 
 " You'll take the boy to teach ?" 
 
 " Yes, Captain.". 
 
 ^' Good ; you'll be rewarded for it some day," re- : 
 plied the fencing-master, and waving his sword, shouted' 
 *' Liberty to Holland, death to the Spaniard, long live 
 Orange!" 
 
 The soldiers joyously joined in the shout, and 
 marched rapidly with him through the Hohenort Gate 
 into the open country and towards Leyderdorp. 
 
 CHAPTER XVHI. 
 
 Adrian hurried home with his vial, and in his joy at 
 bringing the sick lady relief, forgot her headache and 
 struck the knocker violently against the door. Barbara 
 received him with a by no means flattering greeting, 
 but he was so full of the happiness of possessing the 
 dearly -bought treasure, that he fearlessly interrupted his 
 aunt's reproving words, by exclaiming eagerly^ m the 
 consciousness of his good cause : 
 
 '^ Y^ou'll see ; I have something here for the young 
 lady ; where is mother ?" *» 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 85 
 
 Barbara perceived that the boy was the bearer of 
 some good tidings, which engrossed his whole attention, 
 and the fresh happy face pleased her so much, that she 
 forgot to scold and said smiling : 
 
 " You make me very curious ; what is the need of 
 so much hurry ?" 
 
 ^' I've bought something; is mother up-stairs ?" 
 
 '* Yes, show me what you have bought." 
 
 *' A remedy. Infallible, I tell you ; a remedy for 
 headache." 
 
 " A remedy for headache ?" asked the widow in 
 astonishment. " Who told you that fib ?" 
 
 '* Fib ?" repeated the boy, laughing. " I got it be- 
 low cost." 
 
 *' Show it to me, boy," said Barbara authoritatively, 
 snatching at the vial, but Adrian stepped back, hid the 
 ^edicine behind him, and replied : 
 \J' No, aunt ; I shall take it to mother myself" 
 
 *' Did one ever hear of such a thing !" cried the 
 widow. ^' Donkeys dance on ropes, school-boys dabble 
 in doctor's business ! Show me the thing at once ! We 
 want no quack wares." 
 
 " Quack wares !" replied Adrian eagerly. " It cost 
 all my fair money, and it's good medicine," 
 
 During this litde discussion Doctor Bontius came 
 down-stairs with the burgomaster's wife. He had heard 
 the boy's last words and asked sternly ; 
 
 " Where did you get the stuff?" 
 
 With these words, he seized the hand of the lad, 
 who did not venture to resist the stern man, took the 
 httle vial and printed directions from him and, after 
 Adrian had curtly answered : '' From Doctor Mor- 
 purgo !" continued angrily : 
 
1 86 THE burgomaster's wife. I 
 
 " The brew is good to be thrown away ; only we| 
 must take care not to poison the fishes with it, and thej 
 thing cost half a florin. You're a rich young man,i 
 Meister Adrian ! If you have any superfluous capital i 
 again, you can lend it to me." 
 
 These words spoiled the boy's pleasure, but did not; 
 convince him, and he defiantly turned half away from! 
 the physician. Barbara understood what was passing! 
 in his mind, and whispered compassionately to the doc-j 
 tor and her sister-in-law : 1 
 
 " All his fair money to help the young lady." 
 
 Maria instantly approached the disappointed child,; 
 drew his curly head towards her and silently kissed his! 
 forehead, while the doctor read the printed label, thenj 
 without moving a muscle, said as gravely as ever : 
 
 ^' Morpurgo isn't the worst of quacks, the remedy hej 
 prescribes here may do the young lady good after all." ] 
 
 Adrian had been nearer crying than laughing. Now' 
 he uttered a sigh of relief, but still clasped Maria's handj 
 firmly, as he again turned his face towards the doctor,^ 
 Hstening intendy while the latter continued : ^ 
 
 "Two parts buckbeans, one part pepper-wort, and 
 half a part valerian. The latter specially for women.; 
 Let it steep in boiling water and drink a cupful cold| 
 every morning and evening ! Not bad — really not bad J 
 You have found a good remedy, my w^orthy colleagueJ 
 I had something else to say to you, Adrian. My boy^ 
 are going to the English riders this evening, and would^ 
 be glad to have you accompany them. You can begii^ 
 with the decoction to-day." j 
 
 The physician bowed to the ladies and went on;- 
 Barbara followed him into the street, asking : ^ 
 
 "Are you in earnest about the prescription?" ; 
 
 I 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 1 87 
 
 ''Of course, of course," replied the doctor, "my 
 grandmother used this remedy for headache, and she 
 was a sensible woman. Evening and morning, and the 
 proper amount of sleep." ' 
 
 Henrica occupied a pretty, tastefully-furnished room. 
 The windows looked out upon the quiet court-yard, 
 planted with trees, adjoining the chamois-leather work- 
 shops. She was allowed to sit up part of the day in a 
 cushioned arm-chair, supported by pillows. Her healthy 
 constitution was rapidly rallying. True, she was still 
 weak, and the headache spoiled whole days and nights. 
 Maria's gentle and thoughtful nature exerted a beneficial 
 influence upon her, and she cheerfully welcomed Bar- 
 bara, with her fresh face and simple, careful, helpful ways. 
 
 When Maria told her about the purchase Adrian 
 had made for her, she was moved to tears ; but to the 
 boy she concealed her grateful emotion under jesting 
 words, and greeted him with the exclamation : 
 
 " Come nearer, my preserver, and give me your 
 hand." 
 
 Afterwards, she always called him '' my preserver " 
 or, as she liked to mingle ItaHan words with her Dutch, 
 *' Salvatore " or " Signor Salvatore." She was particu- 
 larly fond of giving the people, with whom she 
 associated, names of her own, and so called Barbara, 
 whose Christian name she thought frightful, " Babetta," 
 and little slender, pretty Bessie, whose company she 
 specially enjoyed, '' the elf" The burgomaster's wife 
 only remained *' Frau Maria," and when the latter once 
 jestingly asked the cause of such neglect, Henrica 
 rephed that She suited her name and her name her; had 
 she been called Martha, she would probably have named 
 her '' Maria." 
 
 S. 
 
1 88 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 The invalid had passed a pleasant, painless day, and 
 when towards evening Adrian went to see the EngHshJ 
 riders and the fragrance of the blooming lindens and ! 
 the moonlight found their way through the open 
 windows of her room, she begged Barbara not to bring; 
 a light, and invited Maria to sit down and talk with^ 
 her. I 
 
 From Adrian and Bessie the conversation turned! 
 upon their own childhood. Henrica had grown up 
 among her father's boon companions, amid the clinking j 
 of glasses and hunting-shouts, Maria in a grave burgher i 
 household, and what they told each other seemed like^ 
 tidings from a strange world. ' | 
 
 " It was easy for you to become the tall, white lily^^ 
 you are now," said Henrica, "but I must thank the saints, | 
 that I came off as well as I did, for we really grew up - 
 like weeds, and if I hadn't had a taste for singing j 
 and the family priest hadn't been such an admirable j 
 musician,! might stand before you in a still worse guise. \ 
 When will the doctor let me hear you sing ?" j 
 
 " Next week ; but you musn't expect too much. | 
 You have too high an opinion of me. Remember the ^ 
 proverb about still waters. Here in the depths it often \ 
 looks far less peaceful, than you probably suppose." 
 
 " But you have learned to keep the surface calm 1 
 when it storms ; I haven't. A strange stillness has i 
 stolen over me here. Whether I owe it to illness or to the \ 
 atmosphere that pervades this house, I can't tell , but \ 
 how long will it last ? My soul used to he like the sea, i 
 when the hissing waves plunge mto black gulfs, ihe sea- i 
 gulls scream, and the fishermen's wives^pray on the ■ 
 shore. Now the sea is calm. Don't be too much j 
 frightened, if it begms to rage again." ! 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 189 
 
 At these words Maria clasped the excited girl's 
 ; hands, saying beseechingly : 
 
 ' " Be quiet, be quiet, Henrica. You must think only 
 of your recovery now. And shall I confess something ? 
 I believe everything hard can be more easily borne, if 
 we can cast it impatiently forth like the sea of which 
 you speak ; with me one thing is piled on another and 
 remains lying there, as if buried under the sand." 
 
 '' Until the hurricane comes, that sweeps it away. I 
 don't want to be an evil prophet, but you surely re- 
 member these words. What a wild, careless thing I 
 was ! Then a day came, that made a complete revo- 
 lution in my whole nature." 
 
 " Did a false love wound you ? " asked Maria 
 modestly. 
 
 " No, except the false love of another," replied Hen-. 
 rica bitterly. "When I was a child this fluttering heart 
 often throbbed more quickly, I don't know how often. 
 First I felt something more than reverence for the one- 
 eyed chaplain, our music-teacher, and every morning 
 placed fresh flowers on his window, which he never 
 noticed. Then — I was probably fifteen — I returned the 
 ardent glances of Count Brederode's pretty page. Once 
 he tried to be tender, and received a blow from my 
 riding-whip. Next came a handsome young nobleman, 
 who wanted to marry me when I was barely sixteen, but 
 he was even more heavily in debt than my father, so he 
 was sent home. I shed no tears for him, and when, two 
 months after, at a tournament in Brussels, I saw Don 
 Frederic, the son of the great Duke of Alva, fancied 
 myself as much in love with him as ever any lady wor- 
 shipped her Amadis, though the affair never went be- 
 yond looks. Then the storm, of which I have already 
 
IQO THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 spoken, burst, and that put an end to love-making. I 
 will tell you more about this at some future time ; I need : 
 not conceal it, for it has been no secret. Have you 
 
 ever heard of my sister ? No ? • She was older than I, ' 
 a creature — God never created anything more perfect. 
 
 And her singing ! She came to my dead aunt's, and j 
 
 there — But I won't excite myself uselessly — in short, 3 
 
 the man whom she loved with all the strength of her ; 
 
 heart thrust her into misery, and my father cursed and ; 
 
 would not stretch out a finger to aid her. I never knew ] 
 
 my mother, but through Anna I never missed her. My i 
 
 sister's fate opened my eyes to men. During the last ■ 
 
 few years many have wanted me, but I lacked confi- ' 
 
 dence and, still more, love, for I shall never have \ 
 
 anything to do with that." \ 
 
 " Until it finds you," replied Maria. " It was wrong i 
 
 to speak of such things with you, it excites you, and that i 
 
 is bad." j 
 
 " Never mind ; it will do me good to relieve my ] 
 
 heart. Did you love no one before your husband ?" j 
 
 " Love ? No, Henrica, I never really loved any \ 
 
 one except him." ; 
 
 " And your heart waited for the burgomaster, ere it j 
 
 beat faster ?" ; 
 
 "No, it had not always remained quiet before; I ' 
 
 grew up among social people, old and young, and of \ 
 
 course liked some better than others." j 
 
 " And surely one best of all." j 
 
 "I won't deny it. At my sister's wedding, my ; 
 
 brother-in-law's friend, a young nobleman, came from \ 
 
 Germany and remained several weeks with us. I liked ; 
 
 him, and remember him kindly even now." \ 
 
 " Have you never heard from him again ?" .' 
 
 ■i 
 i 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 191 
 
 " No ; who knows what has become of him. My 
 brother-in-law expected great things from him, and he 
 I possessed many rare gifts, but was reckless, fool-hardy, 
 and a source of constant anxiety to his mother." 
 
 ^' You must tell me more about him." 
 
 '^ What is the use, Henrica ?" 
 
 " I don't want to talk any more, but I should like 
 to lie still, inhale the fragrance of the lindens, and listen, 
 only listen." 
 
 " No, you must go to bed now. I'll help you un- 
 dress and, when you have been alone an hour, come 
 back again." 
 
 *' One learns obedience in your house, but when my 
 preserver comes home, bring him here. He must tell 
 me about the English riders. There comes Frau Babetta 
 with his decoction. You shall see that I take it 
 punctually." 
 
 The boy returned home late, for he had enjoyed all 
 the glories of the fair with the doctor's children. He 
 was permitted to pay only a short visit to Henrica, and 
 did not see his father at all, the latter having gone to a 
 night council at Herr Van Bronkhorst's. 
 
 The next morning the fair holidays were to end, 
 school would begin and Adrian had intended to finish 
 his tasks this evening; but the visit to the English riders 
 had interfered, and he could not possibly appear before 
 the rector without his exercise. He frankly told Maria 
 so, and she cleared a place for him at the table where 
 she was sewing, and helped the young scholar with 
 many a word and rule she had learned with her dead 
 brother. 
 
 When it lacked only half an hour of midnight, 
 Barbara entered, saying : 
 
192 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 \ 
 
 '' That's enough now. You can finish the rest earl; 
 to-morrow morning before school." 
 
 Without waiting for Maria's reply, she closed the' 
 boy's books and pushed them together. \ 
 
 While thus occupied, the room shook with rude J 
 blows on the door of the house. Maria threw down] 
 her sewing and started from her seat, while Barbara = 
 exclaimed : ■. 
 
 " For Heaven's sake, what is it ?" Adrian rushed ^ 
 into his father's room and opened the window. \ 
 
 The ladies had hurried after him, and before they j 
 could question the disturber of the peace, a deep voice | 
 called : 
 
 " Open, I must come in." 
 
 " What is it ?" asked Barbara, who recognized a ' 
 soldier in the moonlight. *' We can't hear our own ] 
 voices; stop that knocking." i 
 
 " Call the burgomaster 1" shouted the messenger, i 
 who had been constantly using the knocker. '' Quick, ! 
 woman ; the Spaniards are coming." 
 
 Barbara shrieked aloud and beat her hands. Maria \ 
 turned pale, but without losing her composure, replied : i 
 
 " The burgomaster is not at home, but I'll send for i 
 him. Quick, Adrian, call your father." 
 
 The boy rushed down-stairs, meeting in the entry ' 
 the man-servant and Trautchen, who had jumped hastily * 
 out of bed, throwing on an under-petticoat, and was ; 
 now trying, with trembling hands, to unlock the door. ; 
 The man pushed her aside, and as soon as the door i 
 creaked on its hinges, Adrian darted out and ran, as if I 
 in a race, down the street to the commissioner's. Arriv- \ 
 ing before any other messenger, he pressed through the j 
 open door into the dmmg-hall and called breathlessly ! 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 1 93 
 
 to the men, who were holding a council over their 
 wine: 
 
 *^ The Spaniards are here ! " 
 
 The gentlemen hastily rose from their seats. One 
 wanted to rush to the citadel, another to the town-hall 
 and, in the excitement of the moment, no sensible 
 reflection was made. Peter Van der Werfif alone main- 
 tained his composure and, after Allertssohn's messenger 
 had appeared and reported that the captain and his men 
 were on the way to Leyderdorp, the burgomaster 
 pointed out that the leaders' care should now be de- 
 voted to the people who had come to the fair. He and 
 Van Hout undertook to provide for them, and Adrian 
 was soon standing with his father and the city clerk 
 among the crowds of people, who had been roused 
 from sleep by the wailing iron voice from the Tower of 
 Pancratius. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Adrian's activity for this night was not yet over, for 
 his father did not prevent his accompanying him to the 
 town-hall. There he directed him to tell his mother, 
 that he should be busy until morning and the servant 
 might send all persons, who desired to speak to him 
 after one o'clock, to the timber-market on the Rhine. 
 Maria sent the boy back to the town-hall, to ask his 
 father if he did not want his cloak, wine, a lunch or 
 anything of the sort. 
 
 The boy fulfilled this commission with great zeal, 
 for he never had felt so important as while forcing his 
 13 
 
194 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ] 
 
 i 
 
 way through the crowds that had gathered in the nar- \ 
 rower streets; he had a duty to perform, and at night,] 
 the time when other boys were asleep, especially his; 
 school-mates, who certainly would not be allowed toj 
 leave the house now. Besides, an eventful period, full ; 
 of the beating of drums, the blare of trumpets, the rattle ; 
 of musketry and roar of cannon might be expected. It j 
 seemed as if the game '' Holland against Spain" was to| 
 be continued in earnest, and on a grand scale. All thej 
 vivacity of his years seized upon him, and when he had^ 
 forced a way with his elbows to less crowded places, he] 
 dashed hurriedly along, shouting as merrily as if spread- ; 
 ing some joyful news in the darkness : ^ 
 
 " They are coming!" "the Spaniards!" or '''Hannibali 
 ante portasT , \ 
 
 After learning on his return to the town-hall, that hisj 
 father wanted nothing and would send a constable if' 
 there was need of anything, he considered his errand i 
 done and felt entitled to satisfy his curiosity. i 
 
 This drew him first to the English riders. The tentj 
 where they had given their performances had dis-j 
 appeared from the earth, and screaming men and! 
 women were rolling up large pieces of canvas, fastening; 
 packs, and swearing while they harnessed horses. The ; 
 gloomy light of torches mingled with the moonbeams ; 
 and showed him on the narrow steps, that led to a large j 
 four-wheeled cart, a little girl in shabby clothes, weeping j 
 bitterly. Could this be the rosy-cheeked angel who,] 
 floating along on the snow-white pony, had seemed to j 
 him like a happy creature from more beautiful worlds ? \ 
 A scolding old woman now lifted the child into the cart, ; 
 but he followed the crowd and saw Doctor Morpurgo, \ 
 no longer clad in scarlet, but in plain dark cloth, | 
 
THE BURGOMASTER^S WIFE. I95 
 
 mounted on a lean horse, riding beside his cart. The 
 negro was furiously urging the mule forward, but his 
 master seemed to have remained in full possession of 
 the calmness peculiar to him. His wares were of 
 small value, and the Spaniards had no reason to take 
 his head and tongue, by which he gained more than he 
 needed. 
 
 Adrian followed him to the long row of booths in 
 the wide street, and there saw things, which put an end 
 to his thoughtlessness and made him reahze, that the 
 point in question now concerned serious, heart-rending 
 matters. He had still been able to laugh as he saw the 
 ginger-bread bakers and cotton-sellers fighting hand to 
 hand, because in the first fright they had tossed their 
 packages of wares hap-hazard into each other's open 
 chests, and were now unable to separate their property ; 
 but he felt sincerely sorry for the Delft crockery-dealer 
 on the corner, whose light booth had been demolished 
 by a large wagon from Gouda, loaded with bales, and 
 who now stood beside her broken wares, by means of 
 which she supported herself and children, wringing her 
 hands, while the driver, taking no notice of her, urged 
 on his horses with loud cracks of his whip. A little 
 girl, who had lost her parents and was being carried 
 away by a compassionate burgher woman, was weeping 
 piteously. A poor rope-dancer, who had been robbed 
 by a thief in the crowd, of the little tin box containing 
 the pennies he had collected, was running about, 
 wringing his hands and looking for the watchman. A 
 shoemaker was pounding riding-boots and women's 
 shoes in motley confusion into a wooden chest with rope 
 handles, while his wife, instead of helping him, tore her 
 hair and shrieked : " I told you so, you fool, you 
 13* 
 
196 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 simpleton, you blockhead ! They'll come and rob us 
 of everything." 
 
 At the entrance of the street that led past the Assen- 
 delft house to the Leibfrau Bridge, several loaded 
 wagons had become entangled, and the drivers, instead 
 of getting down and procuring help, struck at each 
 other in their terror, hitting the women and children 
 seated among the bales. Their cries and shrieks echoed 
 a long distance, but were destined to be drowned, for a 
 dancing-bear had broken loose and was putting every 
 one near him to flight. The people, who were fright- 
 ened by the beast, rushed down the street, screaming 
 and yelling, dragging with them others who did not 
 know the cause of the alarm, and misled by the most 
 imminent fear, roared: *'The Spaniards! The Span- 
 iards ! " Whatever came in the way of the terrified 
 throngs was overthrown. A sieve-dealer's child, stand- 
 ing beside its father's upset cart, fell beneath the mob 
 close beside Adrian, who had stationed himself in the 
 door-way of a house. But the lad was crowded so 
 closely into his hiding-place, that he could not spring to 
 the little one's aid, and his attention was attracted to a 
 new sight, as Janus Dousa appeared on horseback. In 
 answer to the cry of " The Spaniards ! The Spaniards ! " 
 he shouted loudly : ^' Quiet, people, quiet ! The enemy 
 hasn't come yet ! To the Rhine ! Vessels are waiting 
 there for all strangers. To the Rhine 1 There are no 
 Spaniards there, do you hear, no Spaniards ! " 
 
 The nobleman stopped just before Adrian, for his 
 horse could go no farther and stood snorting and trem- 
 bling under his rider. The advice bore httle fruit, and 
 not until hundreds had rushed past him, did the 
 frightened crowd diminish. The bear, from which they 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 197 
 
 fled, had been caught by a brewer's apprentice and 
 taken back to its owner long before. The city con- 
 stables now appeared, led by Adrian's father, and the 
 boy followed them unobserved to the timber-market on 
 the southern bank of the Rhine. There another crowd 
 met him, for many dealers had hurried thither to save 
 their property in the ships. Men and women pressed 
 past bales and wares, that were being rolled down the 
 narrow wooden bridges to the vessels. A woman, a 
 child, and a rope-maker's cart had been pushed into 
 the water, and the wildest confusion prevailed around 
 the spot. But the burgomaster reached the place just 
 at the right time, gave directions for rescuing the drown- 
 ing people, and then made every exertion to bring order 
 out of the confusion. 
 
 The constables were commanded to admit fugitives 
 only on board the vessels bound for the places where 
 they belonged; two planks were laid to every ship, one 
 for goods, the other for passengers ; the constables 
 loudly shouted that — as the law directed when the 
 alarm-bell rang — all citizens of Ley den must enter their 
 houses and the streets be cleared, on pain of a heavy 
 penalty. All the city gates were opened for the passage 
 of wheeled vehicles, except the Hohenort Gate, 
 which led to Leyderdorp, where egress was refused. 
 Thus the crowd in the streets was lessened, order 
 appeared amid the tumult, and when, in the dawn of 
 morning, Adrian turned his steps towards home, there 
 was little more bustle in the streets than on ordinary 
 nights. 
 
 His mother and Barbara had been anxious, but he 
 told them about his father and m what manner he had 
 put a stop to the confusion. 
 
198 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 While talking, the rattle of musketry was heard in 
 the distance, awaking such excitement in Adrian's mind, 
 that he wanted to rush out again; but his mother 
 stopped him and he was obhged to mount the stairs to 
 his room. He did not go to sleep, but climbed to the 
 upper loft in the gable of the rear building and gazed 
 through the window, to which the bales of leather were 
 raised by pulleys, towards the east, from whence the 
 sound of firing was still audible. But he saw nothing 
 except the dawn and light clouds of smoke, that 
 assumed a rosy hue as they floated upward. As nothing 
 new appeared, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep beside 
 the open window where he dreamed of a bloody battle 
 and the English riders. His slumber was so sound, that 
 he did not hear the rumble of wheels in the quiet court- 
 yard below him. The carts from which the noise pro- 
 ceeded belonged to traders from neighboring cities, who 
 preferred to leave their goods in the threatened town, 
 rather than carry them towards the advancing Spaniards. 
 Meister Peter had allowed some of them to store their 
 property with him. The carts were obliged to pass 
 through the back-building with the workshops, and the 
 goods liable to be injured by the weather, were to be 
 placed in the course of the day in the large garrets 
 of his house. 
 
 The burgomaster's wife had gone to Henrica at mid- 
 night to soothe her fears, but the sick girl seemed free 
 from all anxiety, and when she heard that the Spaniards 
 were on the march, her eyes sparkled joyously. Maria 
 noticed it and turned away from her guest, but she 
 repressed the harsh words that sprang to her lips, wished 
 her good-night, and left the chamber. 
 
 Henrica gazed thoughtfully after her and then rose. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. I99 
 
 for no sleep was possible that night. The alarm-bell in 
 the Tower of Pancratius rang incessantly, and more 
 than once doors opened, voices and shots were heard. 
 Many tones and noises, whose origin and nature she 
 could not understand, reached her ears, and when 
 morning dawned, the court-yard under her windows, 
 usually so quiet, was full of busde. Carts ratded, loud 
 tones mingled excitedly, and a deep masculine voice 
 seemed to be directing what was going on. Her 
 curiosity and restlessness increased every moment. She 
 listened so intently that her head began to ache 
 again, but could hear only separate words and those 
 very indistinctly. Had the city been surrendered to the 
 Spaniards, had King Philip's soldiers found quarters in 
 the burgomaster's house ? Her blood boiled indignantly, 
 when she thought of the Castilians' triumph and the 
 humiHation of her native land, but soon her former 
 joyous excitement again filled her mind, as she beheld 
 in imagination art re-enter the bare walls of the Leyden 
 churches, now robbed of all their ornaments, chanting 
 processions move through the streets, and priests in rich 
 robes celebrating mass in the newly-decorated taber- 
 nacles, amid beautiful music, the odor of incense, and 
 the ringing of bells. She expected to receive from 
 the Spaniards a place where she could pray and free 
 her soul by confession. Amid her former surroundings 
 nothing had afforded her any support, except her religion. 
 A worthy priest, who was also her instructor, had zeal- 
 ously striven to prove to her, that the new religion 
 threatened to destroy the mystical consecration of life, 
 the yearning for the beautiful, every ideal emotion of 
 the human soul, and with them art also; so Henrica 
 preferred to see her native land Spanish and Catholic, 
 
200 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 rather than free from the foreigners whom she hated 
 and Calvinistical. 
 
 The court-yard gradually became less noisy, but 
 when the first rays of morning light streamed into her 
 windows, the bustle again commenced and grew louder. 
 Heavy soles tramped upon the pavement, and amid the 
 voices that now mingled with those she had formerly 
 heard, she fancied she distinguished Maria's and Bar- 
 bara's. Yes, she was not mistaken. That cry of terror 
 must proceed from her friend's mouth, and was followed 
 by exclamations of grief from bearded lips and loud 
 sobs. 
 
 Evil tidings must have reached her host's house, and 
 the woman weeping so impetuously below was probably 
 kind " Babetta." 
 
 Anxiety drove her from her bed. On the little table 
 beside it, amid several bottles and glasses, the lamp and 
 the box of matches, stood the tiny bell, at whose faint 
 sound one of her nurses invariably hastened in. Hen- 
 rica rang it three times, then again and again, but 
 nobody appeared. Then her hot blood boiled, and 
 half from impatience and vexation, half from curiosity 
 and sympathy, she slipped into her shoes, threw on a 
 morning dress, went to the chair which stood on the 
 platform in the niche, opened the window, and looked 
 down at the groups gathered below. 
 
 No one noticed her, for the men who stood there 
 sorrowing, and the weeping women, among whom were 
 Maria and Barbara, were listening with many tokens of 
 sympathy to the eager words of a young man, and had 
 eyes and ears for him alone. Henrica recognized in the 
 speaker the musician Wilhelm, but only by his voice, 
 for the morion on his curls and the blood-stained coat 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 201 
 
 of mail gave the unassuming artist a martial, nay heroic 
 air. 
 
 He had advanced a long way in his story, when 
 Henrica unseen became a hstener. 
 
 "Yes, sir," he repHed, in answer to a question from 
 the burgomaster, "we followed them, but they disap- 
 peared in the village and all remained still. To risk 
 storming the houses, would have been madness. So we 
 kept quiet, but towards two o'clock heard firing in the 
 neighborhood of Leyderdorp. * Junker von Warmond 
 has made a sally,' said the captain, leading us in the 
 direction of the firing. This was what the Spaniards 
 had wanted, for long before we reached the goal, a com- 
 pany of CastiHans, with white sheets over their armor, 
 chmbed out of a ditch in the dim light, threw themselves 
 on their knees, murmured a ^ Pater-noster,' shouted their 
 San J ago and pressed forward upon us. We had seen 
 them in time for the halberdiers to extend their pikes, , 
 and the musketeers to lie down amid the grass. So the 
 Spaniards had a warm reception, and four of them fell 
 in this attack. We were superior in numbers, and their 
 .captain led them back to the ditch in good order. There 
 they halted, for their duty was probably to detain us and 
 then have us cut down by a larger body. We were too 
 vveak to drive them from their position, but when the 
 east began to brighten and they still did not come for- 
 ward, the captain advanced towards them with the 
 drummer, bearing a white flag, and shouted to them in 
 Italian, which he had learned to speak a little in Italy, 
 that he wished the Castilian gentlemen good-morning, 
 and if there was any officer with a sense of honor among 
 them, let him come forth and meet a captain who wished 
 to cross swords with him. He pledged his word, that 
 
202 THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 his men would look on at the duel without taking any i 
 share in it, no matter what the result might be. Just at \ 
 that moment two shots were fired fi'om the ditch and the \ 
 bullets whizzed close by the poor captain. We called \ 
 to him to save his life, but he did not stir, and shouted ■ 
 that they were cowards and assassins, like their king. ; 
 
 " Meantime it had grown tolerably light — we heard \ 
 them calling to and fro from the ditch, and just as \ 
 Allertssohn was turning away, an officer sprang into the | 
 meadow, exclaiming: * Stand, braggart, and draw your i 
 blade.' \ 
 
 ^'The captain drew his Brescian sword, bowed to his ; 
 enemy as if he were in the fencing-school, bent the steel • 
 and closed with the Castilian. The latter was a thin j 
 man of stately figure and aristocratic bearing, and as it j 
 soon appeared, a dangerous foe. He circled like a whirl- j 
 wind, round the captain with bounds, thrusts and feints, ; 
 but Allertssohn maintained his composure, and at first i 
 confined himself to skilful parrying. Then he dealt a J 
 magnificent quarte, and when the other parried it, ! 
 followed with the tierce, and this being warded ofi", gave i 
 with the speed of Hghtning a side-thrust such as only : 
 he can deal. The Castilian fell on his knees, for the 
 Brescian blade had pierced his lungs. His death was. 
 speedy. \ 
 
 " As soon as he lay on the turf, the Spaniards again ■ 
 rushed upon us, but we repulsed them and took the ' 
 officer's body in our midst. Never have I seen the i 
 captain so proud and happy. You, Junker von War- ; 
 mond, can easily guess the cause. He had now done | 
 honor to his series in a genuine duel against an enemy \ 
 of equal rank, and told me this was the happiest mom- i 
 ing of his life. Then he ordered us to march round the 1 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 203 
 
 ditch and attack the enemy on the flank. But scarcely- 
 had we begun to move, when the expected troops from 
 Leyderddrp pressed forward, their loud San Jago re- 
 sounding far and wide, while at the same time the old 
 enemy rose from the ditch and attacked us. Allertssohn 
 rushed forward, but did not reach them — oh, gentle- 
 men ! I shall never forgetr it, a bullet struck him down 
 at my side. It probably pierced his heart, for he said 
 nothing but : * Remember the boy !' stretched out his 
 powerful frame and died. We wanted to bear his body 
 away with us, but were pressed by superior numbers, 
 and it was hard enough to come within range of Junker 
 von Warmond's volunteers. The Spaniards did not 
 venture so far. Here we are. The Castilian's body is 
 lying in the tower at the Hohenort Gate. These are 
 the papers we found in the dead man's doublet, and 
 this is his ring ; he has a proud escutcheon." 
 
 Peter Van der Werff took the dead man's letter-case 
 in his hand, looked through it and said : " His name 
 was Don Luis d'Avila." 
 
 He said no more, for his wife had seen Henrica's 
 head stretched far out of the window, and cried loudly 
 in terror : " Fraulein, for Heaven's sake, Fraulein — 
 what are you doing ?" 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 The burgomaster's wife had been anxious about 
 Henrica, but the latter greeted her with special cheerful- 
 ness and met her gentle reproaches with the assurance 
 that this morning had done her good. Fate, she said, 
 
204 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. ' 
 
 was just, and if it were true that confidence of recovery 5 
 helped the physician, Doctor Bontius would have an easy i 
 task with her. The dead Castilian must be the wretch, ■ 
 who had plunged her sister Anna into misery. Maria, j 
 surprised, but entirely relieved, left her and sought her ] 
 husband to tell him how she had found the invalid, and i 
 in what relation the Spanish officer, slain by Allertssohn, j 
 seemed to have stood to Henrica and her sister. Peter ] 
 only Imlf listened to her, and when Barbara brought him '[ 
 a freshly-ironed ruff, interrupted his wife in the middle of ' 
 her story, gave her the dead man's letter-case, and said : i 
 
 "There, let her satisfy herself, and bring it to me \ 
 again in the evening, I shall hardly be able to come to i 
 dinner; I suppose you'll see poor AUertssohn's widow j 
 in the course of the day." j 
 
 "Certainly," she answered eagerly. "Whom will | 
 you appoint in his place ?" ; 
 
 "That is for the Prince to decide." ^ 
 
 " Have you thought of any means of keeping the 1 
 communication with Delft free from the enemy?" 
 
 "On your mother's account?" \ 
 
 " Not solely. Rotterdam also lies to the south. We I 
 can expect nothing from Haarlem and Amsterdam, that .- 
 is, from the north, for everything there is in the hands of ; 
 the Spaniards." : 
 
 " I'll get you a place in the council of war. Where ; 
 do you learn your wisdom ?" 
 
 " We have our thoughts, and isn't it natural that I I 
 should rather follow you into the future with my eyes \ 
 open, than blindly? Has the English troop been used ; 
 to secure the fortifications on the old canal? Kaak too ; 
 is an important point." | 
 
 Peter gazed at his wife in amazement, and the sense ; 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 205 
 
 of discomfort experienced by an unskilful writer, when 
 some one looks over his shoulder, stole over him. She 
 had pointed out a bad, momentous error, which, it is 
 true, did not burden him alone, and as he certainly did 
 not wish to defend it to her, and moreover might have 
 found justification difficult, he made no reply, saying 
 nothing but: "Men's affairs! Good-bye until evening." 
 With these words he walked past Barbara, towards the 
 door. 
 
 Maria did not know how it happened, but before he 
 laid his hand on the latch she gained sufficient self-com- 
 mand to call after him : 
 
 " Are you going so, Peter ! Is that right ? What 
 did you promise me on your return from the journey to 
 the Prince ?" 
 
 " I know, I know," he answered impatiently. " We 
 cannot serve two masters, and in these times I beg you 
 not to trouble me with questions and matters that don't 
 concern you. To direct the business of the city is my 
 affair; you have your invalid, the children, the poor; let 
 that suffice." 
 
 Without waiting for her reply he left the room, while 
 she stood motionless, gazing after him. 
 
 Barbara watched her anxiously for several minutes, 
 then busied herself with the papers on her brother's 
 writing-table, saying as if to herself, though turning 
 slightly towards her sister-in-law : 
 
 " Evil times ! Let every one, who is not oppressed 
 with such burdens as Peter, thank the Lord. He has 
 to bear the responsibility of everything, and people 
 can't dance lightly with hundred-pound weights on 
 their legs. Nobody has a better heart, and nobody 
 means more honestly. How the traders at the fair 
 
206 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 I 
 
 praised his caution ! In the storm people know the 
 pilot, and Peter was always greatest, when things were ' 
 going worst. He knows what he is undertaking, but '. 
 the last few weeks have aged him years." . \ 
 
 Maria nodded. Barbara left the room, but returning i 
 after a few minutes, said beseechingly : ] 
 
 " You look ill, child, come and lie down. An hour's j 
 sleep is better than three meals. At your age, such a ; 
 night as this last one doesn't pass without leaving traces. | 
 The sun is shining so brightly, that I've" drawn your^ 
 window-curtains. I've made your bed, too. Be sensible ■ 
 and come." ; 
 
 While uttering the last words, she took Maria's hand | 
 and drew her away. The young wife made no resist- \ 
 ance, and though her eyes did not remain dry when she i 
 was alone, sleep soon overpowered her. | 
 
 Towards noon, refreshed by slumber, and newly ! 
 dressed, she went to the captain's house. Her own \ 
 heart was heavy, and compassion for herself and her ] 
 own fate again had the mastery. Eva Peterstochter, | 
 the fencing-master's widow, a quiet, modest woman, | 
 whom she scarcely knew by sight, did not appear. She 
 was sitting alone in her room, weeping, but Maria found 
 in her house the musician, Wilhelm, who had spoken 
 comforting words to his old friend's son, and promised ^ 
 to take charge of him and make him a good performer. ; 
 
 The burgomaster's wife sent a message to the widow, j 
 begging to see her the next day, and then went out into j 
 the street with Wilhelm. Everywhere groups of citizens, I 
 women, and journeymen were standing together, talking \ 
 about what had happened and the coming trouble. ; 
 While Maria was telling the musician who the deadj 
 Castilian was, and that Henrica desired to speak^^vith 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 207 
 
 him, Wilhelm, as soon as possible, she was interrupted 
 more than once; for sometimes a company of volunteers 
 or city guards, relieved from duty in the towers and on 
 the walls, sometimes a cannon barred their way. Was it 
 the anticipation of coming events, or the beat of drums 
 and blare of trumpets, which so excited her companion, 
 that he often pressed his hand to his forehead and she 
 was obHged to request him to slacken his pace. There 
 was a strange, constrained tone in his voice as, in ac- 
 cordance with her request, he told her that the 
 Spaniards had come by ship up the Amstel, the Drecht, 
 and the Brasem See to the Rhine and landed at Ley- 
 derdorp. 
 
 A mounted messenger wearing the Prince's colors, 
 and followed not only by children, but by grown persons, 
 who ran after him eager to reach the town-hall at the 
 same time, interrupted Wilhelm, and as soon as the 
 crowd had passed, the burgomaster's wife asked her 
 companion one question after another. The noise of 
 war, the firing audible in the distance, the gay military 
 costumes everywhere to be seen in place of the darker 
 citizens' dress, also aroused her eager interest, and what 
 she learned from Wilhelm was little calculated to 
 diminish it. The main body of the Spanish troops was 
 on the way to the Hague. The environment of the 
 city had commenced, but the enemy could hardly suc- 
 ceed in his purpose; for the English auxiHaries, who 
 were to defend the new fortifications of Valkenburg, the 
 village of Alfen, and the Gouda sluice might be trusted. 
 Wilhelm had seen the British soldiers, their commander. 
 Colonel Chester, and Captain Gensfort, and praised their 
 superb equipments and stately bearing. 
 
 ^n reaching her own house, Maria attempted to 
 
208 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 1 
 
 take leave of her companion, but the latter earnestly ' 
 entreated permission to have an interview with Henrica ^ 
 at once, and could scarcely be convinced that he must l 
 have patience until the doctor had given his consent. I 
 
 At dinner Adrian, who when his father was not ■ 
 present, talked freely enough, related all sorts of things i 
 he had seen himself, as well as news and rumors heard i 
 at school and in the street, his eloquence being no little 
 encouraged by his step-mother's eager questions. ] 
 
 Intense anxiety had taken possession of the burgo- j 
 master's wife. Her enthusiasm for the cause of liberty, H 
 to which her most beloved relatives had fallen victims, J 
 blazed brightly, and wrath against the oppressors of her ^ 
 native land seethed passionately in her breast. The j 
 delicate, maidenly, reserved woman, who was utterly i 
 incapable of any loud or rude expression of feeling in '\ 
 ordinary life, would now have rushed to the walls, like 1 
 Kanau Hasselaer of Haarlem, to fight the foe among i 
 the men. ! 
 
 Offended pride, and everything that an hour ago ■ 
 had oppressed her heart, yielded to sympathy for her j 
 country's cause. Animated with fresh courage, she went | 
 to Henrica and, as evening had closed in, sat down by ; 
 the lamp to write to her mother ; for she had neglected ; 
 to do so since the invahd's arrival, and communication . 
 with Delft might soon be interrupted. : 
 
 When she read over the completed letter, she was • 
 satisfied with it and herself, for it breathed firm con- \ 
 fidence in the victory of the good cause, and also 5 
 distinctly and unconstrainedly expressed her cheerful ; 
 willingness to bear the worst. \ 
 
 Barbara had retired when Peter at last appeared, so j 
 weary that he could scarcely touch the meal that had I 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 209 
 
 been kept ready for him. While raising the food to his 
 lips, he confirmed the news Maria had already heard from 
 the musician, and was gentle and kind, but his appear- 
 ance saddened her, for it recalled Barbara's allusion to 
 the heavy burden he had assumed. To-day, for the first 
 time, she noticed two deep lines that anxiety had fur- 
 rowed between his eyes and lips, and full of tender 
 compassion, went behind him, laid her hands on his 
 cheeks and kissed him on the forehead. He trembled 
 slightly, seized her slender right hand so impetuously 
 that she shrank back, raised it first to his lips, then to 
 his eyes, and held it there for several minutes. 
 
 At last he rose, passed before her into his sleeping- 
 room, bade her an affectionate good-night, and lay down 
 to rest. When she too sought her bed, he was breathing 
 heavily. Extreme fatigue had quickly overpowered 
 him. The slumber of both was destined to be frequently 
 interrupted during this night, and whenever Maria 
 woke, she heard her husband sigh and moan. She did 
 not stir, that she might not disturb the sleep he sought 
 and needed, and twice held her breath, for he was talk- 
 ing to himself. First he murmured softly : *' Heavy, 
 too heavy," and then : " If I can only bear it." 
 
 When she awoke next morning, he had already left 
 the room and gone to the town-hall. At noon he re- 
 turned home, saying that the Spaniards had taken the 
 Hague and been hailed with delight by the pitiful 
 adherents of the king. Fortunately, the well-disposed 
 citizens and Beggars had had time to escape to Delft, for 
 brave Nicolas Ruichhaver had held the foe in check 
 for a time at Geestburg. The west was still open, and 
 the newly-fortified fort of Valkenburg, garrisoned by 
 the English soldiers, would not be so easy to storm. On 
 
 14 
 
2IO THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. | 
 
 the east, other British auxiUaries were posted at Alfen in ; 
 the Spaniards' rear. rv 
 
 The burgomaster told all this unasked, but did not ;] 
 speak as freely and naturally as when conversing with;| 
 men. While talking, he often looked into his plate and i 
 hesitated. It seemed as if he were obliged to impose | 
 a certain restraint upon himself, in order to speak before | 
 women, servants, and children, of matters he w^as in the j 
 habit of discussing only with men of his own position. I 
 Maria listened attentively, but maintained a modest ] 
 reserve, urging him only by loving looks and sympa- \ 
 thizing exclamations, while Barbara boldly asked one ,| 
 question after another. \ 
 
 The meal was approaching an end, when Junker von \ 
 Warmond entered unannounced, and requested the i 
 burgomaster to accompany him at once, for Colonel ] 
 Chester was standing before the White Gate with a j 
 portion of his troops, asking admittance to the city. ; 
 
 At these tidings, Peter dashed his mug of beer i 
 angrily on the table, sprang from his seat, and left the ^ 
 room before the nobleman. I 
 
 During the late hours of the afternoon, the Van der j 
 Werff house was crowded with people. The gossips ] 
 came to talk over with Barbara the events occurring at j 
 the White Gate. Burgomaster Van Swieten's wife had i 
 heard from her own husband, that the Englishmen, with- i 
 out making any resistance, had surrendered the beautiful ] 
 new fort of Valkenburg and taken to their heels, at the \ 
 mere sight of the Spaniards. The enemy had marched ; 
 out from Haarlem through the downs above Nordwyk, \ 
 and it would have been an easy matter for the Britons i 
 to hold the strong position. \ 
 
 " Fine aid such helpers give !" cried Barbara in dig- j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 211 
 
 nantly. " Let Queen Elizabeth keep the men on her 
 island for herself, and send us the women." 
 
 " Yet they are real sons of Anak, and bear them- 
 selves like trim soldiers," said the wife of the magistrate 
 Heemskerk. " High boots, doublets of fine leather, gay 
 plumes in their morions and hats, large coats of mail, 
 halberds that would kill half a dozen — and all like new." 
 
 ^' They probably didn't want to spoil them, and so 
 found a place of safety as soon as possible, the windy 
 cowards," cried the wife of Church-warden de Haes, 
 whose sharp tongue was well known. " You seem to 
 have looked at them very closely, Frau Margret." 
 
 ^' From the wind-mill at the gate," replied the other. 
 " The envoy stopped on the bridge directly under us. 
 A handsome man on a stately horse. His trumpeter 
 too was mounted, and the velvet cloth on his trumpet 
 bristled with beautful embroidery in gold thread and 
 jewels. They earnestly entreated admittance, but the 
 gate remained closed." 
 
 " Right, right ! " cried Frau Heemskerk. " I don't 
 like the Prince's commissioner, Van Bronkhorst. What 
 does he care for us, if only the Queen doesn't get angry 
 and withdraw the subsidies ? I've heard he wants to 
 accommodate Chester and grant him admission." 
 
 " He would like to do so," added Frau Van Hout. 
 "But your husband, Frau Maria, and mine — I was 
 talking with him on the way here — will make every 
 effort to prevent it. The two Seigneurs of Nordwyk 
 are of their opinion, so perhaps the commissioner will 
 be out-voted." 
 
 " May God grant it !" cried the resolute voice of 
 Wilhelm's mother. " By to-morrow or the day after, 
 not even a cat will be allowed to leave the gates, and 
 14 * 
 
212 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. \8 
 
 my husband says we must begin to save provisions at '■=■ 
 once." 
 
 " Five hundred more consumers in the city, to lessen ; 
 our children's morsels; that would be fine business 1" \ 
 cried Frau de Haes, throwing herself back in her chair i 
 so violently, that it creaked, and beating her knees with j 
 her hands. J 
 
 " And they are Englishmen, Frau Margret, English- i 
 men," said the Receiver-General's wife. " They don't \ 
 eat, they don't consume, they devour. We supply j 
 our troops; but Herr von Nordwyk — I mean the ^ 
 younger one, who has been at the Queen's court as the j 
 Prince's ambassador, told my Wilhelm what a British \ 
 glutton can gobble. They'll clear off your beef like ; 
 cheese, and our beer is dish-water compared with their : 
 black malt brew." ] 
 
 "All that might be borne," replied Barbara, "if they I 
 were stout soldiers. We needn't mind a hundred head i 
 of cattle more or less, and the glutton becomes tem- i 
 perate, when a niggard rules the house. But I wouldn't j 
 take one of our Adrian's grey rabbits for these run- ; 
 aways." | 
 
 " It would be a pity," said Frau de Haes. " I shall ] 
 go home now, and if I find my husband, he'll learn ; 
 what sensible people think of the Englishmen." , 
 
 " Gently, my friend, gently," said Burgomaster Van j 
 Swieten's wife, who had hitherto been playing quietly ; 
 with the cat. " Believe me, it will be just the same on ; 
 the whole, whether we admit the auxiliaries or not, for i 
 before the gooseberries in our gardens are ripe, all resist- \ 
 ance will be over." ] 
 
 Maria, who was passing cakes and hippocras, set j 
 her waiter on the table and asked : j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 213 
 
 " Do you wish that, Frau Magtelt ? " 
 
 " I do," replied the latter positively, " and many sen- 
 sible people wish it too. No resistance is possible against 
 such superior force, and the sooner we appeal to the 
 King's mercy, the more surely it will be granted." 
 
 The other women listened to the bold speaker in 
 silence, but Maria approached and answered indig- 
 nantly : 
 
 " Whoever says tliat^ can go to the Spaniards at 
 once; whoever says that, desires the disgrace of the city 
 and country; whoever says that — " 
 
 Frau Magtelt interrupted Maria with a forced laugh, 
 saying : 
 
 " Do you want to school experienced women, 
 Madam Early-Wise ? Is it customary to attack a 
 visitor ? " 
 
 " Customary or not," replied the other, '' I will 
 never permit such words in our house, and if they 
 crossed the lips of my own sister I would say to her : 
 Go, you are my friend no longer ! " 
 
 Maria's voice trembled, and she pointed with out- 
 stretched arm towards the door. 
 
 Frau Magtelt struggled for composure, but as she 
 left the room found nothing to say, except : ^' Don't be 
 troubled, don't be troubled — you won't see me again." 
 
 Barbara followed the offended woman, and while 
 those who remained fixed their eyes in embarrassment 
 upon their laps, Wilhelm's mother exclaimed : 
 
 *' Well said, little woman, well said !" 
 
 Herr Van Hout's kind wife threw her arm around 
 Maria, kissed her forehead, and whispered : 
 
 " Turn away from the other women and dry your 
 eyes." 
 
214 THE BURGOMASTER^S WIFE. 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 A STORY is told of a condemned man, whom his 
 cruel executioner cast into a prison of ingenious struc- 
 ture. Each day the walls of this cage grew narrower 
 and narrower, each day they pressed nearer and nearer 
 to the unfortunate prisoner, until in despair he died and 
 the dungeon became his coffin. Even so, league by 
 league, the iron barriers of the Spanish regiments drew 
 nearer and nearer Leyden, and, if they succeeded in 
 destroying the resistance of their victim, the latter was 
 threatened with a still more cruel and pitiless end than 
 that of the unhappy prisoner. The girdle Valdez, King 
 Philip's commander, and his skilful lieutenant, Don 
 Ayala, had drawn around the city in less than two days, 
 was already nearly closed, the fort of Valkenburg, 
 strengthened with the utmost care, belonged to the 
 enemy, and the danger had advanced more rapidly and 
 with far more irresistible strength, than even the most 
 timid citizens had feared. If Leyden fell, its houses 
 would be delivered to fire and pillage, its men to death, 
 its women to disgrace — this was guaranteed by the fate 
 of other conquered cities and the Spanish nature. 
 
 Who could imagine the guardian angel of the busy 
 city, except under a sullen sky, with clouded brow and 
 anxious eyes, and yet it looked as gay and bright at the 
 White Gate as if a spring festival was drawing to a 
 close with a briUiant exhibition. Wherever the walls, 
 as far as Catherine's Tower, afforded a foothold, they 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 215 
 
 were crowded with men, women, and childrenc The 
 old masonry looked like the spectators' seats in an 
 arena, and the buzzing of the many-headed, curious 
 crowd was heard for a long distance in the city. 
 
 It is a kind dispensation of Providence, that enables 
 men to enjoy a brief ghmpse of sunshine amid terrible 
 storms, and thus the journeymen and apprentices, women 
 and children, forgot the impending danger and feasted 
 their eyes on the beautifully-dressed English soldiers, 
 who were looking up at them, nodding and laughing 
 saucily to the young girls, though part of them, it is 
 true, were awaiting with thoughtful, faces the results of 
 the negotiations going on within the walls. 
 
 The doors of the White Gate now opened; Com- 
 missioner Van Bronkhorst, Van der Werff, Van Hout 
 and other leaders of the community accompanied the 
 British colonel and his trumpeter to the bridge. The 
 former seemed to be filled with passionate indignation 
 and several times struck his hand on the hilt of his 
 sword, the Leyden magistrates were talking to him, and 
 at last took leave with low bows, which he answered 
 only with a haughty wave of the hand. The citizens 
 returned, the portals of the gate closed, the old lock 
 creaked, the iron-shod beams fell back into their places, 
 the chains of the drawbridge ratded audibly, and the 
 assembled throng now knew that the EngHshmen had 
 been refused admittance to the city. 
 
 Loud cheers, mingled with many an expression of 
 displeasure, were heard. "Long live Orange !" shouted 
 the boys, among whom were Adrian and the son of the 
 dead fencing-master Allertssohn; the women waved 
 their handkerchiefs, and all eyes were fixed on the 
 Britons. A loud flourish of trumpets was heard, the 
 
2l6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 English mounted officers dashed towards the colonel 
 ^nd held a short council of war with him, interrupted by 
 hasty words from several individuals, and soon after a 
 signal was sounded. The soldiers hurriedly, formed in 
 iTiarching array, many of them shaking their fists at the 
 •city. Halberds and muskets, which had been stacked, 
 Avere seized by their owners and, amid the beating of 
 drums and blare of trumpets, order arose out of the con- 
 fusion.. Individuals fell into ranks, ranks into companies, 
 gay flags were unfurled and flung to the evening breeze, 
 and with loud hurrahs the troops marched along the 
 Rhine towards the south-west, where the Spanish out- 
 posts were stationed. 
 
 The Leyden boys joined loudly in the Englishmen's 
 ^heer. 
 
 Even Andreas, the fencing-ni aster's son, had begun 
 to shout with them; but when he saw a tall captain 
 marching proudly before his company, his voice failed 
 and, covering his eyes with his hands, he ran home to 
 his mother. 
 
 The other lads did not notice him, for the setting 
 sun flashlft so brightly on the coats of mail and helmets ' 
 of the soldiers, the trumpets sounded so merrily, the 
 officers' steeds caracoled so proudly under their riders, 
 the gay plumes and banners and the smoke of the glim- 
 mering matches gained such beautiful hues in the roseate 
 light of sunset, that eyes and ears seemed spellbound by 
 the spectacle. But a fresh incident now attracted the 
 attention of great and small. 
 
 Thirty-six Englishmen, among them several officers, 
 lingered behind the others and approached the gate. 
 Again the lock creaked and the chains ratded. The 
 little band was admitted to the city and welcomed at 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. llj 
 
 the first houses of the northern end by Herr Van Bronk- 
 horst and the burgomaster. 
 
 Every one on the walls had expected, that a skirmish 
 between the retreating Enghshmen and Castihans would 
 now take place before their eyes. But they were greatly 
 mistaken. Before the first ranks reached the enemy, 
 the matches for lighthig the cannon flew through the 
 air, the banners were lowered, and when darkness came 
 and the curious spectators dispersed, they knew that the 
 Enghshmen had deserted the good cause and gone over 
 to the Spaniards. 
 
 The thirty-six men, who had been admitted through 
 the gates, were the only ones who refused to be acces- 
 sory to this treason. 
 
 The task of providing quarters for Captain Crom- 
 well and the other Englishmen and Netherlanders, who 
 had remained faithful, was assigned to Van Hout. 
 Burgomaster Van der Werff went home with Commis- 
 sioner Van Bronkhorst. Many a low-voiced but violent 
 word had been exchanged between them. The com- 
 missioner protested that the Prince would be highly 
 incensed at the refusal to admit the Englishmen, for 
 with good reason he set great value on Queen Elizabeth's 
 favorable disposition to the cause of freedom, to which 
 the burgomaster and his friends had rendered bad 
 service that day. Van der Werff denied this, for every- 
 thing depended upon holding Leyden. After the fall 
 of this city, Delft, Rotterdam and Gouda would also be 
 lost, and all farther efforts to battle for the liberty of 
 Holland useless. Five hundred consumers would pre- 
 maturely exhaust the already insufficient stock of 
 provisions. Everything had been done to soften their 
 refusal to admit the Englishmen, nay they had had free 
 
2l8 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 choice to encamp beneath the protection of the walls 
 under the cannon of the city. 
 
 When the two men parted, neither had convinced 
 the other, but each felt sure of his comrade's loyalty. 
 
 As Peter took leave, he said : 
 
 " Van Hout shall explain the reasons for our con- 
 duct to the Prince, in a letter as clear and convincing as 
 only he can make it, and his excellency will finally 
 approve of it. Rely upon that." 
 
 *' We will wait," replied the commissioner, ^^ but 
 don't forget that we shall soon be shut within these 
 walls behind bolts and bars, like prisoners, and perhaps 
 day after to-morrow no messenger will be able to get to 
 him." 
 
 " Van Hout is swift with his pen." 
 
 " And let a proclamation be read aloud, early to- 
 morrow morning, advising the women, old men and 
 children, in short, all who will diminish the stock of 
 provisions and add no strength to the defence, to leave 
 the city. They can reach Delft without danger, for the 
 roads leading to it are still open." 
 
 *' Very well," replied Peter. " It's said that many 
 girls and women have gone to-day in advance of the 
 others." 
 
 " That's right," cried the commissioner. " W^e are 
 driving in a fragile vessel on the high seas. If I had a 
 daughter in the house, I know what I should do. Fare- 
 well till we meet again, Meister. How are matters at 
 Alfen? The firing is no longer heard." 
 
 •' Darkness has probably interrupted the battle." 
 
 ^' We'll hope for the best news to-morrow, and even 
 if all the men outside succumb, we within the walls will 
 not flinch or yield." 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 219 
 
 " We will hold out firmly to the end," replied Peter 
 resolutely. 
 
 '' To the end, and, if God so wills it, a successful 
 end." 
 
 " Amen," cried Peter, pressed the commissioner's 
 hand and pursued his way home. 
 
 Barbara met him on the steps and wanted to call 
 Maria, who was with Henrica ; but he forbade it and 
 paced thoughtfully to and fro, his lips often quivering as 
 if he were suffering great pain. When, after some time, 
 he heard his wife's voice in the dining-room, he con- 
 trolled himself by a violent effort, went to the door, and 
 slowly opened it. 
 
 " You are at home already, and I sitting quietly 
 here spinning !" she exclaimed in surprise. 
 
 *' Yes, child. Please come in here, I have something 
 to say to you." 
 
 ** For Heaven's sake ! Peter, tell me what has hap- 
 pened. How your voice sounds, and how pale you 
 look !" 
 
 " Pm not ill, but matters are serious, terribly serious, 
 Maria." 
 
 *' Then it is true that the enemy — " 
 
 " They gained great advantage to-day and yester- 
 day, but I beg you, if you love me, don't interrupt me 
 now ; what I have to say is no easy thing, it is hard to 
 force the lips to utter it. Where shall I begin ? How 
 shall I speak, that you may not misunderstand me ? 
 You know, child, I took you into my house from a 
 warm nest. What we could offer was very little, and 
 you had doubtless expected to find more. I know you 
 have not been happy." 
 
 ** But it would be so easy for you to make me so." 
 
2 20 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. : 
 
 " You are mistaken, Maria. In these troublous \ 
 times but one thing claims my thoughts, and whatever | 
 diverts them from it is evil. But just now one thing j 
 paralyzes my courage and will — anxiety about your fate; \ 
 for who knows what is impending over us, and there- i 
 fore it must be said, I must take my heart to the | 
 shambles and express a wish. — A wish ? Oh, I 
 merciful Heaven, is there no other word for what I ] 
 mean ! " j 
 
 " Speak, Peter, speak, and do not torture me !" cried ^ 
 Maria, gazing anxiously into her husband's face. It ; 
 could be no small matter, that induced the clear-headed, j 
 resolute man to utter such confused language. ^ 
 
 The burgomaster summoned up his courage and ^ 
 began again : i 
 
 "You are right, it is useless to keep back what must ; 
 be said. We have determined at the town-hall to-day, ] 
 to request the women and girls to leave the city. The > 
 road to Delft is still open; day after to-morrow it may] 
 no longer be so, afterwards — who can predict what will i 
 happen afterwards ? If no relief comes and the pro- 1 
 visions are consumed, we shall be forced to open the i 
 gates to the enemy, and then, Maria, imagine what will j 
 happen ! The Rhine and the canals will grow crimson, '< 
 for much blood will flow into them and they will mirror ] 
 an unequalled conflagration. Woe betide the men, ten-.; 
 fold woe betide the women, against whom the con- • 
 queror's fury will then be directed. And you, you — : 
 the wife of the man who has induced thousands to 
 desert King Philip, the wife of the exile, who directs i 
 the resistance within these walls." j 
 
 At the last words Maria had opened her large eyes ; 
 wider and wider, and now interrupted her husband with i 
 
THE BURGOMASTEJl'^u/^ftFE. 0/> .^ S^K 
 
 the question: "Do you wish\^jjhy how^gb rSf^\ 
 courage will rise ?" ^^'^^ "^ ^ 1^ t^ ' 
 
 " No, Maria. I know you will hold 'biiP^j^lUr^and* y 
 would look death in the face as fearlessly asT'^ur'' 
 sister did in Haarlem; but I, I cannot endure the 
 thought of seeing you fall into the hands of our 
 butchers. Fear for you, terrible fear, will destroy my 
 vigorous strength in the decisive hours, so the words 
 must be uttered — " 
 
 Maria had hitherto listened to her husband quietly ; 
 she knew what he desired. Now she advanced nearer 
 and interrupted him by exclaiming firmly, nay impe- 
 riously : 
 
 " No more, no more, do you hear ! I will not 
 endure another word !" 
 
 " Maria 1" 
 
 " Silence ! It is my turn now. To escape y^^r, you 
 will thrust your wife from the house ; fear^ you say, 
 would undermine your strength. But will longing 
 strengthen it ? If you love me, it will not fail to 
 come — " 
 
 " If I love you, Maria !" 
 
 " Well, well ! But you have forgotten to consider 
 how /shall feel in exile, if I also love you. I am your 
 wife. We vowed at the altar, that nothing save death 
 should part us. Have you forgotten it ? Have your 
 children become mine ? Have I taught them, rejoiced 
 to call myself their mother ? Yes, or no ?" 
 
 " Yes, Maria, yes, yes, a hundred times yes !" 
 
 " And you have the heart to throw me into the arms 
 of this wasting longing! You wish to prevent me from 
 keeping the most sacred of vows ? You can bring 
 yourself to tear me from the children ? You think me 
 
222 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 too shallow and feeble, to endure suffering and death for \ 
 the sacred cause, which is mine as well as yours ! You j 
 are fond of caUing me your child, but I can be strong, \ 
 and whatever may come, will not weep. You are the ^ 
 husband and have the right to command, I am only the ; 
 wife and shall obey. Shall I go ? Shall I stay ? I ; 
 await your answer." j 
 
 She had uttered the last words in a trembling voice, I 
 but the burgomaster exclaimed with deep emotion : ] 
 
 " Stay, stay, Maria ! Come, come, and forgive me ! " ; 
 
 Peter seized her hand, exclaiming again : i 
 
 *' Come, come!" I 
 
 But the young wife released herself, retreated a ] 
 step and said beseechingly : j 
 
 " Let me go, Peter, I cannot ; I need time to over- \ 
 come this." \ 
 
 He let his arms fall and gazed mournfully into her \ 
 face, but she turned away and silently left the room. 
 
 Peter Van der Werff did not follow her, but went ! 
 quietly into his study and strove to reflect upon many | 
 things, that concerned his office, but his thoughts con- \ 
 stantly reverted to Maria. His love oppressed him as ; 
 if it were a crime, and he seemed to himself like a ; 
 courier, who gathers flowers by the way-side and in this \ 
 idhng squanders time and forgets the object of his mis- 1 
 sion. His heart felt unspeakably heavy and sad, and it | 
 seemed almost like a deliverance when, just before mid- \ 
 night, the bell in the Tower of Pancratius raised its evil- i 
 boding voice. In danger, he knew, he would feel and ! 
 think of nothing except what duty required of him, so ■ 
 with renewed strength he took his hat from the hookJ 
 and left the house with a steady step. ^ 
 
 In the street he met Junker Van Duivenvoorde, who] 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 223 
 
 summoned him to the Hohenort Gate, before which a 
 body of EngUshmen had again appeared ; a few brave 
 soldiers who, in a fierce, bloody combat, had held Alfen 
 and the Gouda sluice against the Spaniards until their 
 powder was exhausted and necessity compelled them to 
 yield or seek safety in flight. The burgomaster followed 
 the officer and ordered the gates to be opened to the 
 brave soldiers. They were twenty in number, among 
 them the Netherland Captain Van der Laen, and a 
 young German officer. Peter commanded, that they 
 should have shelter for the night in the town-hall and 
 the guard-house at the gate. The next morning suitable 
 quarters would be found for them in the houses of the 
 citizens. Janus Dousa invited the captain to lodge with 
 him, the German went to Aquanus's tavern. All were 
 ordered to report to the burgomaster at noon the next 
 day, to be assigned to quarters and enrolled among the 
 volunteer troops. 
 
 The ringing of the alarm-bell in the tower also dis- 
 turbed the night's rest of the ladies in the Van der Werff 
 household. Barbara sought Maria, and neither returned 
 to their rooms until they had learned the cause of the 
 ringing and soothed Henrica. 
 
 Maria could not sleep. Her husband's purpose of 
 separating from her during the impending danger, had 
 stirred her whole soul, wounded her to the inmost 
 depths of her heart. She felt humiliated, and, if not 
 misunderstood, at least unappreciated by the man for 
 whose sake she rejoiced, whenever she perceived a lofty 
 aspiration or noble emotion in her own soul. What 
 avail is personal loveliness to the beautiful wife of a blind 
 man ; of what avail to Maria was the rich treasure 
 buried in her bosom, if her husband would not see and 
 
224 THE burgomaster's WIFE. } 
 
 i 
 bring it to the surface ! *^ Show him, tell him how lofty ! 
 
 are your feelings," urged love ; but womanly pride ex- j 
 
 claimed : " Do not force upon him what he disdains to ' 
 
 seek." i 
 
 So the hours passed, bringing her neither sleep, • 
 peace, nor the desire to forget the humiliation inflicted \ 
 upon her. | 
 
 At last Peter entered the room, stepping Hghtly and | 
 cautiously, in order not to wake her. She pretended to ! 
 be asleep, but with half-closed eyes could see him dis- i 
 tinctly. The lamp-light fell upon his face, and the lines '■ 
 she had formerly perceived looked like deep shadows \ 
 between his eyes and mouth. They impressed upon his ! 
 features the stamp of heavy, sorrowful anxiety, and \ 
 reminded Maria of the " too hard " and " if I can only : 
 bear it," he had murmured in his sleep the night before, i 
 Then he approached her bed and stood there a long ; 
 time; she no longer saw him, for she kept her eyes • 
 tightly closed, but the first loving glance, with which he j 
 gazed down upon her, had not escaped her notice. It j 
 continued to beam before her mental vision, and she : 
 thought she felt that he was watching and praying for i 
 her as if she were a child. ] 
 
 Sleep had long since overpowered her husband, j 
 while Maria lay gazing at the glimmering dawn, as \ 
 wakeful as if it were broad day. For the sake of his i 
 love she would forgive much, but she could not forget : 
 the humihation she had experienced. "A toy," she ] 
 said to herself, " a work of art which we enjoy, is placed ; 
 in security when danger threatens the house; the axe \ 
 and the bread, the sword and the talisman that protects j 
 us, in short whatever we cannot dispense with while we i 
 live, we do not release from our hands till death comes. ! 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 225 
 
 She was not necessary, indispensable to him. If she had 
 obeyed his wish and left him, then — yes, then — " 
 
 Here the current of her thoughts was checked, for 
 the first time she asked herself the question : " Would 
 he have really missed your helping hand, your cheering 
 word ?" 
 
 She turned restlessly, and her heart throbbed 
 anxiously, as she told herself that she had done little to 
 smooth his rugged pathway. The vague feeling, that 
 he had not been entirely to blame, if she had not found 
 perfect happiness by his side, alarmed her. Did not 
 her former conduct justify him in expecting hindrance 
 rather than support and help in impending days of 
 severest peril ? 
 
 Filled with deep longing to obtain a clear view of 
 her own heart, she raised herself on her pillows and re- 
 viewed her whole former life. 
 
 Her mother had been a Catholic in her youth, and 
 had often told her how free and light-hearted she had 
 felt, when she confided everything that can trouble a 
 woman's heart to a silent third person, and received 
 from the lips of God's servant the assurance that she 
 might now begin a new life, secure of forgiveness. " It 
 is harder for us now," her mother said before her first 
 communion, " for we of the Reformed religion are re- 
 ferred to ourselves and our God, and must be wholly at 
 peace with ourselves before we approach the Lord's 
 table. True, that is enough, for if we frankly and 
 honestly confess to the judge within our own breasts all 
 that troubles our consciences, whether in thought or 
 deed, and sincerely repent, we shall be sure of forgive- 
 ness for the sake of the Saviour's wounds." 
 
 Maria now prepared for this silent confession, and 
 15 
 
226 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Sternly and pitilessly examined her conduct. Yes, she 
 had fixed her gaze far too steadily upon herself, asked 
 much and given little. The fault was recognized, and 
 now the amendment should begin. 
 
 After this self-inspection, her heart grew lighter, and 
 when she at last turned away from the morning light to 
 seek sleep, she looked forward with pleasure to the 
 affectionate greeting she meant to offer Peter in the 
 morning; but she soon fell asleep and when she woke, 
 her husband had long since left the house. 
 
 As usual, she set Peter's study in order before pro- 
 ceeding to any other task, and while doing so, cast a 
 friendly glance at the dead Eva's picture. On the 
 writing-table lay the bible, the only book not connected 
 with his business affairs, that her husband ever read. 
 Barbara sometimes drew comfort and support from the 
 volume, but also used it as an oracle, for when undecided 
 how to act she opened it and pointed with her finger to 
 a certain passage. This usually had a definite meaning 
 and she generally, though not always, acted as it 
 directed. To-day she had been disobedient, for in re- 
 sponse to her question whether she might venture to 
 send a bag of all sorts of dainties to her son, a Beggar 
 of the Sea, in spite of the Spaniards encircling the city, 
 she had received the words of Jeremiah : " Their tents 
 and their flocks shall they take away : they shall take 
 to themselves their curtains and all their vessels and 
 their camels," and yet the bag had been entrusted early 
 that morning to a widow, who intended to make her 
 escape to Delft with her young daughter, according to 
 the request of the magistrates. The gift might perhaps 
 reach Rotterdam ; a mother always hopes for a miracle 
 in behalf of her child. 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 227 
 
 Before Maria restored the bible to its old place, she 
 opened it at the thirteenth chapter of the first Epistle of 
 Paul to the Corinthians, which speaks of love, and was 
 specially dear to her. There were the words : " Charity 
 suffereth long and is kind, charity is not easily pro- 
 voked ;" and " Charity beareth all things, believeth all 
 things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 
 
 To be kind and patient, to hope and endure all 
 things, was the duty love imposed upon her. 
 
 When she had closed the bible and was preparing 
 to go to Henrica, Barbara ushered Janus Dousa into 
 the room. The young nobleman to-day wore armor 
 and gorget, and looked far more like a soldier than a 
 scientist or poet. He had sought Peter in vain at the 
 town-hall, and hoped to find him at home. One of the 
 messengers sent to the Prince had returned from Dort- 
 recht with a letter, which conferred on Dousa the office 
 made vacant by Allertssohn's death. He was to com- 
 mand not only the city-guard, but all the armed force. • 
 He had accepted the appointment with cheerful alacrity, 
 and requested Maria to inform her husband. 
 
 ** Accept my congratulations," said the burgomas- 
 ter's wife. " But what will now become of your motto: 
 * Ante omnia Musae ?^ " 
 
 " I shall change the words a little and say : Oinnia 
 ante MiisasP 
 
 " Do you understand that jargon, child ?" asked 
 Barbara. 
 
 " A passport will be given the Muses," replied Maria 
 gaily. 
 
 Janus was pleased with the ready repartee and ex- 
 claimed : " How bright and happy you look ! Faces 
 free from care are rare birds in these days." 
 
 IS* 
 
228 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Maria blushed, for she did not know how to inter- 
 pret the words of the nobleman, who understood how 
 to reprove with subtle mockery, and answered naively : 
 *' Don't think me frivolous, Junker. I know the serious- 
 ness of the times, but I have just finished a silent con- 
 fession and discovered many bad traits in my character, 
 but also the desire to replace them with more praise- 
 worthy ones." 
 
 " There, there," repned Janus. " I knew long ago 
 that you had formed a friendship in the Delft school 
 with my old sage. * Know thyself,' was the Greek's prin- 
 cipal lesson, and you wisely obey it. Every silent con- 
 fession, every desire for inward purification, must begin 
 with the purpose of knowing ourselves and, if in so 
 doing we unexpectedly encounter things which tend to 
 make our beloved selves uncomely, and have the 
 courage to find them just as hideous in ourselves as in 
 others — " 
 
 "Abhorrence will come, and we shall have taken 
 the first step towards improvement." 
 
 " No, dear lady, we shall then stand on one of 
 the higher steps. After hours of long, deep thought, 
 Socrates perceived — do you know what?" 
 
 " That he knew nothing at all. I shall arrive at 
 this perception more speedily." 
 
 " And the Christian learns it at school," said Bar- 
 bara, to join in the conversation. " All knowledge is 
 botchwork." 
 
 " And we are all sinners," added Janus. *' That's 
 easily said, dear madam, and easily understood, when 
 others are concerned. * He is a sinner ' is quickly 
 uttered, but '/am a sinner' escapes the lips with more 
 difficulty, and whoever does exclaim it with sorrow, in 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 229 
 
 the stillness of his own quiet room, mingles the white 
 feathers of angels' wings with the black pinions of the 
 devil. Pardon me ! In these times everything thought 
 and said is transformed into solemn earnest. Mars is 
 here, and the cheerful Muses are silent. Remember 
 me to your husband, and tell him, that Captain Allerts- 
 sohn's body has been brought in and to-morrow is 
 appointed for the funeral. 
 
 The nobleman took his leave, and Maria, after visit- 
 ing her patient' and finding her well and bright, sent 
 Adrian and Bessie into the garden outside the city-wall 
 to gather flowers and foliage, which she intended to 
 help them weave into wreaths for the coffin of the brave 
 soldier. She herself went to the captain's widow. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The burgomaster's wife returned home just before 
 dinner, and found a motley throng of bearded warriors 
 assembled in front of the house, They were trying to 
 make themselves intelligible in the EngHsh language to 
 some of the constables, and when the latter respectfully 
 saluted Maria, raised their hands to their morions also. 
 
 She pleasantly returned the greeting and passed into 
 the entry, where the full light of noon streamed in 
 through the open door. 
 
 Peter had assigned quarters to the English soldiers 
 outside, and after a consultation with the new com- 
 mandant, Jan Van der Does, gave them officers. They 
 were probably waiting for their comrades, for when the 
 young wife had ascended the first steps of the staircase 
 
230 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 and looked upward, she found the top of the narrow 
 flight barred by the tall figure of a soldier. The latter 
 had his back towards her and was showing Bessie 
 his dark velvet cap, surrounded by rectangular teeth, 
 above which floated a beautiful light-blue ostrich-plume. 
 The child seemed to have formed a close friendship with 
 the soldier, for, although the latter was refusing her 
 something, the little girl laughed gaily. 
 
 Maria paused irresolutely a moment ; but when the 
 child snatched the gay cap and put it on her own 
 curls, she thought she must check her and exclaimed 
 warningly : '' AVhy, Bessie, that is no plaything for 
 children." 
 
 The soldier turned, stood still a moment in aston- 
 ishment, raised his hand to his forehead, and then, with 
 a few hurried bounds, sprang down the stairs and 
 rushed up to the burgomaster's wife. Maria had started 
 back in surprise ; but he gave her no time to think, for 
 stretching out both hands he exclaimed in an eager, 
 joyous tone, with sparkling eyes: "Maria! Jungfrau 
 Maria! You here! This is what I call a lucky dayl" 
 
 The young wife had instandy recognized the soldier 
 and wiUingly laid her right han^i in his, though not 
 without a shade of embarrassment: 
 
 The officer's clear, blue eyes sought hers, but she 
 fixed her gaze on the floor, saying : " I am no longer 
 what I was, the young girl has become a housewife." 
 
 " A housewife ! " he exclaimed. " How dignified 
 that sounds ! And yet ! Yet ! You are still Jungfrau 
 Maria ! You haven't changed a hair. That's just the 
 way you bent your head at the wedding in Delft, the 
 way you raised your hands, lowered your ey-es — you 
 blushed too, just as prettily." r 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 23 1 
 
 There was a rare melody in the voice which uttered 
 these words with joyous, almost childlike freedom, 
 which pleased Maria no less than the officer's familiar 
 manner annoyed her. With a hasty movement she 
 raised her head, looked steadily into the young man's 
 handsome face and said with dignity : 
 
 " You see only the exterior, Junker von Dornburg ; 
 three years have made many changes within." 
 
 " Junker von Dornburg," he repeated, shaking his 
 waving locks. " I was Junker Georg in Delft. Very 
 different things have happened to us, dear lady, very 
 different things. You see I have grown a tolerable, 
 though not huge moustache, am stouter, and the sun has 
 bronzed my pink and white boyish face — in short : my 
 outer man has changed for the worse, but within I am 
 just the same as I was three years ago." 
 
 Maria felt the blood again mounting into her cheeks, 
 but she did not wish to blush and answered hastily : 
 
 "Standing still is retrograding, so you have lost 
 three beautiful years, Herr von Dornburg." 
 
 The officer looked at Maria in perplexity, and then 
 said more gravely than before : 
 
 *^ Your jest is more opportune, than you probably 
 suppose ; I had hoped to find you again in Delft, but 
 powder was short in Alfen, so the Spaniard will prob- 
 ably reach your native city sooner than we. Now a 
 kind fate brings me to you here ; but let me be honest — 
 What I hope and desire stands clearly before my eyes, 
 echoes in my soul, and when I thought of our meeting, 
 I dreamed you would lay both hands in mine and,- 
 instead of greeting me with witty words, ask the old 
 companion of happy hours, your brother Leonhard's 
 best friend : ' Do you still remember our dead ?' And 
 
232 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 when I had told you : ^ Yes, yes, yes, I have never for- 
 gotten hhn,' then I thought the mild lustre of your eyes 
 — Oh, oh, how I thank you ! The dear orbs are floating 
 in a mist of tears. You are not so wholly changed as 
 you supposed, Frau Maria, and if I loyally remember 
 the past, will you blame me for it ?" 
 
 " Certainly not," she answered cordially. " And 
 now that you speak to me so, I will with pleasure again 
 call you Junker Georg, and as Leonhard's friend and 
 mine, invite you to our house." 
 
 " That will be delightful," he cried cordially. " I 
 have so much to ask you and, as for myself — alas, I 
 wish I had less to tell." 
 
 " Have you seen my husband ? " asked Maria. 
 
 " I know nobody in Leyden," he replied, " except 
 my learned, hospitable host, and the doge of this minia- 
 ture Venice, so rich in water and bridges." 
 
 Georg pointed up the stair-case. Maria blushed 
 again as she said : 
 
 *' Burgomaster Van der Werff is my husband." 
 
 The nobleman was silent for a short time, then he 
 said quickly : 
 
 ^' He received me kindly. And the pretty elf up 
 yonder ? " 
 
 " His child by his first marriage, but now mine also. 
 How do you happen to call her the elf?" 
 
 " Because she looks as if she had been born among 
 white flowers in the moonlight, and because the after- 
 glow of the sunrise, from which the elves flee, crimsoned 
 her cheeks when I caught her." 
 
 " She has already received the name once," said 
 Maria. '' May I take you to my husband ? " 
 
 '' Not now, Frau Van der Werff, for I must attend 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 233 
 
 to my men outside, but to-morrow, if you will allow 
 me." 
 
 Maria found the dishes smoking on the dining-table. 
 Her family had waited for her, and, heated by the rapid 
 walk at noon, excited by her unexpected meeting with 
 the young German, she opened the door of the study 
 and called to her husband : 
 
 " Excuse me! I was detained. It is very late." 
 
 " We were very willing to wait," he answered kindly, 
 approaching her. Then all she had resolved to do 
 returned to her memory and, for the first time since her 
 marriage, she raised her husband's hand to her lips. 
 He smilingly withdrew it, kissed her on the forehead, 
 and said : 
 
 " It is delightful to have you here." 
 
 " Isn't it ? " she asked, gently shaking her finger at 
 him. 
 
 " But we are all here now, and dinner is waiting." 
 
 " Come then," she answered gaily. " Do you know 
 whom I met on the stairs ? " 
 
 ** English soldiers." 
 
 " Of course, but among them Junker von Dornburg." 
 
 " He called on me. A handsome fellow, whose 
 gayety is very attractive, a German from the evangelical 
 countries." 
 
 " Leonhard's best friend. Don't you know ? Surely 
 I've told you about him. Our guest at Jacoba's 
 wedding." 
 
 " Oh ! yes. Junker Georg. He tamed the chestnut 
 horse for the Prince's equerry." 
 
 " That was a daring act," said Maria, drawing a long 
 breath. 
 
 "The chestnut is still an excellent horse," replied 
 
234 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Peter. *' Leonhard thought the Junker, with his gifts 
 and talents, would lift the world out of its grooves ; I 
 remember it well, and now the poor fellow must remain 
 quietly here and be fed by us. How did he happen to 
 join the Enghshmen and take part in the war ?" 
 
 " I don't know ; he only told me that he had had 
 many experiences." 
 
 " I can easily believe it. He is living at the tavern; 
 but perhaps we can find a room for him in the side 
 wing, looking out upon the court-yard." 
 
 *' No, Peter," cried the young wife eagerly. '^ There 
 is no room in order there." 
 
 " That can be arranged later. At any rate we'll 
 invite him to dinner to-morrow, he may have something 
 to tell us. There is good marrow in the young man. 
 He begged me not to let him remain idle, but make him 
 of use in the service. Jan Van der Does has already 
 put him in the right place, the new commandant looks 
 into people's hearts." j 
 
 Barbara mingled in the conversation, Peter, though \ 
 it was a week-day, ordered a jug of wine to be brought i 
 instead of the beer, and an event that had not occurred i 
 for weeks happened : the master of the house sat at : 
 least fifteen minutes with his family after the food had : 
 been removed, and told them of the rapid advance of ; 
 the Spaniards, the sad fate of the fugitive Englishmen, j 
 who had been disarmed and led away in sections, the j 
 brave defence the Britons, to whose corps Georg be- | 
 longed, had made at Alfen, and of another hot combat \ 
 in which Don Gay tan, the right-hand and best officer of j 
 Valdez, was said to have fallen. Messengers still went ; 
 and came on the roads leading to Delft, but to-morrow i 
 these also would probably be blocked by the enemy. : 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 235 
 
 He always addressed everything he said to Maria, 
 unless Barbara expressly questioned him, and when he 
 at last rose from the table, ordered a good roast to be 
 prepared the next day for the guest he intended to 
 invite. Scarcely had the door of his room closed be- 
 hind him, when little Bessie ran up to Maria, threw her 
 arms around her and asked : 
 
 " Mother, isn't Junker Georg the tall captain with 
 the blue feather, who ran down-stairs so fast to meet 
 you?" 
 
 "Yes, child." 
 
 " And he's coming to dinner to-morrow ! He's 
 coming, Adrian." 
 
 The child clapped her hands in delight and then ran 
 to Barbara to exclaim once more : 
 
 *^ Aunt Barbel, did you hear ? He's coming ! " 
 
 " With the blue feather," replied the widow. 
 
 *' Arid he has curls, curls as long as Assendelft's 
 little Clara. May I go with you to see Cousin Henrica? '* 
 
 "Afterwards, perhaps," replied Maria. "Go now, 
 children, get the flowers and separate them carefully 
 from the leaves. Trautchen will bring some hoops and 
 strings, and then we'll bind the wreaths." 
 
 Junker Georg's remark, that this was a lucky day, 
 seemed to be verified; for the young wife found Henrica 
 bright and free from pain. With the doctor's per- 
 mission, she had walked up and down her room several 
 times, sat a longer time at the open window, relished 
 her chicken, and when Maria entered, was seated in the 
 softly-cushioned arm-chair, rejoicing in the conscious- 
 ness of increasing strength. 
 
 Maria was delighted at her improved appearance, 
 and told her how well she looked that day. 
 
236 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " I can return the compliment/' replied Henrica. ; 
 ** You look very happy. What has happened to ydR ? " \ 
 
 " To me ? Oh ! my husband was more cheerful i 
 than usual, and there was a great deal to tell at dinner. 'I 
 I've only come to enquire for your health. I will see i 
 you later. Now I must go with the children to a sor-l 
 rowful task." j 
 
 " With the children ? What have the little elf and 1 
 Signor Salvatore to do with sorrow ? " j 
 
 " Captain Allertssohn will be buried to-morrow, and j 
 we are going to make some wreaths for the coffin." \ 
 
 " Make wreaths !" cried Henrica, " I can teach you j 
 that! There, Trautchen, take the plate and call the:| 
 little ones." j 
 
 The servant went away, but Maria said anxiously : j 
 
 " You will exert yourself too much again, Henrica.'* 1 
 
 " I ? I shall be singing again to-morrow. My j 
 preserver's potion does wonders, I assure you. Have! 
 you flowers and oak -leaves enough ?" j 
 
 " I should think so." i 
 
 At the last words the door opened and Bessie | 
 cautiously entered the room, walking on tiptoe as she : 
 had been told, went up to Henrica, received a kiss from j 
 her, and then asked eagerly : 
 
 " Cousin Henrica, do you know ? Junker Georg, \ 
 with the blue feather, is coming again to-morrow and ^ 
 will dine with us." 
 
 " Junker Georg ?" asked the young lady. j 
 
 Maria interrupted the child's reply, and answered in \ 
 an embarrassed tone: 
 
 " Herr von Domburg, an officer who came to the \ 
 city with the Englishmen, of whom I spoke to you — a ; 
 German — an old acquaintance. Go and arrange the; 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 237 
 
 flowers with Adrian, Bessie, then I'll come and help 
 you." 
 
 " Here, with Cousin Henrica," pleaded the child. 
 
 " Yes, little elf, here ; and we'll both make the 
 loveliest wreath you ever saw." 
 
 The child ran out, and this time, in her delight^ 
 forgot to shut the door gently. 
 
 The young wife gazed out of the window. Henrica 
 watched her silently for a time and then exclaimed : 
 
 " One word, Frau Maria. What is going on in the 
 court-yard ? Nothing ? And what has become of the 
 happy light in your eyes ? Your house isn't swarming 
 with guests; why did you wait for Bessie to tell me 
 about Junker Georg, the German, the old acquaint- 
 ance ?" 
 
 " Let that subject drop, Henrica." 
 
 " No, no ! Do you know what I think ? The 
 storm of war has blown to your house the young mad- 
 cap, with whom you spent such happy hours at your 
 sister's wedding. Am I right or wrong ? You needn't 
 blush so deeply." 
 
 " It is he," replied Maria gravely. " But if you love 
 me, forget what I told you about him, or deny yourself 
 the idle amusement of alluding to it, for if you should 
 still do so, it would offend me." 
 
 " Why should I ! You are the wife of another." 
 
 " Of another whom I honor and love, who trusts 
 me and himself invited the Junker to his house. I have 
 liked the young man, admired his talents, been anxious 
 when he trifled with his life as if it were a paltry leaf, 
 which is flung into the river." 
 
 " And now that you have seen him again, Maria ?'* 
 
238 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Now I know, what my duty is. Do yoti see, that! 
 
 my peace here is not disturbed by idle gossip." j 
 
 " Certainly not, Maria ; yet I am still curious abouti 
 
 this Chevalier Georg and his singing. Unfortunately i 
 
 we shan't be long together. I want to go home." i 
 
 " The doctor will not allow you to travel yet." : 
 
 ^' No matter. I shall go as soon as I feel well J 
 
 enough. My father is refused admittance, but yours 
 
 husband can do much, and I must speak with him." ^ 
 
 " Will you receive him to-morrow ?" \ 
 
 " The sooner the better, for he is your husband] 
 
 and, I repeat, the ground is burning under my feet." \ 
 
 " Oh !" exclaimed Maria. \ 
 
 " That sounds very sad," cried Henrica. " Do youi 
 
 want to hear, that I shall find it hard to leave you ? I 
 
 shouldn't go yet; but my sister Anna, she is now a; 
 
 widow — Thank God, I should like to say, but she; 
 
 is suffering want and utterly deserted. I must speak to \ 
 
 my father about her, and go forth from the quiet haven ; 
 
 into the storm once more." 
 
 " My husband will come to you," said Maria. i 
 
 " That's right, that's right ! Come in, children ! j 
 Put the flowers on the table yonder. You, Httle elf, sit 1 
 down on the stool and you, Salvatore, shall give me the ; 
 flowers. What does this mean ? I really believe the \ 
 scamp has been putting perfumed oil on his curly head. : 
 In honor of me, Salvatore ? Thank you ! — We shall i 
 need the hoops later. First we'll make bouquets, and i 
 then bind them with the leaves to the wood. Sing me j 
 a song while we are working, Maria. The first one! 1 1 
 can bear it to-day." \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 239 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Half Leyden had followed the brave captain's coffin, 
 and among the other soldiers, who rendered the last 
 honors to the departed, was Georg von Dornburg. 
 After the funeral, the musician Wilhelm led the son of 
 the kind comrade, whom so many mourned, to his house. 
 Van der Werff found many things to be done after the 
 burial, but reserved the noon hour ; for he expected the 
 German to dine. 
 
 The burgomaster, as usual, sat at the head of the 
 table; the Junker had taken his place between him and 
 Maria, opposite to Barbara and the children. 
 
 The widow never wearied of gazing at the young 
 man's fresh, bright face, for although her son could 
 not compare with him in beauty, there was an honest 
 expression in the Junker's eyes, which reminded her of 
 her Wilhelm. 
 
 Many a question and answer had already been ex- 
 changed between those assembled round the board, 
 many a pleasant memory recalled, when Peter, after the 
 dishes had been removed and a new jug with better 
 wine placed on the table, filled the young nobleman's 
 glass again, and raised his own. 
 
 " Let us drink this bumper," he cried, gazing at 
 Georg with sincere pleasure in his eyes, " let us drink to 
 the victory of the good cause, for which you too volun- 
 tarily draw your sword. Thanks for the vigorous 
 pledge. Drinking is also an art, and the Germans are 
 masters of it." 
 
240 THE burgomaster's WIFE. % 
 
 " We learn it in various places, and not worst at the] 
 University of Jena." I 
 
 *' All honor to the doctors and professors, who bring i 
 their pupils up to the standard of my dead brother-in-] 
 law, and judging from this sample drink, you also." j 
 
 " Leonhard was my teacher in the ars bibendi, How^ 
 long ago it is ! " \ 
 
 ** Youth is not usually content," replied Peter, "but] 
 when the point in question concerns years, readily calls i 
 * much,' what seems to older people * little.' True, many: 
 experiences may have been crowded into the last few 
 years of your life. I can still spare an hour, and as wei 
 are all sitting so cosily together here, you can tell us, = 
 unless you wish to keep silence on the subject, how you J 
 chanced to leave your distant home for Holland, andj 
 your German and Latin books to enlist under thai 
 English standard." \ 
 
 " Yes," added Maria, without any trace of embar- \ 
 rassment. " You still owe me the story. Give thanks, ; 
 children, and then go." : 
 
 Adrian gazed beseechingly first at his mother and : 
 then at his father, and as neither forbade him to stay, ■ 
 moved his chair close to his sister, and both leaned their ; 
 heads together and listened with wide open eyes, while! 
 the Junker first quietly, then with increasing vivacity,] 
 related the following story : ; 
 
 " You know that I am a native of Thuringia, a ; 
 mountainous country in the heart of Germany. Our" 
 castle is situated in a pleasant valley, through which a I 
 clear river flows in countless windings. AVooded moun- '■ 
 tains, not so high as the giants in Switzerland, yet by no; 
 means contemptible, border the narrow boundaries of the i 
 valley. At their feet lie fields and meadows, at a greater • 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 24 1 
 
 height rise pine forests, which, Hke the huntsman, wear 
 green robes at all seasons of the year. In winter, it is 
 true, the snow cover them with a gUmmering white 
 sheet. When spring comes, the pines put forth new 
 shoots, as fresh and full of sap as the budding foliage of 
 your oaks and beeches, and in the meadows by the river 
 it begins to snow in the warm breezes, for then one fruit- 
 tree blooms beside another, and when the wind rises, the 
 delicate white petals flutter through the air and fall 
 among the bright blossoms in the grass, and on the clear 
 surface of the river. There are also numerous barren 
 cliffs on the higher portions of the mountains, and where 
 they towered in the most rugged, inaccessible ridges, our 
 ancestors built their fastnesses, to secure themselves from 
 the attacks of their enemies. Our castle stands on a 
 mountain-ridge in the midst of the valley of the Saale. 
 There I was born, there I sported through the years of 
 my boyhood, learned to read and guide the pen. There 
 was plenty of hunting in the forests, we had spirited 
 horses in the stable, and, wild lad that I was, I rarely 
 went voluntarily into the school-room, the grey-haired 
 teacher, Lorenz, had to catch me, if he wanted to get 
 possession of me. My sisters and Hans, our youngest 
 child, the boy was only three years younger than I, kept 
 quiet — I had an older brother too, yet did not have him. 
 When his beard was first beginning to grow, he was 
 given by our gracious Duke to Chevalier von Brand as 
 his esquire, and sent to Spain, to buy Andalusian horses. 
 John Frederick's father had learned their value in 
 Madrid after the batde of Miihlburg. Louis was a 
 merry fellow when he went away, and knew how to 
 tame the wildest stalhon. It was hard for our parents 
 to believe him dead, but years elapsed, and as neither 
 
242 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 he nor Chevalier von Brand appeared, we were obliged 
 to give him up for lost. My mother alone could not do 
 this, and constantly expected his return. My father 
 called me the future heir and lord of the castle. When 
 I had passed beyond boyhood and understood Cicero 
 tolerably well, I was sent to the University of Jena to 
 study law, as my uncle, the chancellor, wished me to be- 
 come a counsellor of state. 
 
 ^' Oh Jena, beloved Jena ! There are blissful days 
 in May and June, when only light clouds float in the 
 sky, and all the leaves and flowers are so fresh and 
 green, that one would think — they probably think so 
 themselves — that they could never fade and wither; 
 such days in human existence are the period of joyous 
 German student life. You can believe it. Leonhard 
 has told you enough of Jena. He understood how to 
 unite work and pleasure; I, on the contrary, learned little 
 on the wooden benches, for I rarely occupied them, and 
 the dust of books certainly didn't spoil my lungs. But 
 I read Ariosto again and again, devoted myself to 
 singing, and when a storm of feeling seethed within my 
 breast, composed many songs for my own pleasure. 
 We learned to wield the sword too in Jena, and I would 
 gladly have crossed blades with the sturdy fencing- 
 master Allertssohn, of whom you have just told me. 
 Leonhard was older than I, and when he graduated 
 with honor, I was still very weak in the pandects. But 
 we were always one in heart and soul, so I went to 
 Holland with him to attend his wedding. Ah, those 
 were days ! The theologians in Jena have actively dis- 
 puted about the part of the earth, in which the little 
 garden of Paradise should be sought. I considered 
 them all fools, and thought : ' There is only one Eden, 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 243 
 
 and that lies in Holland, and the fairest roses the dew 
 waked on the first sunny morning, bloom in Delft ! * " 
 
 At these words Georg shook back his waving 
 locks and hesitated in great embarrassment, but as no 
 one interrupted him and he saw Barbara's eager face 
 and the children's glowing cheeks, quietly continued : 
 
 *' So I came home, and was to learn for the first 
 time, that in life also beautiful sunny days often end with 
 storms. I found my father ill, and a few days after my 
 return he closed his eyes in death. I had never seen 
 any human being die, and the first, the very first, was 
 he, my father." 
 
 Georg paused, and deeply moved, passed his hand 
 over his eyes. 
 
 ^' Your father ! " cried Barbara, in a tone of cordial 
 sympathy, breaking the silence. " If we can judge the 
 tree by the apple, he was surely a splendid man." 
 
 The Junker again raised his head, exclaiming with 
 sparkling eyes : 
 
 *' Unite every good and noble quality, and embody 
 them in the form of a tall, handsome man, then you will 
 have the image of my father ; — and I might tell you of 
 my mother — " 
 
 " Is she still alive ? " asked Peter. 
 
 ^' God grant it ! " exclaimed the young man. " I 
 have heard nothing from my family for two months. 
 That is hard. Pleasures smile along every path, and I 
 like my profession of soldier, but it often grieves me 
 sorely to hear so little from home. Oh ! if one were 
 only a bird, a sunbeam, or a shooting-star, one might, if 
 only for the twinkling of an eye, learn how matters go 
 at home and fill the soul with fresh gratitude, or, if it 
 must be — but I will not think of that. In the valley of 
 
244 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 the Saale, the trees are blossoming and a thousand 
 flowers deck all the meadows, just as they do here, and 
 did there two years ago, when I left home for the second 
 time. 
 
 " After my father's death I was the heir, but neither 
 hunting nor riding to court, neither singing nor the 
 clinking of beakers could please me. I went about 
 like a sleep-walker, and it seemed as if I had no 
 right to live without my father. Then — it is now 
 just two years ago — a messenger brought from Weimar 
 a letter which had come from Italy with several others^ 
 addressed to our most gracious sovereign ; it contained 
 the news that our lost brother was still alive, lying 
 sick and wretched in the hospital at Bergamo. A 
 kind nun had written for him, and we now learned that 
 on the journey from Valencia to Livorno Louis had 
 been captured by corsairs and dragged to Tunis. How 
 much suffering he endured there, with what danger he 
 at last succeeded in obtaining his liberty, you shall learn 
 later. He escaped to Italy on a Genoese galley. His 
 feet carried him as far as Bergamo, but he could go no 
 farther, and now lay ill, perhaps dying, among sympa- 
 thizing strangers. I set out at once and did not spare 
 horseflesh on the way to Bergamo, but though there 
 were many strange and beautiful things to be seen on 
 my way, they afforded me little pleasure, the thought of 
 Louis, so dangerously ill, saddened my joyous spirits. 
 Every running brook urged me to hasten, and the lofty 
 mountains seemed like jealous barriers. When once 
 beyond St. Gotthard I felt less anxious, and as I 
 rode down from Bellinzona to Lake Lugano, and the 
 sparkhng surface of the water beyond the city smiled at 
 me like a blue eye, forgot my grief for a time, waved 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 245 
 
 my hat, and sung a song. In Bergamo I found my 
 brother, alive, but enfeebled in mind and body, weak, 
 and without any desire to take up the burden of life 
 again. He had been in good hands, and after a few 
 weeks we were able to travel homeward — this time I 
 went through beautiful Tyrol. Louis's strength daily 
 increased, but the wings of his soul had been paralyzed 
 by suffering. Alas, for long years he had dug and car- 
 ried heavy loads, with chains on his feet, beneath a 
 broiling sun. Chevalier von Brand could not long 
 endure this hard fate, but Louis, while in Tunis, forgot 
 both how to laugh and weep, and which of the two can 
 be most easily spared ? 
 
 " Even when he saw my mother again, he could not 
 shed a tear, yet his whole body — and surely his heart 
 also — trembled with emotion. Now he lives quietly at 
 the castle. In the prime of manhood he is an old man, 
 but he is beginning to accommodate himself to life, only 
 he can't bear the sight of a strange face. I had a hard 
 battle with him, for as the eldest son, the castle and 
 estate, according to the law, belong to him, but he 
 wanted to resign his rights and put me in his place. 
 Even when he had brought my mother over to his side, 
 and my uncle and brothers and sisters tried to persuade 
 me to yield to his wish, I remained resolute. I would 
 not touch what did not belong to me, and our youngest 
 boy, Wolfgang, has grown up, and can fill my place 
 wherever it is necessary. When the entreaties and per- 
 suasions became too strong for me, I saddled my horse 
 and went away again. It was hard for my mother to 
 let me go, but I had tasted the delight of travelling, and 
 rode off as if to a wedding. If I must be perfectly 
 frank, I'll confess that I resigned castle and estates like 
 
246 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 a troublesome restraint. Free as the wind and clouds^ 
 I followed the same road over which I had ridden with 
 Leonhard, for in your country a war after my own heart 
 was going on, and my future fortune was to be based 
 upon my sword. In Cologne I enlisted under the 
 banner of Louis of Nassau, and fought with him at 
 Mook Heath till every one retreated. My horse had 
 fallen, my doublet was torn, there was little left save 
 good spirits and the hope of better days. These were 
 soon found, for Captain Gensfort asked me to join the 
 English troops. I became his ensign, and at Alfen held 
 out beside him till the last grain of powder was ex- 
 hausted. What happened there, you know." 
 
 " And Captain Van der Laen told us," said Peter, 
 " that he owes his life to you. You fought like a lion."' 
 
 *' It was wild work enough at the fortifications, yet 
 neither I nor my horse had a hair ruffled, and this time 
 I even saved my knapsack and a full purse. Fate, like 
 mothers, loves troublesome children best, and therefore 
 led me to you and your family, Herr Burgomaster." 
 
 *^ And I beg you to consider yourself one of them,'^ 
 replied Peter. " We have two pleasant rooms looking 
 out upon the court-yard; they shall be put in order for 
 you, if you would like to occupy them." 
 
 ** With pleasure," replied the Junker, and Peter, 
 offering him his hand, said : 
 
 " The duties of my office call me away, but you can 
 tell the ladies what you need, and when you mean to 
 move in. The sooner, the better we shall be pleased. 
 Shall we not, Maria ?" 
 
 " You will be welcome, Junker Georg. Now I must 
 look after the invalid we are nursing here. Barbara will 
 ascertain your wishes." 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 247 
 
 The young wife took her husband's hand and left 
 the room with him. 
 
 The widow was left alone with the young nobleman 
 and tried to learn everything he desired. Then she fol- 
 lowed her sister-in-law, and finding her in Henrica*s 
 room, clapped her hands, exclaiming : 
 
 ''That is a man! Fraulein, I assure you that„ 
 though I'm an old woman, I never met so fine a young 
 fellow in all my life. So much heart, and so handsome 
 too ! ' To whom fortune gives once, it gives by bushels, 
 and unto him that hath, shall be given !' Those are 
 precious words !'* 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Peter had promised Henrica, to request the council 
 to give her permission to leave the city. 
 
 It was hard for her to part from the burgomaster's 
 household. Maria's frank nature exerted a beneficial 
 influence ; it seemed as if her respect for her own sex 
 increased in her society. The day before she had heard 
 her sing. The young wife's voice was like her character. 
 Every note flawless and clear as a bell, and Henrica 
 grieved that she should be forbidden to mingle her own 
 voice with her hostess's. She was very sorry to leave 
 the children too. Yet she was obliged to go, on Anna's 
 account, for her father could not be persuaded by letters 
 to do anything. Had she appealed to him in writing to 
 forgive his rejected child, he would hardly have read the 
 epistle to the end. Something might more easily be won 
 from him through words, by taking advantage of a favor- 
 
248 THE burgomaster's WIFE. | 
 
 able moment. She must have speech with him, yet she ^ 
 dreaded the Hfe in his castle, especially as she was forced j 
 to acknowledge, that she too was by no means necessary 1 
 to her father. To secure the inheritance, he had sent \ 
 her to a terrible existence with her aunt; while she lay ■ 
 dangerously ill, he had gone to a tournament, and the \ 
 letter received from him the day before, contained 
 nothing but the information that he was refused admit- j 
 tance to the city, and a summons for her to go to Jun- \ 
 ker de Heuter's house at the Hague. Enclosed was a '-. 
 pass from Valdez, enjoining all King Philip's soldiers to ! 
 provide for her safety. ' \ 
 
 The burgomaster had intended to have her conveyed ; 
 in a litter, accompanied by a flag of truce, as far as the i 
 Spanish lines, and the doctor no longer opposed her ] 
 wish to travel. She hoped to leave that day. \ 
 
 Lost in thought, she stationed herself in the bay- i 
 window and gazed out into the court-yard. Several ■ 
 windows in the building on the eastern side stood open. ■ 
 Trautchen must have risen early, for she came out of \ 
 the rooms arranged for Georg's occupation, followed by \ 
 a young assistant carrying various scrubbing utensils. ; 
 Next Jan appeared with a large arm-chair on his head. | 
 Bessie ran after the Frieselander, calling : \ 
 
 " Aunt Barbel's grandfather's chair ; where will she \ 
 take her afternoon nap ?" \ 
 
 Henrica had heard the words, and thought first of j 
 good old " Babetta," who could also feel tenderly, then ; 
 of Maria and tlie man who was to lodge in the rooms I 
 opposite. Were there not some loose threads still re- 
 maining of the old tie, that had united the burgomaster's \ 
 wife to the handsome nobleman ? A feeling of dread \ 
 overpowered her. Poor Meister Peter, poor Maria! ] 
 
 ■I 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 249 
 
 Was it right to abandon the young wife, who had held 
 out a saving hand in her distress ? Yet how much 
 nearer was her own sister than this stranger ! Each day 
 that she allowed herself to linger in this peaceful asylum, 
 seemed like a theft from Anna — since she had read in a 
 letter from her to her husband, the only one the dead 
 man's pouch contained, that she was ill and sunk in 
 poverty with her child. 
 
 Help was needed here, and no one save herself could 
 offer it. 
 
 With aid from Barbara and Maria, she packed her 
 clothes. At noon everything was ready for her de- 
 parture, and she would not be withheld from eating in 
 the dining-room with the family. Peter was prevented 
 from coming to dinner, Henrica took his seat and, under 
 the mask of loud, forced mirth, concealed the grief and 
 anxieties that filled her heart. At twilight Maria and 
 the children followed her into her room, and she now 
 had the harp brought and sang. At first her voice failed 
 to reach many a note, but as the snow falling from the 
 mountain peaks to the plains at first slides sjowly, then 
 rapidly increases in bulk and power, her tones gradu- 
 ally gained fulness and irresistible might and, when at 
 last she rested the harp against the wall and walked to 
 the chair exhausted, Maria clasped her hand and said 
 with deep emotion : 
 
 " Stay with us, Henrica." 
 
 " I ought not," replied the girl. *' You are enough 
 for each other. Shall I take you with me, children ?" 
 
 Adrian lowered his eyes in embarrassment, but 
 Bessie jumped into her lap, exclaiming . 
 
 '^ Where are you going ? Stay with us. 
 
 Just at that moment some one knocked at the door, 
 
250 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE, 
 
 and Peter entered. It was evident that he brought no 
 good tidings. His request had been refused. The | 
 council had almost unanimously voted an assent to Van ] 
 Bronkhorst's proposition, that the young lady, as a ' 
 relation of prominent friends of Spain among the Nether- ; 
 land nobility, should be kept in the city. Peter's repre- : 
 sentations were unheeded ; he now frankly told Henrica ; 
 what a conflict he had had, and entreated her to have • 
 patience and be content to remain in his house as a \ 
 welcome guest. \ 
 
 The young girl interrupted him with many a pas- \ 
 sionate exclamation of indignation, and when she grew | 
 calmer, cried : 
 
 " Oh, you men, you men ! I would gladly stay j 
 with you, but you know from w^hat this base deed of j 
 violence detains me. And then : to be a prisoner, to | 
 live weeks, months, without mass and without confession. ] 
 Yet first and last — merciful Heavens, what will become ! 
 of my unfortunate sister ?" '; 
 
 Maria gazed beseechingly at Peter, and the latter ■ 
 said : \ 
 
 " If you desire the consolations of your religion, I ^ 
 will send Father Damianus to you, and you can hear | 
 mass with the Grey Sisters, who live beside us, as often { 
 as you desire. We are not fighting against yolir religion, 1 
 but for the free exercise of every faith, and the whole .: 
 city stands open to you. My wife will help you bear \ 
 your anxiety about your siater far better tlian I could i 
 do, but let me say this : wherever and however I can ] 
 help you, it shall be done, and not merely in words." \ 
 
 So saying, he held out his hand to Henrica. She i 
 gave him hers, exclaiming : j 
 
 ** I have cause to thank you, I know, but please i 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 25 1 
 
 leave me now and give me time to think until to- 
 morrow." 
 
 " Is there no way of changing the decision of the 
 council ? " Maria asked her husband. 
 
 " No, certainly not." 
 
 " Well, then," said the young wife earnestly, '* you 
 jTiust remain our guest. Anxiety for your sister does 
 not cloud your pleasure alone, but saddens me too. 
 Let us first of all provide for her. How are the roads 
 to Delft ?" 
 
 *^ They are cut, and no one will be able to pass after 
 to-morrow or the day after." 
 
 " Then calm yourself, Henrica, and let us consider 
 what is to be done." 
 
 The questions and counter-questions began, and 
 Henrica gazed in astonishment at the delicate young 
 wife, for with unerring resolution and keenness, she held 
 the first voice in the consultation. The surest means of 
 gaining information was to seek that very day a reliable 
 messenger, by whom to send Anna d'Avila money, 
 and if possible bring her to Holland. The burgomaster 
 declared himself ready to advance from his own pro- 
 perty, a portion of the legacy bequeathed Henrica*s 
 sister by P'raulein Van Hoogstraten, and accepted his 
 guest's thanks without constraint. 
 
 " But whom could they send ? " 
 
 Henrica thought of Wilhelm ; he was her sister's 
 friend. 
 
 " But he is in the military service," replied the 
 burgomaster. " I know him. He will not desert the 
 city in these times of trouble, not even for his mother." 
 
 " But I know the right messenger," said Maria. 
 "We'll send Junker Georg." 
 
252 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " That's a good suggestion," said Peter. *' We shall 
 find him in his lodgings. I must go to Van Hout, who 
 lives close by, and will send the German to you. But 
 my time is limited, and with such gentlemen, fair women 
 can accomplish more than bearded men. Farewell, 
 dear Fraulein, once more — we rejoice to have you for 
 our guest." 
 
 When the burgomaster had left the room, Henrica 
 said: 
 
 " How quickly, and how differently from what I ex- 
 pected, all this has happened. I love you. I am under 
 obligations to you, but to be imprisoned, imprisoned. — 
 The walls will press upon me, the ceiling will seem like 
 a weight. I don't know whether I ought to rejoice or 
 despair. You have great influence with the Junker. 
 Tell him about Anna, touch his heart, and if he would 
 go, it would really be best for us both." 
 
 " You mean for you and your sister," replied Maria 
 with a repellent gesture of the hand. " There is the 
 lamp. When the Junker comes, we shall see each other 
 again." 
 
 Maria went to her room and threw herself on the 
 couch, but soon rose and paced restlessly to and fro. 
 Then stretching out her clasped hands, she exclaimed : 
 
 " Oh, if he would only go, if he would only go ! 
 Merciful God ! Kind, gracious Father in Heaven, grant 
 him every happiness, every blessing, but save my peace 
 of mind ; let him go, and lead him far, far away from 
 here." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE 253 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 The tavern where Georg von Dornburg lodged stood 
 on the ** broad street," and was a fine building with 
 a large court-yard, in which were numerous vehicles. 
 On the left of the entrance was a large open room 
 entered through a lofty archway. Here the drivers and 
 other folk sat over their beer and wine, suffering the 
 innkeeper's hens to fly on the benches and even some- 
 times on the table, here vegetables were cleaned, boiled 
 and fried, here the stout landlady was frequently obliged 
 to call her sturdy maid and men servants to her aid, when 
 her guests came to actual fighting, or some one drank 
 more than was good for him. Here the new custom of 
 tobacco-smoking was practised, though only by a few 
 sailors who had served on Spanish ships — but Frau Van 
 Aken could not endure the acrid smoke and opened the 
 windows, which were filled with blooming pinks, slender 
 stalks of balsam, and cages containing bright-plumaged 
 goldfinches. On the side opposite to the entrance were 
 two closed rooms. Above the door of one, neatly 
 carved in wood, were the lines from Horace : 
 
 " Ille terrarum mihi praeter omnes. 
 Angulus ridet." * 
 
 Only a few chosen guests found admittance into this 
 long, narrow apartment. It was completely wainscoted 
 with wood, and from the centre of the richly-carved 
 
 * Of all the corners of the world, 
 There is none that so charms me. 
 
2 54 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. '! 
 
 J 
 
 ceiling a strange picture gleamed in brilliant hues. This ] 
 represented the landlord. The worthy man with the : 
 smooth face, firmly-closed lips, and long nose, which ! 
 offered an excellent straight line to its owner's burin, j 
 sat on a throne in the costume of a Roman general, 1 
 while Vulcan and Bacchus, Minerva and Pomona, i 
 offered him gifts. Klaus Van Aken, or as he preferred j 
 to be called, Nicolaus Aquanus, was a singular man, j 
 who had received good gifts from more than one of the ■ 
 Olympians ; for besides his business he zealously de- j 
 voted himself to science and several of the arts. He \ 
 was an excellent silver-smith, a die-cutter and engraver i 
 of great skill, had a remarkable knowledge of coins, was 1 
 an industrious student and collector of antiquities. His 
 little tap-room was also a museum ; for on the shelves, ; 
 that surrounded it, stood rare objects of every descrip- ' 
 tion, in rich abundance and regular order ; old jugs and i 
 tankards, large and small coins, gems in ^carefully-sealed 
 glass-cases, antique lamps of clay and bronze, stones \ 
 with ancient Roman inscriptions, Roman and Greek ! 
 terra-cotta, polished fragments of marble which he had \ 
 found in Italy among the ruins, the head of a faun, an ; 
 arm, a foot and other bits of Pagan works of art, a \ 
 beautifully-enamelled casket of Byzantine work, and j 
 another with enamelled ornamentation from Limoges, i 
 Even half a Roman coat of mail and a bit of mosaic \ 
 from a Roman bath were to be seen here. Amid these \ 
 antiquities, stood beautiful Venetian glasses, pine-cones j 
 and ostrich -eggs. Such another tap-room could scarcely \ 
 be found in Holland, and even the liquor, which a i 
 neatly-dressed maid poured for the guests from oddly- I 
 shaped tankards into exquisitely- wrought goblets, was ] 
 exceptionally fine. In this room H err Aquanus himself j 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 255 
 
 was in the habit of appearing among his guests ; in the 
 other, opposite to the entrance, his wife held sway. 
 
 On this day, the " Angulus," as the beautiful tap- 
 room was called, was but thinly occupied, for the sun 
 had just set, though the lamps were already lighted. 
 These rested in three-branched iron chandeliers, every 
 portion of which, from the slender central shaft to the 
 intricately-carved and twisted ornaments, had been care- 
 fully wrought by Aquanus with his own hand. 
 
 Several elderly gentlemen were at one table enjoying 
 their wine, while at another were Captain 4if an der Laen, 
 a brave Hollander, who was receiving English pay and 
 had come to the city with the other defenders of Alfen, 
 the musician Wilhelm, Junker Georg, and the land- 
 lord. 
 
 " It's a pleasure to meet people like you, Junker," 
 said Aquanus. " You've travelled with your eyes open, 
 and what you tell me about Brescia excites my curiosity. 
 I should have liked to see the inscription." 
 
 '^ I'll get it for you," replied the young man; ^' for if 
 the Spaniards don't send me into another world, I shall 
 certainly cross the Alps again. Did you find any of 
 these Roman antiquities in your own country ?" 
 
 " Yes. At the Roomburg Canal, perhaps the site of 
 the old Praetorium, and at Katwyk. The forum 
 Hadriani was probably located near Voorburg. The 
 coat of mail, I showed you, came from there." 
 
 " An old, green, half-corroded thing," cried Georg. 
 '' And yet ! What memories the sight of it awakens ! 
 Did not some Roman armorer forge it for the wander- 
 ing emperor? When I look at this coat of mail, Rome 
 and her legions appear before my eyes. Who would not, 
 like you, Herr Wilhelm, go to the Tiber to increase 
 
256 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 the short span of the present by the long centuries of 
 the past ! " 
 
 " I should be glad to go to Italy once more with 
 you," replied Wilhelm. 
 
 " And I with you." 
 
 *^ Let us first secure our liberty," said the musician. 
 " When that is accomplished, each individual will 
 belong to himself, and then : why should I conceal it, 
 nothing will keep me in Leyden." 
 
 *^ And the organ ? Your father ?" asked Aquanus. 
 
 *' My brcAers will remain here, snug in their own 
 nest," answered Wilhelm. " But something urges, im- 
 pels me — " 
 
 ' " There are still waters and rivers on earth," inter- 
 rupted Georg, *^ and in the sky the fixed stars remain 
 quiet and the planets cannot cease from wandering. So 
 among human beings, there are contented persons, who 
 like their own places, and birds of passage like us. To 
 be sure, you needn't go to Italy to hear fine singing. I 
 just heard a voice, a voice — " 
 
 " Where ? You make me eager." 
 
 *^ In the court-yard of Herr Van der Werff's house." 
 
 " That was his wife." 
 
 " Oh, no! Her voice sounds differently." 
 
 During this conversation. Captain Van der Laen had 
 risen and examined the landlord's singular treasures. 
 He was now standing before a board, on which the 
 head of an ox was sketched in charcoal, freely, boldly 
 and with perfect fidelity to nature. 
 
 " What magnificent piece of beef is this ?" he asked 
 the landlord. 
 
 " No less a personage than Frank Floris sketched 
 it," rephed Aquanus. "- He once came here from Brus- 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFF. '^ U^ / -a 
 
 sels and called on Meister Artjeh. The old mzxi hti^.^^ 
 gone out, so Floris took a bit of charcoal and drew 
 these lines with it. When Artjen came home and found 
 the ox's head, he stood before it a long time and finally 
 exclaimed : * Frank Floris, or the devil !' This story — 
 But there comes the burgomaster. Welcome, Meister 
 Peter. A rare honor." 
 
 All the guests rose and respectfully greated Van der 
 Werff ; Georg started up to offer him his chair. Peter 
 sat down for a short time and drank a glass of wine, 
 but soon beckoned to the Junker and went out with 
 him into the street. 
 
 There he briefly requested him to go to his house, 
 for they had an important communication to make, and 
 then went to Van Hout's residence, which was close 
 beside the inn. 
 
 Georg walked thoughtfully towards the burgo- 
 master's. 
 
 The "they" could scarcely have referred to any one 
 except Maria. What could she want of him at so late 
 an hour ? Had his friend regretted having offered him 
 lodgings in her own house ? He was to move into his 
 new quarters early next morning ; perhaps she wished 
 to inform him of this change of mind, before it was too 
 late. Maria treated him differently from before, there 
 was no doubt of that, but surely this was natural ! He 
 had dreamed of a different, far different meeting! He 
 had come to Holland to support the good cause of 
 Orange, yet he would certainly have turned his steed 
 towards his beloved Italy, where a good sword was 
 always in demand, instead of to the north, had he not 
 hoped to find in Holland her, whom he had never for- 
 gotten, for whom he had never ceased to long — Now 
 17 
 
258 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 she was the wife of another, a man who had shown him 
 kindness, given him his confidence. To tear his love 
 from his heart was impossible; but he owed it to her 
 husband and his own honor to be strong, to resolutely 
 repress every thought of possessing her, and only rejoice 
 in seeing her; and this he must try to accomplish. 
 
 He had told himself all these things more than once, 
 but realized that he was walking with unsteady steps, 
 upon a narrow pathway, when she met him outside the 
 dining-room and he felt how cold and tremulous was 
 the hand she laid in his. * 
 
 Maria led the way, and he silently followed her into 
 Henrica's room. The latter greeted him with a friendly 
 gesture, but both ladies hesitated to utter the first word. 
 The young man turned hastily, noticed that he was in 
 the room overlooking the court-yard, and said, eagerly : 
 
 " I was down below just before twiHght, to look at 
 my new quarters, and heard singing from this room, and 
 such singing ! At first I didn't know what was coming, 
 for the tones were husky, weak, and broken, but after- 
 wards — afterwards the melody burst forth like a stream 
 of lava through the ashes. We ought to wish many 
 sorrows to one, who can lament thus." 
 
 " You shall make the singer's acquaintance," said 
 Maria, motioning towards the young girl. " Fraulein 
 Henrica Van Hoogstraten, a beloved guest in our 
 house." 
 
 " Were you the songstress ?" asked Georg. 
 
 " Does that surprise you ?" replied Henrica. ." My 
 voice has certainly retained its strength better than my 
 body, wasted by long continued suffering. I feel how 
 deeply my eyes are sunken and how pale I must be. 
 Singing certamly lightens pain, and I have been de- 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 259 
 
 prived of the comforter long enough. Not a note has 
 passed my Hps for weeks, and now my heart aches so, 
 that I would far rather weep than sing. ' What troubles 
 me ?' you will ask, and yet Maria gives me courage to 
 request a chivalrous service, almost without parallel, at 
 your hands." 
 
 " Speak, speak," Georg eagerly exclaimed. " If 
 Frau Maria summons me and I can serve you, dear 
 lady : here I am, dispose of me." 
 
 Henrica did not avoid his frank glance, as she 
 replied : 
 
 " First hear what a great service we ask of you. 
 You must prepare yourself to hear a short story. I 
 am still weak and have put my strength to a severe test 
 to-day, Maria must speak for me." 
 
 The young wife fulfilled this task quietly and clearly, 
 closing with the words : 
 
 " The messenger we need, I have found myself You 
 must be he. Junker Georg." 
 
 Henrica had not interrupted the burgomaster's wife ; 
 but now said warmly : 
 
 " I have only made your acquaintance to-day, but I 
 trust you entirely. A few hours ago, black would have 
 been my color, but if you will be my knight, I'll choose 
 cheerful green, for I now begin to hope again. Will you 
 venture to take the ride for me ?" 
 
 Hitherto Georg had gazed silently at the floor. Now 
 he raised his head, saying : 
 
 " If I can obtain leave of absence, I will place my- 
 self at your disposal ; — but my lady's color is blue, and 
 I am permitted to wear no other." 
 
 Henrica'slips quivered slighdy, but the young noble- 
 man continued : 
 
 17 * 
 
26o THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Captain Van der Laen is my superior officer. Ill 
 speak to him at once." 
 
 " And if he says no ?" asked Maria. 
 
 Henrica interrupted her and answered haughtily : 
 
 "Then I beg you to send me Herr Wilhelm, the 
 musician." 
 
 Georg bowed and went to the tavern. 
 
 As soon as the ladies were alone, the young girl 
 asked : 
 
 " Do you know Herr von Dornburg's lady ? " 
 
 " How should I ? " replied Maria. " Give yourself a 
 little rest, Fraulein. As soon as the Junker comes back, 
 I'll bring him to you." 
 
 The young wife left the room and seated herself at 
 the spinning-wheel with Barbara Georg kept them 
 waiting a long time, but at midnight again appeared, 
 accompanied by two companions. It was not within 
 the limits of the captain's authority to grant him a leave 
 of absence for several weeks — the journey to Italy 
 would have required that length of time — but the 
 Junker had consulted the musician, and the latter had 
 found the right man, with whom Wilhelm speedily 
 made the necessary arrangements, and brought him 
 without delay : it was the old steward, Belotti. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 On the morning of the following day the spacious 
 shooting-grounds, situated not far from the White 
 Gate, between the Rapenburg and the city- wall, pre- 
 sented a busy scene, for by a decree of the council 
 
 i 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 261 
 
 the citizens and inhabitants, without exception, no 
 matter whether they were poor or rich, of noble or 
 plebeian birth, were to take a solemn oath to be loyal 
 to the Prince and the good cause. 
 
 Commissioner Van Bronkhorst, Burgomaster Van 
 der Werff, and two other magistrates, clad in festal 
 attire, stood under a group of. beautiful linden-trees to 
 receive the oaths of the men and youths, who flocked to 
 the spot. The solemn ceremonial had not yet com- 
 menced. Janus Dousa, in full uniform, a coat of mail 
 over his doublet and a helmet on his head, arm-in-arm 
 with Van Hout, approached Meister Peter and the 
 commissioner, saying: " Here it is again! Not one of 
 the humbler citizens and workmen is absent, but the 
 gentlemen in velvet and fur are but thinly represented." 
 
 " They shall come yet !" cried the city clerk men- 
 acingly. 
 
 " What will formal vows avail ?" replied the burgo- 
 master. " Whoever desires liberty, must grant it. 
 Besides, this hour will teach us on whom we can 
 depend." 
 
 " Not a single man of the militia is absent," said the 
 commissioner. 
 
 " There is comfort in that. What is stirring yonder 
 in the linden ?" 
 
 The men looked up and perceived Adrian, who was 
 swaying in the top of the tree, as a concealed listener. 
 
 " The boy must be everywhere," exclaimed Peter. 
 <* Come down, saucy lad. You appear at a convenient 
 time." 
 
 The boy clung to a limb with his hands, let himself 
 drop to the ground and stood before his father with a 
 penitent face, which he knew how to assume when 
 
262 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 occasion required. The burgomaster uttered no further 
 words of reproof, but bade him go home and tell his 
 mother, that he saw no possibility of getting Belotti 
 through the Spanish lines in safety, and also that Father 
 Damianus had promised to call on the young lady in 
 the course of the day. 
 
 " Hurry, Adrian, and you, constables, keep all un- 
 bidden persons away from these trees, for any place 
 where an oath is taken becomes sacred ground — The 
 clergymen have seated themselves yonder near the 
 target. They have the precedence. Have the kind- 
 ness to summon them, Herr Van Hout. Dominie 
 Verstroot wishes to make an address, and then I would 
 like to utter a few words of admonition to the citizens 
 myself" 
 
 Van Hout withdrew, but before he had reached the 
 preachers Junker von Warmond appeared, and reported 
 that a messenger, a handsome young lad, had come as 
 an envoy. He was standing before the White Gate and 
 had a letter. 
 
 " From Valdez ?" 
 
 " I don't know ; but the young fellow is a Hollander 
 and his face is familiar to me." 
 
 " Conduct him here ; but don't interrupt us until the 
 ceremony of taking the oath is over. The messenger 
 can tell Valdez what he has seen and heard here. It 
 will do. the Castilian good, to know in advance what we 
 intend." 
 
 The Junker withdrew, and when he returned with 
 Nicolas Van Wfbisma, who was the messenger. Dominie 
 Verstroot had finished his stirring speech. Van der 
 WerfF was still speaking. The sacred fire of enthusiasm 
 sparkled in his eyes, and though the few words he ad- 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 263 
 
 dressed to his fellow-combatants in the deepest chest 
 tones of his powerful voice were plain and unadorned, 
 they found their way to the souls of his auditors. 
 
 Nicolas also followed the speech with a throbbing 
 heart ; it seemed as if the tall, earnest man under the 
 linden were speaking directly to him and to him alone, 
 when at the close he raised his voice once more and ex- 
 claimed enthusiastically : 
 
 *' And now let what will, come ! A brave man from 
 your midst has said to-day : * We will not yield, so long 
 as an arm is left on our bodies, to raise foocjl to our lips 
 and wield a sword ! ' If we all think thus, twenty 
 Spanish armies w^ill find their graves before these walls. 
 On Leyden depends the liberty of Holland. If we 
 waver and fall, to escape the misery that only threatens 
 us to-day, but will pitilessly oppress and torture us later, 
 our children will say : * The men of Leyden were blind 
 cowards ; it is their fault, that the name of Hollander is 
 held in no higher esteem, than that of a useless slave.* 
 But if we faithfully hold out and resist the gloomy 
 foreigner to the last man and the last mouthful of bread, 
 they will remember us with tears and joyfully exclaim : 
 ^ We owe it to them, that our noble, industrious, happy 
 people is permitted to place itself proudly beside the 
 other nations, and need no longer tolerate the miserable 
 cuckoo in its own nest. Let whoever loves honor, 
 whoever is no degenerate wretch, that betrays his 
 parents' house, whoever would rather be a free man 
 than a slave, ere raising his hand before God to take 
 the oath, exclaim with me : ' Long live our shield. 
 Orange, and a free Holland ! ' " 
 
 ''They shall live!" shouted hundreds of powerful 
 voices, five, ten, twenty times. The gunner discharged 
 
264 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ■ 
 
 the cannon planted near the target, drums beat, one \ 
 flourish of trumpets after another filled the air, the \ 
 ringing of bells from all the towers of the city echoed \ 
 over the heads of the enthusiastic crowd, and the cheering 1 
 continued until the commissioner waved his hand and ; 
 the swearing fealty began. ) 
 
 The guilds and the armed defenders of the city j 
 pressed forward in bands under the linden. Now i 
 impetuously, now with dignified calmness, now with \ 
 devout exaltation, hands were raised to take the oath, \ 
 and whoever clasped hands did so with fervent warmth. ; 
 Two hours elapsed before all had sworn loyalty, and \ 
 many a group that had passed under the linden together, j 
 warmly grasped each other's hands on the grounds in ; 
 pledge of a second silent vow. i 
 
 Nicolas Van Wibisma sat silently, with his letter in | 
 his lap, beside a target opposite the spot where the i 
 oath was taken, but sorrowful, bitter emotions were J 
 seething in his breast. How gladly he would have wept ■ 
 aloud and torn* his father's letter ! How gladly, when \ 
 he saw the venerable Herr Van Montfort come hand in j 
 hand with the grey-haired Van der Does to be sworn, he t 
 would have rushed to their side to take the oath, and j 
 call to the earnest man beneath the hnden : j 
 
 " I am no degenerate wretch, who betrays his | 
 parents' house ; I desire to be no slave, no Spaniard ; ; 
 I am a Netherlander, like yourself" 
 
 But he did not go, did not speak, he remained sit- \ 
 ting motionless till the ceremony was over and Junker j 
 von Warmond conducted him under the linden. Van ! 
 Hout and both the Van der Does had joined the magis- | 
 trates who had administered the oath. Bowing silently, \ 
 Nicolas deUvered his father's letter to the burgomaster. \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 265 
 
 Van der Werff broke the seal, and after reading it, 
 handed it to the other gentlemen, then turning to Nico- 
 las, said : 
 
 " Wait here, Junker. Your father counsels us to 
 yield the city to the Spaniards, and promises a pardon 
 from the King. You cannot doubt the answer, after 
 what you have heard in this place." 
 
 " There is but . one,*' cried Van Hout, in the midst 
 of reading the letter. " Tear the thing up and make 
 no reply." 
 
 " Ride home, in God's name," added Janus Dousa. 
 '* But wait, I'll give you something more for Valdez." 
 
 " Then you will vouchsafe no reply to my father's 
 letter ?" asked Nicolas. 
 
 " No, Junker. We wish to hold no intercourse with 
 Baron Matanesse," replied the commissioner. " As for 
 you, you can return home or wait here ; just as you 
 choose." 
 
 "Go to your cousin. Junker," said Janus Dousa 
 kindly; ** it will probably be an hour before I can find 
 paper, pen and sealing wax. Fraulein Van Hoogstraten 
 will be glad to hear, through you, from her father." 
 
 *' If agreeable to you, young sir," added the burgo- 
 master; " my house stands open to you." 
 
 Nicolas hesitated a moment, then said quickly : 
 
 " Yes, take me to her." 
 
 When the youth had reached the north end of the 
 city with Herr von Warmond, who had undertaken to 
 accompany him, he asked the latter : 
 
 " Are you Junker Van Duivenvoorde, Herr von 
 Warmond ?" 
 
 " I am." 
 
266 THE burgomaster's WIFE. ^ 
 
 i 
 
 " And you captured Brill, with the Beggars, from the] 
 Spaniards ?" ^ 
 
 " I had that good fortune." 
 
 " And yet, you are of a good old family. And were ; 
 there not other noblemen with the Beggars also ?" ! 
 
 " Certainly. Do you suppose it ill-beseems us, to I 
 have a heart for our ancestors' home ? My forefathers, ; 
 as well as yours, were noble before a Spaniard ever en- j 
 tered the land." j 
 
 " But King Philip rules us as the lawful sover- j 
 eign." i 
 
 " Unhappily. And therefore we obey his Stadt- : 
 holder, the Prince, who reigns in his name. The per- j 
 jured hangman needs a guardian. Ask on; I'll answer] 
 willingly." j 
 
 Nicolas did not heed the request, but walked silently j 
 beside his companion until they reached the Achter- \ 
 gracht. There he stood still, seized the captain's arm in \ 
 great excitement, and said hastily in low, broken sen- ■ 
 tences : \ 
 
 *' It weighs on my heart. I must tell some one. I j 
 want to be Dutch. I hate the Castilians. I have] 
 learned to know them in Leyderdorp and at the Hague. i 
 They don't heed me, because I am young, and they are! 
 not aware that I understand their language. So my \ 
 eyes were opened. When they speak of us, it is with i 
 contempt and scorn. I know all that has been done by \ 
 Alva and Vargas. I have heard from the Spaniards'; 
 own lips, that they would like to root us out, exterminate i 
 us. If I^could only do as I pleased, and were it not forj 
 my father, I know what I would do. My head is so^ 
 confused. The burgomaster's speech is driving me out j 
 of my wits. Tell him, Junker, I beseech you, tell him I j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 267 
 
 hate the Spaniards and it would be my pride to be a 
 Netherlander." 
 
 Both had continued their walk, and as they ap- 
 proached the burgomaster's house, the captain, who had 
 listened to the youth with joyful surprise, said : 
 
 '' You're cut from good timber, Junker, and on the 
 way to the right goal. Only keep Herr Peter's speech 
 in your mind, and remember what you have learned in 
 history. To whom belong the shining purple pages in 
 the great book of national history? To the tyrants, 
 their slaves and eye-servants, or the men who lived and 
 died for Hberty ? Hold up your head. This conflict 
 will perhaps outlast both our lives, and you still have a 
 long time to put yourself on the right side. The noble- 
 man must serve his Prince, but he need be no slave of 
 a ruler, least of all a foreigner, an enemy of his nation. 
 Here we are; I'll come for you again in an hour. Give 
 me your hand. I should like to call you by your 
 Christian name in future, my brave Nico." 
 
 ^' Call me so," exclaimed the youth, " and — you'll 
 send no one else? I should like to talk with you 
 again." 
 
 The Junker was received in the burgomaster's house 
 by Barbara. Henrica could not see him immediately, 
 Father Damianus was with her, so he was obliged to 
 wait in the dining-room until the priest appeared. 
 Nicolas knew him well, and had even confessed to him 
 once the year before. After greeting the estimable man 
 and answering his inquiry how he had come there, he 
 said frankly and hastily : 
 
 *' Forgive me. Father, but something weighs upon 
 my heart. You are a holy man, and must know\ Is it 
 a crime, if a Hollander fights against the Spaniards, is it 
 
268 THE burgomaster's WIFE. f 
 
 a sin, if a Hollander wishes to be and remain what God 
 made him ? I can't believe it." 
 
 " Nor do I," replied Damianus in his simple manner. 
 ^* Whoever clings firmly to our holy church, whoever 
 loves his neighbor and strives to do right, may con- « 
 fidently favor the Dutch, and pray and fight for thei 
 fi*eedom of his native land." '] 
 
 " Ah !" exclaimed Nicolas, with sparkling eyes. ] 
 
 " For," continued Damianus more eagerly, " for you j 
 see, before the Spaniards came into the country, they 1 
 were good Catholics here and led devout lives, pleasing in \ 
 the sight of God. Why should it not be so again ? The ] 
 most High has separated men into nations, because He \ 
 wills, that tliey should lead their own lives and shape them ; 
 for their salvation and His honor; but not to give the ; 
 stronger nation the right to torture and oppress another. .' 
 Suppose your father went out to walk and a Spanish i 
 grandee should jump on his shoulders and make him \ 
 taste whip and spur, as if he were a horse. It would be \ 
 bad for the Castilian. Now substitute Holland for Herr • 
 Matanesse, and Spain for the grandee, and you will ' 
 know wliat I mean. There is nothing left for us to do, j 
 except cast off the oppressor. Our holy church will I 
 sustain no loss. God appointed it, and it will stand j 
 whether King Philip or another rules. Now you know \ 
 my opinion. Do I err or not, in thinking that the ; 
 name of GHpper no longer pleases you, dear Junker ? " 
 
 "No, Father Damianus! — You are right, a thous- ; 
 and times right. It is no sin, to desire a free Holland." ; 
 " Who told you it was one ?" i 
 
 " Canon Bermont and our chaplain." ' 
 
 " Then we are of a different opinion concerning this ] 
 temporal matter. Give to God the things that are ] 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 269 
 
 I God's, and remain where the Lord placed you. When 
 your beard grows, if you wish to fight for the hberty of 
 Holland, do so confidently. That is a sin for which I 
 will gladly grant you absolution." 
 
 Henrica was greatly delighted to see the fresh, happy- 
 looking youth again. Nicolas was obliged to tell her 
 about her father and his, and inform her how he had 
 come to Leyden. When she heard that he intended to 
 ! return in an hour, a bright idea entered her mind, which 
 was wholly engrossed by Belotti's mission. She told 
 I Nicolas what she meant to do, and begged him to take 
 ' the steward through the Spanish army to the Hague. 
 The Junker was not only ready to fulfil her request, but 
 promised that,- if the old man wanted to return, he 
 would apprize her of it in some way. 
 
 At the end of an hour she bade the boy farewell, 
 and when again walking towards the Achtergracht with 
 Herr von Warmond, he asked joyously : 
 
 " How shall I get to the Beggars ? " 
 
 ^' You ? " asked the captain in astonishment. 
 
 " Yes, I !" replied the Junker eagerly. " I shall soon 
 be seventeen, and when I am — Wait, just wait — you'll 
 hear of me yet." 
 
 " Right, Nicolas, right," replied the other. *' Let us 
 be Holland nobles and noble Hollanders." 
 
 Three hours later. Junker Matanesse Van Wibisma 
 rode into the Hague with Belotti, whom he had loved 
 from childhood. He brought his father nothing but a 
 carefully-folded and sealed letter, which Janus Dousa, 
 with a mischievous smile, had given him on behalf of 
 the citizens of Leyden for General Valdez, and which 
 contained, daintily inscribed on a large sheet, the follow- 
 ing hues from Dionysius Cato : 
 
270 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Fistula duke canit vohiarm dum decipit auceps.^^ 
 " Sweet are the notes of the flute, when the fowler - 
 lures the bird to his nest." 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. \ 
 
 The first week in June and half the second had.i 
 passed, the beautiful sunny days had drawn to a close, ] 
 and numerous guests sought the "Angulus" in Aquanus's ! 
 tavern during the evening hours. It was so cosy there \ 
 when the sea-breeze whistled, the rain poured, and the \ 
 water fell plashing on the pavements. The Spanish be- \ 
 sieging army encompassed the city hke an iron wall, j 
 Each individual felt that he was a fellow-prisoner of his I 
 neighbor, and drew closer to companions of his own ; 
 rank and opinions. Business was stagnant, idleness and ; 
 anxiety weighed like lead on the minds of all, and who- | 
 ever wished to make time pass rapidly and relieve his | 
 oppressed soul, went to the tavern to give utterance to \ 
 his own hopes and fears, and hear what others were , 
 thinking and feeling in the common distress. i 
 
 All the tables in the Angulus were occupied, and ■ 
 whoever wanted to be understood by a distant neighbor \ 
 was forced to raise his voice very loud, for special con- ; 
 versations were being carried on at every table. Here, i 
 there, and everywhere, people were shouting to the busy ] 
 bar-maid, glasses clinked together, and pewter lids fell j 
 on the tops of hard stone-ware jugs. 
 
 The talk at a round table in the end of the long ! 
 room was louder than anywhere else. Six officers had i 
 seated themselves at it, among them Georg von Dorn- \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 27 1 
 
 burg. Captain Van der Laen, his superior officer, whose 
 past career had been a truly heroic one, was loudly re- 
 lating in his deep voice, strange and amusing tales of 
 his travels by sea and land, Colonel Mulder often inter- 
 rupted him, and at every somewhat incredible story, 
 smilingly told a similar, but perfectly impossible adven- 
 ture of his own. Captain Van Duivenvoorde soothingly 
 interposed, when Van der Laen, who was conscious of 
 never deviating far from the truth, angrily repelled the 
 old man's jesting insinuations. Captain Cromwell, a 
 grave man with a round head and smooth long hair, 
 who had come to Holland to fight for the faith, rarely 
 mingled in the conversation, and then only with a few 
 words of scarcely intelligible Dutch. Georg, leaning 
 far back in his chair, stretched his feet out before him 
 and stared silently into vacancy. 
 
 Herr Aquanus, the host, walked from one table to 
 another, and when he at last reached the one where 
 the officers sat, paused opposite to the Thuringian, 
 saying : 
 
 " Where are your thoughts. Junker ? One would 
 scarcely know you during the last few days. What 
 has come over you ?" 
 
 Georg hastily sat erect, stretched himself like a 
 person roused from sleep, and answered pleasantly : 
 
 *^ Dreams come in idleness." 
 
 " The cage is getting too narrow for him," said Cap- 
 tain Van der Laen. *' If this state of things lasts long, 
 we shall all get dizzy like the sheep." 
 
 " And as stiff as the brazen Pagan god on the shelf 
 yonder," added Colonel Mulder. 
 
 " There was the same complaint during the first 
 siege," replied the host, " but Herr von Noyelles drowned 
 
272 THE burgomaster's WIFE. | 
 
 his discontent and emptied many a cask of my best^ 
 liquor." j 
 
 "Tell the gentlemen how he paid you," criedJ 
 Colonel Mulder. I 
 
 " There hangs the paper framed," laughed Aquanus. ] 
 " Instead of sending money, he wrote this : 
 
 ' Full many a favor, dear friend, hast th®u done me, ' 
 
 For which good hard coin glad vvouldst thou be to see \ 
 
 There's none in my pockets ; so for the debt 1 
 
 In place of dirty coin, ; 
 
 This written sheet so fine ; j 
 
 Paper money in Leyden is easy to get.' " ] 
 
 J 
 
 " Excellent ! " cried Junker von AVarmond, " and I 
 besides you made the die for the pasteboard coins ; 
 yourself" j 
 
 " Of course! Herr von Noyelles' sitting still, cost me \ 
 dear. You have already made two expeditions." 
 
 " Hush, hush, for God's sake say nothing about the ^ 
 first sally ! " cried the captain. " A well-planned enter- 
 prise, which was shamefully frustrated, because the ' 
 leader lay down like a mole to sleep ! Where has such i 
 a thing happened a second time ? " | 
 
 " But the other ended more fortunately," said the | 
 host. "Three hundred hams, one hundred casks of ■ 
 beer, butter, ammunition, and the most worthless of all ■ 
 spies into the bargain ; always an excellent prize." : 
 
 " And yet a failure ! " cried Captain Van der Laen^ : 
 " We ought to have captured and brought in all the pro- : 
 vision ships on the Leyden Lake ! And the Kaag ! To \ 
 think that this fort on the island should be in the hands i 
 of the enemy." ^ 
 
 " Bui the people have held out bravely,'' said von | 
 Warmond. '{ 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 273 
 
 *' There are real devils among them," replied Van der 
 Laen, laughing. '' One struck a Spaniard down and, 
 in the midst of the batde, took off his red breeches and 
 pulled them on his own legs." 
 
 " I know the man," added the landlord, ** his name 
 is Van Keulen; there he sits yonder over his beer, 
 telling the people all sorts of queer stories. A fellow 
 with a face like a satyr. We have no lack of comfort 
 yet! Remember Chevraux' defeat, and the Beggars* 
 victory at Vlissingen on the Scheldt." 
 
 '' To brave Admiral Boisot and the gallant Beggar 
 troops ! " cried Captain Van der Laen, touching glasses 
 with Colonel Mulder. The latter turned with upraised 
 beaker towards the Thuringian and, as the Junker who 
 had relapsed into his reverie, did not notice the move- 
 ment, irritably exclaimed : 
 
 " Well, Herr Dornburg, you require a long time to 
 pledge a man." 
 
 Georg started and answered hastily : 
 
 "Pledge? Oh ! yes. Pledge. I pledge you, Colonel!" 
 With these words he raised the goblet, drained it at 
 a single draught, made the nail test and replaced it on 
 the table. 
 
 " Well done ! " cried the old man ; and Herr Aquanus 
 said : 
 
 " He learned that at the University; studying makes 
 people thirsty." 
 
 As he uttered the words, he cast a friendly glance of 
 anxiety at the young German, and then looked towards 
 the door, through which Wilhelm had just entered the 
 Angulus. The landlord went to meet him and whis- 
 pered : 
 
 " I don't hke the German nobleman's appearance. 
 18 
 
I 
 
 274 THE burgomaster's WIFE, \ 
 
 The singing lark has become a mousing night-bird. ' 
 What ails him ?" \ 
 
 " Home-sickness, no news from his family, and the : 
 snare into which the war has drawn him in his pursuit ] 
 of glory and honor. He'll soon be his old self \ 
 again." \ 
 
 ■ ^' I hope so," replied the host. " Such a succulent ; 
 little tree will quickly rebound, when it is pressed to the ; 
 earth ; help the fine young fellow." i 
 
 A guest summoned the landlord, but the musician ' 
 joined the officers and began a low conversation with \ 
 Georg, which was drowned by the confused mingling of i 
 loud voices. ^ 
 
 Wilhelm came from the Van der Werff house, where ; 
 he had learned that the next day but one, June j 
 fourteenth, would be the burgomaster's birthday, i 
 Adrian had told Henrica, and the latter informed him. \ 
 The master of the house was to be surprised with a song j 
 on the morning of his birthday festival. \ 
 
 " Excellent," said Georg, interrupting his friend, i 
 " she will manage the matter admirably." ; 
 
 " Not she alone ; we can depend upon Frau Van i 
 der Werff too. At first she wanted to decline, but when'i 
 I proposed a pretty madrigal, yielded and took the - 
 soprano." i 
 
 " The soprano ?" asked the Junker excitedly. " Of | 
 course I'm at your service. Let us go; have you the ! 
 notes at home ?" 
 
 "No, Herr von Dornburg, I have just taken them ; 
 to the ladies ; but early to-morrow morning — " : 
 
 " There will be a rehearsal early to-morrow morn- ; 
 ing ! The jug is for me, Jungfer Dortchen! Your • 
 health. Colonel Mulder ! Captain Duivenvoorde, I ^ 
 
 , I 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 275 
 
 drain this goblet to your new standard and hope to have 
 many a jolly ride by your side." 
 
 The German's eyes again sparkled with an eager 
 light, and when Captain Van der Laen, continuing his 
 conversation, cried enthusiastically : " The Beggars of 
 the Sea will yet sink the Spanish power. The sea, 
 gentlemen, the sea ! To base one's cause on nothing, is 
 the best way ! To exult, leap and grapple in the storm » 
 To fight and struggle man to man and breast to breast 
 on the deck of the enemy's ship ! To fight and conquer, 
 or perish with the foe !" 
 
 " To your health. Junker !" exclaimed the colonel. 
 ^' Zounds, we need such youths !" 
 
 *' Now you are your old self again," said Wilhelm, 
 turning to his friend. " Touch glasses to your dear ones 
 at home." s 
 
 " Two glasses for one," cried Georg, " To the dear 
 ones at home — to the joys and sorrows of the heart, to 
 the fair woman we love ! War is rapture, love is life ! 
 Let the wounds bleed, let the heart break into a thous- 
 and pieces. Laurels grow green on the battle-field, love 
 twines garlands of roses — roses with thorns, yet beauti- 
 ful roses ! Go, beaker ! No other lips shall drink from 
 you." 
 
 Georg's cheeks glowed as he flung the glass goblet 
 into a corner of the room, where it shattered into frag- 
 ments. His comrades at the table cheered loudly, but 
 Captain Cromwell rose quietly to leave the room, and 
 the landlord shook his wise head doubtfully. 
 
 It seemed as if fire had poured into Georg's soul and 
 
 his spirit had gained wings. The thick waving locks 
 
 curled in dishevelled masses around his handsome head, 
 
 as leaning far back in his chair with unfastened collar, 
 
 18 * 
 
276 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 he mingled clever sallies and brilliant similes with the 
 quiet conversation of the others. Wilhelm listened to 
 his words sometimes with admiration, sometimes with 
 anxiety. It was long past midnight, when the musician 
 left the tavern with his friend. Colonel Mulder looked 
 after him and exclaimed to those left behind : 
 *^ The fellow is possessed with a devil." 
 The next morning the madrigal was practised at the 
 burgomaster's house, while its master was presiding over 
 a meeting at the town-hall. Georg stood between Hen- 
 rica and Maria. So long as the musician found it neces- 
 sary to correct errors and order repetitions, a cheerful 
 mood pervaded the little choir, and Barbara, in the ad- 
 joining room, often heard the sound of innocent laugh- 
 ter; but when each had mastered his or her part and 
 the madrigal was faultlessly executed, the ladies grew 
 more and more grave. Maria gazed fixedly at the sheet 
 of music, and rarely had her voice sounded so faultlessly 
 pure, so full of feeling. Georg adapted his singing to 
 hers and his eyes, whenever they were raised from the 
 notes, rested on her face. Henrica sought to meet the 
 Junker's glance, but always in vain, yet she wished to 
 divert his attention from the young wife, and it tortured 
 her to remain unnoticed. Some impulse urged her to 
 surpass Maria, and the whole passionate wealth of her 
 nature rang out in her singing. Her fervor swept the 
 others along. Maria's treble rose exultantly above the 
 German's musical voice, and Henrica's tones blended 
 angrily yet triumphantly in the strain. The delighted 
 and inspired musician beat the time and, borne away by 
 the liquid melody of Henrica's voice, revelled in sweet 
 recollections of her sister. 
 
 When the serenade was finished, he eagerly cried : 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 277 
 
 *' Again !" The rivalry between the singers commenced 
 with fresh vigor, and this time the Junker's beaming gaze 
 met the young wife's eyes. She hastily lowered the 
 notes, stepped out of the semicircle, and said : 
 
 " We know the madrigal. Early to-morrow morning, 
 Meister Wilhelm; my time is Hmited." 
 
 '' Oh, oh !" cried the musician regretfully. " It was 
 going on so splendidly, and there were only a few bars 
 more." But Maria was already standing at the door 
 and made no reply, except : 
 
 " To-morrow." 
 
 The musician enthusiastically thanked Henrica for 
 her singing ; Georg courteously expressed his gratitude. 
 When both had taken leave, Henrica paced rapidly to 
 and fro, passionately striking her clenched fist in the 
 palm of her other hand. 
 
 The singers were ready early on the birthday morn- 
 ing, but Peter had risen before sunrise, for there was a 
 proposition to be arranged with the city clerk, which 
 must be completed before the meeting of the council. 
 Nothing was farther from his thoughts than his birthday, 
 and when the singers in the dining-room commenced 
 their madrigal, he rapped on the door, exclaiming : 
 
 " We are busy , find another place for your singing." 
 
 The melody was interrupted for a moment, and Bar- 
 bara said : 
 
 *' People picking apples don't think of fishing-nets. 
 He has no idea it is his birthday. Let the children go 
 in first." 
 
 Maria now entered the study with Adrian and 
 Bessie. They carried bouquets in their hands, and the 
 young wife had dressed the little girl so prettily that, in 
 her white frock, she really looked like a dainty fairy. 
 
278 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 Peter now knew the meaning of the singing, 
 warmly embraced the three well-wishers, and when 
 the madrigal began again, stood opposite to the per- 
 formers to listen. True, the execution was not nearly 
 so good as at the rehearsal, for Maria sang Jn a low 
 and somewhat muffled voice, while, spite of \Vilhelm's 
 vehement beating of time, the warmth and verve of the 
 day before would not return. 
 
 " Admirable, admirable," cried Peter, when the 
 singers ceased. " Well planned and executed, a beautiful 
 birthday surprise." Then he shook hands with each,, 
 saying a few cordial words and, as he grasped the 
 Junker's right hand, remarked warmly: *' You have 
 dropped down on us from the skies during these bad 
 days, just, at the right time. It is always something ta 
 have a home in a foreign land, and you have found one 
 with us." 
 
 Georg had bent his eyes on the floor, but at the 
 last words raised them and met the burgomaster's. 
 How honestly, how kindly and frankly they looked at 
 him ! Deep emotion overpowered him, and without 
 knowing what he was doing, he laid his hands on 
 Peter's arms and hid his face on his shoulder. 
 
 Van der Werff suffered him to do so, stroked the 
 youth's hair, and said smiling : 
 
 " Like Leonhard, wife, just like our Leonhard. We 
 will dine together to-day. You, too. Van Hout; and 
 don't forget your wife." 
 
 Maria assigned the seats at the table, so that she 
 was not obHged to look at Georg. His place was 
 beside Frau Van Hout and opposite Henrica and the 
 musician. At first he was silent and embarrassed, but 
 Henrica gave him no rest, and when he had once begun 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 279 
 
 to answer her questions he was soon carried away by her 
 glowing vivacity, and gave free, joyous play to his wit. 
 Henrica did not remain in his debt, her eyes sparkled, 
 and in the increasing pleasure of trying the power of 
 her intellect against his, she sought to surpass every jest 
 and repartee made by the Junker. She drank no wine, 
 but was intoxicated by her own flow of language and 
 so completely engrossed Georg's attention, that he found 
 no time to address a word to the other guests. If he 
 attempted to do so, she quickly interrupted him and 
 compelled him to turn to her again. This constraint 
 annoyed the young man ; while struggling against it his 
 spirit of wantonness awoke, and he began to irritate 
 Henrica into making unprecedented assertions, which he 
 opposed with equally unwarrantable ones of his own. 
 
 Maria sometimes listened to the young lady in sur- 
 prise, and there was something in Georg's manner that 
 vexed her. Peter took little notice of Henrica; he was 
 talking with Van Hout about the letters from the Glip- 
 pers asking a surrender, three of which had already been 
 brought into the city, of the uncertain disposition of 
 some members of the council and the execution of the 
 captured spy. 
 
 Wilhelm, who had scarcely vouchsafed his neighbor 
 an answer, was now following the conversation of the 
 older men and remarked, that he had known the traitor. 
 He was a tavern-keeper, in whose inn he had once met 
 Herr Matanesse Van Wibisma. 
 
 " There we have it," said Van Hout. " A note was 
 found in Quatgelat's pouch, and the writing bore a mys- 
 terious resemblance to the baron's hand. Quatgelat was 
 to enquire about the quantity of provisions in Ley den." 
 
 " All alike!" exclaimed the burgomaster. " Unhap- 
 
28o THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 pily he could have brought tidings only too welcome to 
 Valdez. Little that is cheering has resulted from the in- 
 vestigation ; though the exact amount has not yet been 
 ascertained." 
 
 " We must place it during the next few days in 
 charge of the ladies." 
 
 " Give it to the women ?" asked Peter in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " Yes, to us !" cried Van Hout's wife. " Why should 
 we sit idle, when we might be of use." 
 
 *' Give us the work !" exclaimed Maria. " We 
 are as eager as you, to render the great cause some 
 service." 
 
 " An-d believe me," added Frau Van Hout, " we 
 shall find admittance to store-rooms and cellars much 
 more quickly than constables and guards, whom the 
 housewives fear." 
 
 " Women in the service of the city," said Peter 
 thoughtfully. " To be honest — but your proposal shall 
 be considered. — The young lady is in good spirits to- 
 day." 
 
 Maria glanced indignantly at Henrica, who had 
 leaned far across the table; She was showing Georg a 
 ring, and laughingly exclaimed : 
 
 *' Don't you wish to know what the device means ? 
 Look, a serpent biting its own tail." 
 
 '* Aha !" replied the Junker, " the symbol of self- 
 torment." 
 
 " Good, good ! But it has another meaning, which 
 you would do well to notice. Sir Knight. Do you know 
 the signification of eternity and eternal faith ?" 
 
 '' No, Fraulein, 1 wasn't taught to think so deeply at 
 Jena." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 28 1 
 
 " Of course. Your teachers were men. Men and 
 faith, eternal faith I" 
 
 " Was DeHlah, who betrayed Samson to the PhiHs- 
 tines, a man or a woman ?" asked Van Hout. 
 
 " She was a woman. The exception, that proves 
 the rule. Isn't that so, Maria ?" 
 
 The burgomaster's wife made no reply except a silent 
 nod ; then indignantly pushed back her chair, and the 
 meal was over. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIIL 
 
 Days and weeks had passed, July was followed by 
 a sultry xA.ugust, and that, too, was drawing to a close. 
 The Spaniards still surrounded Ley den, and the city 
 now completely resembled a prison. The soldiers and 
 armed citizens did their duty wearily and sullenly, 
 there was business enough at the town -hall, but the 
 magistrates' work was sad and disagreeable ; for no 
 message of hope came from the Prince or the Estates, 
 and everything to be considered referred to the increas- 
 ing distress and the terrible follower of war, the plague, 
 which had made its entry into Leyden with the famine. 
 Moreover the number of malcontents weekly increased. 
 The friends of the old order of affairs now raised their 
 voices more and more loudly, and many a friend of 
 liberty, who saw his family sickening, joined the Spanish 
 sympathizers and demanded the surrender of the city. 
 The children went to school and met in the play- 
 grounds as before, but there was rarely a flash of the 
 
282 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 merry pertness of former days, and what had become 
 of the boys' red cheeks and the round arms of the little 
 girls ? The poor drew their belts tighter, and the morsel 
 of bread, distributed by the city to each individual, was 
 no longer enough to quiet hunger and support life. 
 
 Junker Georg had long been living in Burgomaster 
 Van der Werff s house. 
 
 On the morning of August 29th he returned home 
 from an expedition, carrying a cross-bow in his hand, 
 while a pouch hung over his shoulder. This time he 
 did not go up-stairs, but sought Barbara in the kitchen. 
 The widow received him with a friendly nod; her grey 
 eyes sparkled as brightly as ever, but her round face 
 had grown narrower and there was a sorrowful quiver 
 about the sunken mouth. 
 
 ''What do you bring to-day?" she asked the Junker. 
 
 Georg thrust his hand into his game-bag and an- 
 swered, smiling: ''A fat snipe and four larks; you 
 know." 
 
 " Poor sparrows ! But what sort of a creature can 
 this be ? Headless, legless, and carefully plucked ! 
 Junker, Junker, that's suspicious." 
 
 " It will do for the pan, and the name is of no con- 
 sequence." 
 
 " Yet, yet ; true, nobody knows on what he fattens, 
 but the Lord didn't create every animal for the human 
 stomach." 
 
 " That's just what I said. It's a short-billed snipe, a 
 corvus, a real corvus." 
 
 " Corvus ! Nonsense, I'm afraid of the thing — the 
 little feathers under the wings. Good heavens ! surely 
 it isn't a raven ?" 
 
 " It's a corvus, as I said. Put the bird in vinegar, 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 283 
 
 roast it with seasoning and it will taste like a real snipe. 
 Wild ducks are not to be found every day, as they were 
 a short time ago, and sparrows are getting as scarce as 
 roses in winter. Every boy is standing about with 
 a cross-bow, and in the court-yards people are trying to 
 catch them under sieves and with lime-twigs. They 
 are going to be exterminated, but one or another is still 
 spared. How is the little elf?" 
 
 ^' Don't call her that !" exclaimed the widow. "Give 
 her her Christian name. She looks like this cloth, and 
 since yesterday has refused to take the milk we daily 
 procure for her at a heavy cost. Heaven knows what 
 the end will be. Look at that cabbage-stalk. Half a 
 stiver ! and that miserable piece of bone ! Once I 
 should have thought it too poor for the dogs — and 
 now! The whole household must be satisfied with it. 
 For supper I shall boil ham -rind with wine and add a 
 little porridge to it. And this for a giant like Peter ! 
 God only knows where he gets his strength; but he 
 looks like his own shadow. Maria doesn't need anything 
 more than a bird, but Adrian, poor fellow, often leaves 
 the table with tears in his eyes, yet I know he has 
 broken many a bit of bread from his thin slice for 
 Bessie. It is pitiable. Yet the proverb says : ' Stretch 
 yourself towards the ceiling, or your feet will freeze — ' 
 ' Necessity knows no law,' and ' Reserve to preserve.' 
 Day before yesterday, like the rest, we again gave of the 
 little we still possessed. To-morrow, everything beyond 
 what is needed for the next fortnight, must be deliv- 
 ered up, and Peter won't allow us to keep even a bag 
 of flour, but what will come then — merciful Heaven ! — '* 
 
 The widow sobbed aloud as she uttered the last 
 words and continued, weeping : *^ Where do you get 
 
284 THE burgomaster's WIFE. j 
 
 your strength ? At your age this miserable scrap of i 
 meat is a mere drop of water on a red-hot stone." * 
 
 '' Herr Van Aken gives me what he can, in addi- j 
 tion to my ration. I shall get through ; but I witnessed | 
 a terrible sight to-day at the tailor's, who mends ray 1 
 clothes." i 
 
 " Well ?" j 
 
 ** Two of his children have starved to death." ; 
 
 " And the weaver's family opposite," added Barbara, \ 
 weeping. " Such nice people ! The young wife was 1 
 confined four days ago, and this morning mother and i 
 child expired of weakness, expired, I tell you, like a i 
 lamp that has consumed its oil and must go out. At ; 
 the cloth-maker Peterssohn's, the father and all five ' 
 children have died of the plague. If that isn't pitiful!" j 
 
 " Stop, stop!" said Georg, shuddering. " I must goj 
 to the court-yard to drill." , 
 
 " What's the use of that ! The Spaniards don't \ 
 attack ; they leave the work to the skeleton death. \ 
 Your fencing gives an appetite, and the poor hollow j 
 herrings can scarcely stir their own hmbs." ; 
 
 *' Wrong, Frau Barbara, wrong," rephed the young \ 
 man. " The exercise and motion sustains them. Herr 
 von Nordwyk knew what he was doing, when he asked 
 me to drill them in the dead fencing-master's place." 
 
 " You're thinking of the ploughshare that doesn't ■ 
 rust. Perhaps you are right; but before you go to work, \ 
 take a sip of this. Our wine is still the best. When \ 
 people have something to do, at least they don't mutiny, ! 
 like those poor fellows among the volunteers day before i 
 yesterday. Thank God, they are gone !" 
 
 While the widow was filling a glass, Wilhelm's mother ■ 
 came into the kitchen and greeted Barbara and the i 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 285. 
 
 young nobleman. She carried under her shawl a small 
 package clasped tightly to her bosom. Her breadth 
 was still considerable, but the flesh, with which she had 
 moved about so briskly a few months ago, now seemed 
 to have become an oppressive burden. 
 
 She took the litde bundle in her right hand, saying : 
 
 " I have something for your Bessie. My Wilhelm^ 
 good fellow — " 
 
 Here she paused and restored her gift to its old place. 
 She had seen the Junker's plucked present, and continued 
 in an altered tone : " So you already have a pigeon — so 
 much the better! The city clerk's little girl is beginning 
 to droop too. I'll see you to-morrow, if God wills." 
 
 She was about to go, but Georg stopped her, say- 
 ing : " You are mistaken, my good lady. I shot that 
 bird to-day, I'll confess now, Frau Barbara; my corvus 
 is a wretched crow." 
 
 i* I thought so," cried the widow. *' Such an abomi- 
 nation !" 
 
 Yet she thrust her finger into the bird's breast, say- 
 ing : " But there's meat on the creature." 
 
 " A crow !" cried Wilhelm's mother, clasping her 
 hands, *' True, dogs and cats are already hanging on 
 many a spit and have wandered into many a pan. There 
 is the pigeon." 
 
 Barbara unwrapped the bird as carefully, as if it might 
 crumble under her fingers, gazing tenderly at it as she 
 weighed it carefully in her hand; but the musician's 
 mother said : 
 
 " It's the fourth one Wilhelm has killed, and he said 
 it would have been a good flier. He intended it special- 
 ly for your Bessie. Stuff it nicely with yellow paste, not 
 too solid and a little sweetened. That is what children 
 
286 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 I 
 
 like, and it will agree with her, for it is cheerfully given. 
 Put the little thing away. When we have known any^ 
 creature, we feel sorry to see it dead." 1 
 
 " May God reward you !" cried Barbara, pressing j 
 the kind old hand. " Oh ! these terrible times !" I 
 
 " Yet there is still something to be thankful for." ■ 
 
 *' Of course, for it will be even worse in hell," replied ; 
 the widow. \ 
 
 " Don't fall into sin," said the aged matron : " You ; 
 have only one sick person in the house. Can I see Frau \ 
 Maria ?" i 
 
 " She is in the workshops, taking the people a little • 
 meat from our store. Are you too so short of flour ? i 
 Cows are still to be seen in the pastures, but the grain ] 
 seems to have been actually swept away ; there wasn't \ 
 a peck in the market. Will you take a sip of wine too ? j 
 Shall I call my sister-in-law ?" i 
 
 " I will seek her myself. The usury in the market is ^ 
 ^ no longer to be endured We can do nothing more | 
 * there, but she is already bringing people to reason." 
 
 '' The traders in the market ? " asked Georg. \ 
 
 *' Yes, Herr von Domburg, yes. One wouldn't | 
 believe how much that delicate woman can accomplish, i 
 Day before yesterday, when we went about to learn j 
 how large a stock of provisions every house contains, i 
 people treated me and the others very rudely, many j 
 even turned us out of doors. But she went to the j 
 roughest, and the cellars and store-rooms opened before 
 her, as the waves of the sea divided before the people 
 of Israel. How she does it, Heaven knows, but the 
 people can't refuse her." 
 
 Georg drew a long breath and left the kitchen. In 
 the court-yard he found several city soldiers, volunteers 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 287 
 
 and militia-men, with whom he went through exercises 
 in fencing. Van der Werff placed it at his disposal for 
 this purpose, and there certainly was no man in Leyden 
 more capable than the German of supplying worthy 
 Allertssohn's place. 
 
 Barbara was not wrong. His pupils looked emaci- 
 ated and miserable enough, but many of them had 
 learned, in the dead man's school, to wield the sword 
 well, and were heartily devoted to the profession. 
 
 In the centre of the court-yard stood a human 
 figure, stuffed with tow and covered with leather, which 
 bore on the left breast a bit of red paper in the shape 
 of a heart. The more unskilful were obliged to thrust 
 at this figure to train the hand and eye; the others 
 stood face to face in pairs and fought under Georg's 
 direction with blunt foils. 
 
 The Junker had felt very weak when he entered the 
 kitchen, for the larger half of his ration of bread had 
 been left at the unfortunate tailor's ; but Barbara's wine 
 had revived him and, rousing himself, he stepped briskly 
 forth to meet his fencers. His doublet was quickly flung 
 on a bench, his belt drawn tighter, and he soon stood in 
 his white shirt-sleeves before the soldiers. 
 
 As soon as his first word of command was heard, 
 Henrica's window closed with a bang. Formerly it had 
 often been opened when the fencing drill began, and 
 she had not even shrunk from occasionally clapping her 
 hands and calling " bravo." This time had long since 
 passed, it was weeks smce she had bestowied a word or 
 glance on the young noble. She had never made such 
 advances to any man, would not have striven so hard 
 to win a prince's favor ! And he ? At first he had 
 been distant, then more and more assiduously avoided 
 
288 THE burgomaster's WIFE. t 
 
 her. Her pride was deeply wounded. Her purpose of \ 
 diverting his attention from Maria had long been for- i 
 gotten, and moreover something — she knew not what — i 
 had come between her and the young wife. Not a day ' 
 elapsed in which he did not meet her, and this was a ; 
 source of pleasure to Henrica, because she could show ; 
 him that his presence was a matter of indifference, nay ■ 
 even unpleasant. Her imprisonment greatly depressed i 
 her, and she longed unutterably for the open country, \ 
 the fields and the forest. Yet she never expressed a ; 
 wish to leave the city, for — Georg was in Leyden, and 1 
 every waking and dreaming thought was associated i 
 with him. She loved him to-day, loathed him to- ' 
 morrow, and did both with all the ardor of her pas- i 
 sionate heart. She often thought of her sister too, and ! 
 uttered many prayers for her. To win the favor of 
 Heaven by good works and escape emiui^ she helped \ 
 the Grey Sisters, who lived in a little old convent next \ 
 to Herr Van der Werff's house, nurse the sick whom i 
 they had lovingly received, and even went with Sister | 
 Gonzaga to the houses of the Catholic citizens, to collect \ 
 alms for the little hospital. But all this was done with- \ 
 out joyous self-devotion, sometimes with extravagant \ 
 zeal, sometimes lazily, and for days not at all. She had | 
 become excessively irritable, but after bemg unbearably • 
 arrogant one day, would seem sorrowful and ill at ease ; 
 the next, though without asking the offended person's j 
 pardon. 
 
 The young girl now stood behind the closed wmdow, i 
 watching Georg, who with a bold spring dashed at the \ 
 leathern figure and ran the sword m his right hand : 
 through the phantom's red heart. \ 
 
 The soldiers loudly expressed their admiration, j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 289 
 
 Henrica's eyes also sparkled approvingly, but suddenly 
 they lost their light, and she stepped farther back into 
 the room, for Maria came out of the workshops in the 
 court-yard and, with her gaze fixed on the ground, 
 walked past the fencers. 
 
 The young wife had grown paler, but her clear blue 
 eyes had gained a more confident, resolute expression. 
 She had learned to go her own way, and sought and 
 found arduous duties in the service of the city and the 
 poor. She had remained conqueror in many a severe 
 conflict of the heart, but the struggle was not yet over; 
 she felt this whenever Georg's path crossed hers. As 
 far as possible she avoided him, for she did not conceal 
 from herself, that the attempt to live with him on the foot- 
 ing of a friend and brother, would mean nothing but the 
 first step on the road to ruin for him and herself That he 
 was honestly aiding her by a strong effort at self-control, 
 she gratefully felt, for she stood heart to heart with her 
 husband on the ship of life. She wished no other 
 guide ; nay the thought of going to destruction with 
 Peter had no terror to her. And yet, yet ! Georg was 
 like the magnetic mountain, that attracted her, and 
 which she must avoid to save the vessel from sinking. 
 
 To-day she had been asking the different workmen 
 how they fared, and witnessed scenes of the deepest 
 misery. 
 
 The brave men knew that the surrender of the city 
 might put an end to their distress, but wished to hold 
 out for the sake of liberty and their religion, and en- 
 dured their suffering as an inevitable misfortune. 
 
 In the entry of the house Maria met Wilhelm's 
 mother, and promised her she would consult with Frau 
 Van Hout that very day, concerning the extortion prac- 
 19 
 
290 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 tised by the market-men. Then she went to poor Bessie, 
 who sat, pale and weak, in a Htde chair. Her prettiest 
 doll had been lying an hour in the same position on her 
 lap. The child's little hands and will were too feeble to 
 move the toy. Trautchen brought in a cup of new 
 milk. The citizens were not yet wholly destitute of this, 
 for a goodly number of cows still grazed outside the 
 city walls under the protection of the cannon, but the 
 child refused to drink and could only be induced, amid 
 tears, to swallow a few drops. 
 
 While Maria was affectionately coaxing the little one, 
 Peter entered the room. The tall man, the very model 
 of a stately burgher, who paid careful heed to his out- 
 ward appearance, now looked careless of his person. 
 His brown hair hung over his forehead, his thick, closely- 
 trimmed moustache straggled in thin lines over his 
 cheeks, his doublet had grown too large, and his stock- 
 ings did not fit snugly as usual, but hung in wrinkles on 
 his powerful legs. 
 
 Greeting his wife with a careless wave of the hand, 
 he approached the child and gazed silently at it a long 
 time with tender affection. Bessie turned her pretty lit- 
 tle face towards him and tried to welcome him, but the 
 smile died on her lips, and she again g^zed listlessly at 
 her doll. Peter stooped, raised her in his arms, called 
 her by name and pressed his lips to her pale cheeks. The 
 child gently stroked his beard and then said feebly: 
 
 " Put me down, dear father, I feel dizzy up here." 
 
 The burgomaster, with tears in his eyes, put his dar- 
 ling carefully back in her little chair, then left the room 
 and went to his study. Maria followed him and asked : 
 " Is there no message yet from the Prince or the es- 
 tates ?" 
 
THE BURGOMAS'lER S WIFE. 29 1 
 
 He silently shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " But they will not, dare not forget us ?" cried the 
 young wife eagerly. 
 
 " We are perishing and they leave us to die," he 
 answered in a hollow tone. 
 
 " No, no, they have pierced the dykes; I know they 
 will help us." 
 
 " When it is too late. One thing follows another, 
 misfortune is heaped on misfortune, and on whom do 
 the curses of the starving people fall ? On me, me, me 
 alone." 
 
 " You are acting with the Prince's commissioner." 
 
 Peter smiled bitterly, saying : " He took to his bed 
 yesterday. Bontius says it is the plague. I, I alone 
 bear everything." 
 
 "We bear it with you," cried Maria. " First poverty, 
 then hunger, as we promised." 
 
 " Better than that. The last grain was baked to- 
 day. The bread is exhausted." 
 
 " We still have oxen and horses." 
 
 "We shall come to them day after to-morrow. 
 It was determined: Two pounds with the bones to 
 every four persons. Bread gone, cows gone, milk gone. 
 And what will happen then ? Mothers, infants, sick 
 people ! And our Bessie !" 
 
 The burgomaster pressed his hands on his temples 
 and groaned aloud. But Maria said : " Courage, Peter, 
 courage. Hold fast to one thing, don't let one thing go 
 -—hope." 
 
 " Hope, hope," he answered scornfully. 
 
 " To hope no longer," cried Maria, " means to des- 
 pair. To despair means in our case to open the gates, 
 to open the gates means — " 
 
 19* 
 
292 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Who is thinking of opening the gates ? Who talks 
 of surrender ?" he vehemently interrupted. ^' We will 
 still hold firm, still, still — There is the portfolio, take it 
 to the messenger." 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Bessie had eaten a piece of roast pigeon, the first 
 morsel for several days, and there was as much rejoicing 
 over it in the Van der WerfF household, as if some great 
 piece of good fortune had befallen the family. Adrian 
 ran to the workshops and told the men, Peter went to 
 the town-hall with a more upright bearing, and Maria, 
 who was obliged to go out, undertook to tell Wilhelm's 
 mother of the good results produced by her son's gift. 
 
 Tears ran down the old lady's flabby cheeks at the 
 story and, kissing the burgomaster's wife, she ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 " Yes, Wilhelm, Wilhelm ! If he w^ere only at home 
 now. But I'll call his father. Dear me, he is probably 
 at the town-hall too. Hark, Frau Maria, hark — what's 
 that ?" 
 
 The ringing of bells and firing of cannon had inter- 
 rupted her words ; she hastily threw open the window, 
 crying : 
 
 " From the Tower of Pancratius ! No alarm-bell, 
 firing and merry -ringing. Some joyful tidings have 
 come. We need them ! Ulrich, Ulrich ! Come back at 
 once and bring us the news. Dear Father in Heaven ! 
 Merciful God ! Send the relief If it were only that !" 
 
 The two women waited in great suspense. At last 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 293 
 
 Wilhelm*s brother Ulrich returned, saying that the mes- 
 sengers sent to Delft had succeeded in passing the 
 enemy's ranks and brought with them a letter from the 
 estates, which the city-clerk had read from the window 
 of the town-hall. The representatives of the country 
 praised the conduct and endurance of the citizens, and 
 informed them that, in spite of the damage done to 
 thousands of people, the dykes would be cut. 
 
 In fact, the water was already pouring over the land, 
 and the messengers had seen the vessels appointed to 
 bring relief The country surrounding Ley den must 
 soon be inundated, and the rising flood would force the 
 Spanish army to retreat, " Better a drowned land than 
 a lost land," was a saying that had been decisive in the 
 execution of the violent measure proposed, and those 
 who had risked so much might be expected to shrink 
 from no sacrifice to save Leyden. 
 
 The two women joyously shook hands with each 
 other ; the bells continued to ring merrily, and report 
 after report of cannon made the window-panes rattle. 
 
 As twilight approached, Maria turned her steps 
 towards home. It was long since her heart had been 
 so light. The black tablets on the houses containing 
 cases of plague did not look so sorrowful to-day, the 
 emaciated faces seemed less pitiful than usual, for to 
 them also help was approaching. The faithful endu- 
 rance was to be rewarded, the cause of freedom would 
 conquer. 
 
 She entered the " broad street " with winged steps. 
 Thousands of citizens had flocked into it to see, hear, 
 and learn what might be hoped, or what still gave cause 
 for fear. Musicians had been stationed at the corners 
 to play lively airs; the Beggars' song mingled with the 
 
294 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 pipes and trumpets and the cheers of enthusiastic men. 
 But there were also throngs of well-dressed citizens and 
 women, who loudly and fearlessly mocked at the gay 
 music and exulting simpletons, who allowed themselves 
 to be cajoled by empty promises. Where was the 
 relief? What could the handful of Beggars — which at 
 the utmost were all the troops the Prince could bring — 
 do against King Philip's terrible mihtary power, that sur- 
 rounded Leyden ? And the inundation of the country ? 
 The ground on which the city stood was too high for 
 the water ever to reach it. The peasants had been 
 injured, without benefiting the citizens. There was 
 only one means of escape — to trust to the King's 
 mercy. 
 
 " What is liberty to us ? " shouted a brewer, who, 
 like all his companions in business, had long since been 
 deprived of his grain and forbidden to manufacture any 
 fresh beer. *' What will liberty be to us, when we're cold 
 in death ? Let whoever means well go the town-hall, 
 and demand a surrender before it is too late." 
 
 '^ Surrender ! The mercy of the King ! " shouted the 
 citizens. 
 
 " Life comes first, and then the question whether it 
 shall be free or under Spanish rule, Calvanistical or 
 Popish!" screamed a master- weaver. ''I'll march to 
 the town-hall with you." 
 
 '' You are right, good people," said Burgomaster 
 Baersdorp, who, clad in his costly fur-bordered cloak, 
 was coming from the town-hall and had heard the last 
 speaker's words. " But let me set you right. To-day 
 the credulous are beginning to hope again, and the 
 time for pressing your just desire is ill-chosen. Wait a 
 few days and then, if the relief does not appear, urge 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 295 
 
 your views. I'll speak for you, and with me many a 
 good man in the magistracy. We have nothing to ex- 
 pect from Valdez, but gentleness and kindness. To rise 
 against the King was from the first a wicked deed — to 
 fight against famine, the plague and death is sin and 
 madness. May God be with you, men ! " 
 
 " The burgomaster is sensible," cried a cloth-dyer. 
 
 " Van Swieten and Norden think as he does, but 
 Meister Peter rules through the Prince's favor. If the 
 Spaniards rescue us, his neck will be in danger, when 
 they make their entrance into the city. So no matter 
 who dies; he and his are living on the fat of the land 
 and have plenty." 
 
 " There goes his wife," said a master- w^eaver, point- 
 ing to Maria. " How happy she looks ! The leather 
 business must be doing well. Holloa — Frau Van der 
 Werff! Holloa! Remember me to your husband and 
 tell him, his life may be valuable; but ours are not wisps 
 of straw." 
 
 " Tell him, too," cried a cattle-dealer, who did not 
 yet seem to have been specially injured by the general 
 distress, *^ tell him oxen can be slaughtered, the more 
 the better; but Leyden citizens — " 
 
 The cattle-dealer did not finish his sentence, for Herr 
 Aquanus had seen from the Angulus what was hap- 
 pening to the burgomaster's wife, came out of the tavern 
 into the street, and stepped into the midst of the mal- 
 contents. 
 
 '' For shame ! " he cried. ^' To assail a respectable 
 lady in the street ! Are these Leyden manners ? Give 
 me your hand, Frau Maria, and if I hear a single 
 reviling word, I'll call the constables. I know you. 
 The gallows Herr Van Bronkhorst had erected for men 
 
296 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 like you, is still standing by the Blue Stone. Which of 
 you wants to inaugurate them ? " 
 
 The men, to whom these words were addressed, were 
 not the bravest of mortals, and not a syllable was heard, 
 as Aquanus led the young wife into the tavern. The 
 landlord's wife and daughter received her in their own 
 rooms, which were separated from those occupied by 
 guests of the inn, and begged her to make herself com- 
 fortable there until the crowd had dispersed. But 
 Maria longed to reach home, and when she said she 
 must go, Aquanus offered his company. 
 
 Georg von Domburg was standing in the entry and 
 stepped back with a respectful bow, but the innkeeper 
 called to him, saying : 
 
 " There is much to be done to-day, for many a man 
 will doubtless indulge himself in a glass of liquor after 
 the good news. No offence, Frau Van der Werff, but 
 the Junker will escort you home as safely as I — and 
 you, Herr von Dornburg — " 
 
 " I am at your service," replied Georg, and went out 
 into the street with the young wife. 
 
 For a time both walked side by side in silence, each 
 fancying he or she could hear the beating of the other's 
 heart. At last Georg, drawing a long breath, said: 
 
 "Three long, long months have passed since my 
 arrival here. Have I been brave, Maria ?" 
 
 " Yes, Georg." 
 
 " But you cannot imagine what it has cost me to 
 fetter this poor heart, stifle my words, and blind my 
 eyes. Maria, it must once be said — " 
 
 *'Never, never," she interrupted in a tone of earnest 
 entreaty. " I know that you have struggled honestly, 
 do not rob yourself of the victory now." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 297 
 
 " Oh ! hear me, Maria, this once hear me." 
 " What will it avail, if you oppress my soul with 
 ardent words ? I must not hear from any man that he 
 loves me, and what I must not hear, you must not 
 speak." 
 
 " Must not ?" he asked in a tone of gentle reproach, 
 then in a gloomy, bitter mood, continued : " You are 
 right, perfectly right. Even speech is denied me. So 
 life may run on like a leaden stream, and everything 
 that grows and blossoms on its banks remain scentless 
 and grey. The golden sunshine has hidden itself behind 
 a mist, joy lies fainting in my heart, and all that once 
 pleased me has grown stale and charmless. Do you 
 recognize the happy youth of former days ?" 
 
 " Seek cheerfulness again, seek it for my sake." 
 " Gone, gone," he murmured sadly. " You saw me 
 in Delft, but you did not know me thoroughly. These 
 eyes were like two mirrors of fortune in which every 
 object was charmingly transfigured, and they were re- 
 warded; for wherever they looked they met only 
 friendly glances. This heart then embraced the whole 
 world, and beat so quickly and joyously ! I often did 
 not know what to do with myself from sheer mirth and 
 vivacity, and it seemed as if I must burst into a thous- 
 and pieces like an over-loaded firelock, only instead of 
 scattering far and wide, mount straight up to Heaven. 
 Those days were so happy, and yet so sad — I felt it ten 
 times as much in Delft, when you were kind to me. And 
 now, now ? I still have wings, I still might fly, but 
 here I creep like a snail — because it is your will." 
 
 " It is not my wish," replied Maria. *' You are dear 
 to me, that I may be permitted to confess — and to see 
 you thus fills me with grief. But now — if I am dear to 
 
298 THE burgomaster's WIFE. i 
 
 you, and I know y-ou care for me — cease to torture me 
 so cruelly. You are dear to me. I have said it, and it 
 must be spoken, that everything may be clearly under- 
 stood between us. You are dear to me, Hke the beauti- i 
 ful by-gone days of my youth, like pleasant dreams, ; 
 like a noble song, in which we take delight, and which ■ 
 refreshes our souls, whenever we hear or remember it — • 
 but more you are not, more you can never be. You are | 
 dear to me, and I wish you to remain so, but that| 
 you . can only do by not breaking the oath you have j 
 sworn." 
 
 " Sworn ?" asked Georg. " Sworn ?" 
 
 ^' Yes, sworn," interrupted Maria, checking her steps. \ 
 ^' On Peter's breast, on the morning of his birthday — ; 
 after the singing. You remember it well. At the time \ 
 you took a solemn vow ; I know it, know it no less \ 
 surely, than that I myself swore faith to my husband atj 
 the altar. If you can give me the He, do so." ■ 
 
 Georg shook his head, and answered with increas- 1 
 ing warmth : \ 
 
 "You read my soul. Our hearts know each other j 
 like two faithful friends, as the earth knows her moon, .; 
 the moon her earth. What is one without the other ?] 
 Why must they be separated ? Did you ever walk along ■ 
 a forest path ? The tracks of two wheels run side by { 
 side and never touch. The axle holds them asunder, as ' 
 our oath parts us." ; 
 
 " Say rather — our honor." \ 
 
 " As our honor parts us. But often in the woods wei 
 find a place where the road ends in a field or hill, and \ 
 there the tracks cross and intersect each other, and ^ 
 in this hour I feel that my path has come to an end. I ; 
 can go no farther, I cannot, or the horses will plunge : 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 299 
 
 into the thicket and the vehicle be shattered on the 
 roots and stones." 
 
 " And honor Avith it. Not a word more. Let us 
 walk faster. See the lights in the windows. Everyone 
 wants to show that he rejoices in the good news. Our 
 house mustn't remain dark either." 
 
 '* Don't hurry so. Barbara will attend to it, and how 
 soon we must part ! Yet you said that I was dear to 
 you." 
 
 " Don't torture me," cried the young wife, with pa- 
 thetic entreaty. 
 
 " I will not torture you, Maria, but you must hear 
 me. I was in earnest, terrible earnest in the mute vow 
 I swore, and have sought to release myself from it by 
 death. You have heard how I rushed like a madman 
 among the Spaniards, at the storming of the Boschhuizen 
 fortification in July. Your bow, the blue bow from 
 Delft, the knot of ribbons the color of the sky, fluttered 
 on my left shoulder as I dashed upon swords and 
 lances. I was not to die, and came out of the confu- 
 sion uninjured. Oh ! Maria, for the sake of this oath I 
 have suffered unequalled torments. Release me from 
 it, Maria, let me once, only once, freely confess — " 
 
 " Stop, Georg, stop," pleaded the young wife. " I 
 will not, must not hear you — neither to-day, nor to- 
 morrow, never, never, to all eternity ! " 
 
 " Once, only once, I will, I must say to you, that I 
 love you, that Hfe and happiness, peace and honor — " 
 
 " Not one word more. Junker von Dornburg. There 
 is our house. You are our guest, and if you address 
 a single v/ord like the last ones to your friend's 
 wife — " 
 
 " Maria, Maria — oh, don't touch the knocker. 
 
300 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 How can you so unfeelingly destroy the whole hap-| 
 piness of a human being — " 
 
 The door had opened, and the burgomaster's wifel 
 crossed the threshold. Georg stood opposite to her, 
 held out his hand as if beseeching aid, and murmured 
 in a hollow tone : 
 
 " Cast forth to death and despair ! Maria, Maria, 
 why do you treat me thus ? " 
 
 She laid her right hand in his, saying : 
 
 " That we may remain worthy of each other, 
 Georg." 
 
 She forcibly withdrew her icy hand and entered the 
 house ; but he wandered for hours through the lighted 
 streets like a drunken man, and at last threw himself, 
 with a burning brain, upon his couch. A small volume, 
 lightly stitched together, lay on a little table beside the 
 bed. He seized it, and with trembling fingers wrote 
 on its pages. The pencil often paused, and he frequently 
 drew a long breath and gazed with dilated eyes into 
 vacancy. At last he threw the book aside and watched 
 anxiously for the morning. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Just before sunrise Georg sprang from his couch, 
 drew out his knapsack, and filled it with his few posses- 
 sions; but this time the little book found no place with 
 the other articles. 
 
 The musician Wilhelm also entered the court-yard at 
 a very early hour, just as the first workmen were going 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 301 
 
 to the shops. The Junker saw him coming, and met 
 him at the door. 
 
 The artist's face revealed few traces of the want he 
 had endured, but his whole frame was trembling with 
 excitement and his face changed color every moment, 
 as he instantly, and in the utmost haste, told Georg the 
 purpose of his early visit. 
 
 Shortly after the arrival of the city messengers, a Span- 
 ish envoy had brought Burgomaster Van der Werff a 
 letter written by Junker Nicolas Matanesse, containing 
 nothing but the tidings, that Henrica's sister had reached 
 Leyderdorp with Belotti and found shelter in the elder 
 Baron Matanesse's farm-house. She was very ill, and 
 longed to see her sister. The burgomaster had given this 
 letter to the young lady, and Henrica hastened to the 
 musician without delay, to entreat him to help her es- 
 cape from the city and guide her to the Spanish lines, 
 Wilhelm was undergoing a severe struggle. No sacrifice 
 seemed too great to see Anna again, and what the mes- 
 senger had accomplished, he too might succeed in 
 doing. But ought he to aid the flight of the young girl 
 detained as hostage by the council, deceive the sentinels 
 at the gate, desert his post ? 
 
 Since Henrica's request that Georg would escort 
 her sister from Lugano to Holland, the young man 
 had known everything that concerned the latter, and 
 was also aware of the state of the musician's heart. 
 
 ** I must, and yet I ought not," cried Wilhelm. " I 
 have passed a terrible night; imagine yourself in my 
 place, in the young lady's." 
 
 " Get a leave of absence until to-morrow," said 
 Georg resolutely. " When it grows dark, I'll accompany 
 Henrica with you. She must swear to return to the city 
 
302 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. ■■] 
 
 in case of a surrender. As for me, I am no longer 
 bound by any oath to serve the EngHsh flag. A month 
 ago we received permission to enter the service of the 
 Netherlands. It will only cost me a word with Captain 
 Van der Laen, to be my own master." 
 
 ^* Thanks, thanks ; but the young lady forbade me 
 to ask your assistance." 
 
 " Folly, I shall go with you, and when our goal is 
 reached, fight my way through to the Beggars. Our de- 
 parture will not trouble the council, for, when Henrica 
 and I are outside, there will be two eaters less in Ley- 
 den. The sky is grey; I hope we shall have a dark 
 night. Captain Van Duivenvoorde commands the 
 guard at the Hohenort Gate. He knows us both, and 
 will let us pass. I'll speak to him. Is the farm-house 
 far inside the village ?" 
 
 " No, outside on the road to Ley den." 
 
 " Well then, we'll meet at Aquanus's tavern at four 
 o'clock." 
 
 *' But the young lady — " 
 
 " It will be time enough, if she learns at the gate 
 who is to accompany her." 
 
 When Georg came to the tavern at the appointed 
 hour, he learned that Henrica had received another let- 
 ter from Nicolas. It had been given to the outposts 
 by the Junker himself, and contained only the words : 
 "Until midnight, the Spanish watch- word is ^ Lepafito.^ 
 Your father shall know to-day, that Anna is here." 
 
 After the departure from the Hohenort Gate had 
 been fixed for nine o'clock in the evening, Georg went 
 to Captain Van der Laen and the commandant Van der 
 Does, received from the former the discharge he re- 
 quested, and from Janus a letter to his friend, Admiral 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 303 
 
 Boisot. When he mformed his men, that he intended to 
 leave the city and make his way to the Beggars, they 
 declared they would follow, and live or die with him. It 
 was with difficulty that he succeeded in restraining them. 
 Before the town-hall he slackened his pace. The burgo- 
 master was always to be found there at this hour. 
 Should he quit the city without taking leave of him ? 
 No, no ! And yet — since yesterday he had forfeited the 
 right to iook frankly into his eyes. He was afraid to 
 meet him, it seemed as if he were completely estranged 
 from him. So Georg rushed past the town-hall, and 
 said defiantly : " Even if I leave him without a fare- 
 well, I owe him nothing; for I must pay for his kind- 
 ness with cruel suffering, perhaps death. Maria loved 
 me first, and what she is, and was, and ever will be to 
 me, she shall know before I go." 
 
 He returned to his room at twilight, asked the man- 
 servant to carry his knapsack to Captain Van Duiven- 
 voorde at the Hohenort Gate, and then went, with his 
 little book in his doublet, to the main building to take 
 leave of Maria. He ascended the staircase slowly and 
 paused in the upper entry. 
 
 The beating of his heart almost stopped his breath. 
 He did not know at which door to knock, and a tortur- 
 ing dread overpowered him, so that he stood for several 
 minutes as if paralyzed. Then he summoned up his 
 courage, shook himself, and muttered : ^' Have I be- 
 come a coward !" With these words he opened the door 
 leading into the dining-room and entered. Adrian was 
 sitting at the empty table, beside a burning torch, with 
 some books. Georg asked for his mother. 
 
 " She is probably spinning m her room," replied the 
 boy. 
 
304 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 " Call her, I have something important to tell her/' 
 Adrian went away, returning with the answer that the 
 Junker might wait in his father's study. 
 
 " Where is Barbara ?" asked Georg. 
 
 " With Bessie." 
 
 The German nodded, and while pacing up and 
 down beside the dining-room, thought , " I can't go so. 
 It must come from the heart ; once, once more I will 
 hear her say, that she loves me, I will — I will — • Let it 
 be dishonorable, let it be worthy of execration, I will 
 atone for it ; I will atone for it with my Hfe !" 
 
 While Georg was pacing up and down the room, 
 Adrian gathered his books together, saying : " B-r-r-r, 
 Junker, how you look to-day ! One might be afraid of 
 you. Mother is in there already. The tinder-box is 
 rattling ; she is probably lighting the lamp." 
 
 " Are you busy ?" asked Georg. 
 
 '' I've finished." 
 
 " Then run over to Wilhelm Corneliussohn and tell 
 him it is settled : we'll meet at nine, punctually at nine." 
 
 " At Aquanus's tavern ?" asked the boy. 
 
 " No, no, he knows ; make haste, my lad." 
 
 Adrian was going, but Georg beckoned to him, and 
 said in a low tone : " Can you be silent ?" - 
 
 " As a fried sole." 
 
 " I shall sHp out of the city to-day, and perhaps may 
 never return." 
 
 " You, Junker ? To-day ?" asked the boy. 
 
 " Yes, dear lad. Come here, give me a farewell 
 kiss. You must keep this litde ring to remember me." 
 
 The boy submitted to the kiss, put the ring on his 
 finger, and said with tearful eyes: " Are you in earnest? 
 Yes, the famine ! God knows I'd run after you, if it 
 
THE burgomaster's 
 
 were not for Bessie and mother, 
 back again ?" 
 
 " Who knows, my lad ! Remembe^ 
 you hear? Kindly ! And now run." 
 
 Adrian rushed down the stairs, and a few^^sililiites 
 after the Junker was standing in Peter's study, face to 
 face with Maria. The shutters were closed, and the 
 sconce on the table had two lighted candles. 
 
 "Thanks, a thousand thanks for coming," said 
 Georg. " You pronounced my sentence yesterday, and 
 to-day — " 
 
 " I know what brings you to me," she answered gen- 
 tly. " Henrica has bidden me farewell, and I must not 
 keep her. She doesn't wish to have you accompany 
 her, but Meister Wilhelm betrayed the secret to me. 
 You have come to say farewell." 
 
 " Yes, Maria, farewell forever." 
 
 " If it is God's will, we shall see each other again. I 
 knov/ what is driving you away from here. You are 
 good and noble, Georg, and if there is one thing that 
 lightens the parting, it is this : We can now think of 
 each other without sorrow and anger. You will not for- 
 get us, and — you know that the remembrance of you 
 will be cherished here by old and young — in the hearts 
 of all—" 
 
 " And in yours also, Maria ?" 
 
 " In mine also." 
 
 " Hold it firmly. And when the storm has blown 
 out of your path the poor dust, which to-day lives and 
 breathes, loves and despairs, grant it a place in your 
 memory." 
 
 Maria shuddered, for deep despair looked forth with 
 a sullen glow from the eyes that met hers. Seized with 
 
3o6 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 an anxious foreboding, she exclaimed : " What are you 
 thinking of, Georg ? for Christ's sake ! tell me what is in 
 your mind." 
 
 " Nothing wrong, Maria, nothing wrong. We birds 
 now sing differently. Whoever can saunter, with luke- 
 warm blood and lukewarm pleasures, from one decade 
 to another in peace and honor, is fortunate. My blood 
 flows in a swifter course, and what my eager soul has 
 once clasped with its polyp arms, it will never release 
 until the death-hour comes. I am going, never to re- 
 turn ; but I shall take you and my love with me to bat- 
 tle, to the grave. — I go, I go — " 
 
 " Not so, Georg, you must not part from me thus." 
 
 *^ Then cry : ^ Stay !' Then say : ' I am here and pity 
 you !' But don't expect the miserable wretch, whom you 
 have blinded, to open his eyes, behold and enjoy the 
 beauties of the world. There you stand, trembling and 
 shaking, without a word for him who loves you, for him 
 — him — " 
 
 The youth's voice faltered with emotion and sighing 
 heavily, he pressed his hand to his brow. Then he 
 seemed to recollect himself and continued in a low, sad 
 tone: "Here I stand, to tell you for the last time the 
 state of my heart. You should hear sweet words, but 
 grief and pain will pour bitter drops into everything I 
 say. I have uttered in the language of poetry, when my 
 heart impelled me, that for which dry prose possesses no 
 power of expression. Read these pages, Maria, and if 
 they wake an echo in your soul, oh! treasure it. The 
 honeysuckle in your garden needs a support, that it may 
 grow and put forth flowers; let these poor songs be the 
 espalier around which your memory of the absent one 
 can twine its tendrils and cling lovingly. Read, oh! 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 307 
 
 read, and then say once more : ' You are dear to me/ or 
 send me from you." 
 
 "Give it to me," said Maria, opening the volume 
 with a throbbing heart. 
 
 He stepped back from her, but his breath came 
 quickly and his eyes followed hers while she was reading. 
 
 She began with the last poem but one. It had been 
 written just after Georg's return the day before, and ran 
 as follows: 
 
 "Joyously they march along, 
 Lights are flashing through the panes, 
 In the streets a busy throng 
 Curiosity enchains. 
 Oh ! the merry festal night : 
 Would that it might last for aye ! 
 For aye ! Alas ! Love, splendor, light, 
 All, all have passed away." 
 
 The last lines Georg had written with a rapid pen 
 the night before. In them he bewailed his hard fate. 
 She must hear him once, then he would sing her a peer- 
 less song. Maria had followed the first verses silently 
 with her eyes, but now her lips began to move and in a 
 low, rapid tone, but audibly she read: 
 
 " Sometimes it echoes like the thunder's peal, 
 Then soft and low through the May night doth steal ; 
 Sometimes, on joyous wing, to Heaven it soars. 
 Sometimes, like Philomel, its woes deplores. 
 For, oh ! this a song that ne'er can die. 
 It seeks the heart of all humanity. 
 In the deep cavern and the darksome lair. 
 The sea of ether o'er the realm of air, 
 In every nook my song shall still be heard. 
 And all creation, with sad yearning stirred. 
 United in a full, exultant choir. 
 Pray thee to grant the singer's fond desire. 
 
3o8 THE burgomaster's wife. j 
 
 E'en when the ivy o'er my grave hath grown, \ 
 
 Still will ring on each sweet, enchanting tone, ■ 
 
 Through the whole world and every earthly zone, l 
 
 Resounding on in aeons yet to come." \ 
 
 Maria read on, her heart beating more and more \ 
 
 violently, her breath coming quicker and quicker, and | 
 
 when she had reached the- last verse, tears burst from \ 
 
 her eyes, and she raised the book with both hands to ; 
 
 hurl it from her and throw her arms around the writer's « 
 
 neck. ; 
 
 He had been standing opposite to her, as if spell- j 
 
 bound, listening blissfully to the lofty flight of his own I 
 
 words. Trembling with passionate emotion, he yet re- '' 
 
 strained himself until she had raised her eyes from his ] 
 
 lines and lifted the book, then his power of resistance ; 
 
 flew to the winds and, fairly beside himself, he exclaimed: i 
 "Maria, my sweet wife!" 
 
 " Wife ?" echoed in her breast like a cry of warnings j 
 
 and it seemed as if an icy hand clutched her heart. ; 
 
 The intoxication passed away, and as she saw him ; 
 
 standing before her with out-stretched arms and sparkling j 
 
 eyes, she shrank back, a feeling of intense loathing of ] 
 
 him and her own weakness seized upon her and, instead i 
 
 of throwing the book aside and rushing to meet him, she | 
 
 tore it in halves, saying proudly: '' Here are your verses, '; 
 
 Junker von Dornburg; take them with you." Then, \ 
 
 maintaining her dignity by a strong effort, she continued ; 
 
 in a lower, more gentle tone, " I shall remember you \ 
 
 without this book. We have both dreamed; let us now | 
 
 wake. Farewell ! I will pray that God may guard you. ] 
 
 Give me your hand, Georg, and when you return, we \ 
 
 will bid you welcome to our house as a friend." ! 
 
 With these words Maria turned away from the j 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 309 
 
 Junker and only nodded silently, when he exclaimed : 
 '' Past ! All past ! " 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 Georg descended the stairs in a state of bewilder- 
 ment. Both halves of the book, in which ever since the 
 wedding at Delft he had written a succession of verses 
 to Maria, lay in his hand. 
 
 The light of the kitchen-fire streamed into the entry. 
 He followed it, and before answering Barbara's kind 
 greeting, went to the hearth and flung into the fire the 
 sheets, which contained the pure, sweet fragrance of a 
 beautiful flower of youth. 
 
 " Oho ! Junker ! " cried the widow. " A quick fire 
 doesn't suit every kind of food. What is burning there ?" 
 
 " Foolish paper ! " he answered. " Have no fear. 
 At the utmost it might weep and put out the flames. It 
 will be ashes directly. There go the sparks, flying in 
 regular rows through the black, charred pages. How 
 pretty it looks! They appear, leap forth and vanish — 
 like a funeral procession with torches in a pitch-dark 
 night. Good-night, poor children — good-night, dear 
 songs ! Look, Frau Barbara ! They are rolling them- 
 selves up tightly, convulsively, as if it hurt them to 
 burn." 
 
 " What sort of talk is that ? " replied Barbara, thrust- 
 ing the charred book deeper into the fire with the tongs. 
 Then pointing to her own forehead, she continued : 
 ^* One often feels anxious about you. High-sounding 
 words, such as we find in the Psalms, are not meant for 
 
3IO THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. J 
 
 every-day life and our kitchen. If you were my own i 
 son, you'd often have something to listen to. People j 
 who travel at a steady pace reach their goal soonest." 
 
 ** That's good advice for a journey," replied Georg, \ 
 holding out his hand to the widow. " Farewell, dear j 
 mother. I can't bear it here any longer. In half an I 
 hour I shall turn my back on this good city." \ 
 
 "Go then — just as you choose — Or is the young ; 
 lady taking you in tow ? Nobleman's son and noble- j 
 man's daughter ! Like to like — Yet, no ; there has ! 
 been nothing between you. Her heart is good, but I i 
 should wish you another wife than that Popish Every- I 
 day-different." | 
 
 '^ So Henrica has told you — " ] 
 
 *' She has just gone. Dear me — she has her rela- ■ 
 tives outside; and we — it's hard to divide a plum into j 
 twelve pieces. I said farewell to her cheerfully ; but 1 
 you, Georg, you — " j 
 
 " I shall take her out of the city, and then — you j 
 won't blame me for it — then I shall make my way ; 
 through to the Beggars." j 
 
 " The Beggars ! That's a different matter, that's | 
 right. You'll be in your proper place there ! Cheer \ 
 up. Junker, and go forth boldly ? Give me your hand, \ 
 and if you meet my boy — he commands a ship of his] 
 own. — Dear me, I remember something.. You can * 
 wait a moment longer. Come here, Trautchen. The : 
 woollen stockings I knit for him are up in the painted \ 
 chest. Make haste and fetch them. He may need ^ 
 them on the water in the damp autumn weather. : 
 You'll take them with you ? " i 
 
 "Willingly, most wiUingly; and now let me thank I 
 you for all your kindness. You have been like ah own j 
 
 \ 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. ^IX 
 
 mother to me." Georg clasped the widow's hand, and 
 neither attempted to conceal how dear each had become: 
 to the other and how hard it was to part. Trautchen 
 had given Barbara the stockings, and many tears fell 
 upon them, while the widow was bidding the Junker 
 farewell. When she noticed they were actually wet, she: 
 waved them in the air and handed them to the young- 
 man. 
 
 The night was dark but still, even sultry. The trav- 
 ellers were received at the Hohenort Gate by Captain^ 
 Van Duivenvoorde, preceded by an old sergeant, car- 
 rying a lantern, who opened the gate. The captain^ 
 embraced his brave, beloved comrade, Dornburg; a few 
 farewell words and god-speeds echoed softly from the? 
 fortification walls, and the trio stepped forth into the: 
 open country. 
 
 For a time they walked silently through the dark- 
 ness. Wilhelm knew the way and strode in front of 
 Henrica ; the Junker kept close at her side. 
 
 All was still, except from time to time they heard a. 
 word of command from the walls, the striking of a clock,, 
 or the barking of a dog. 
 
 Henrica had recognized Georg by the light of the: 
 lantern, and when Wilhelm stopped to ascertain whether 
 there was any water in the ditch over which he intended 
 to guide his companions, she said, under her breath: 
 *^I did not expect your escort. Junker." 
 " I know it, but I, too, desired to leave the city." 
 "And wish to avail yourself of our knowledge of the 
 watchword. Then stay with us." 
 
 "Until I know you are safe, Fraulein." 
 "The walls of Leyden already lie between you and 
 the peril from which you fly." 
 
312 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. ' 
 
 "I don't understand you." • 
 
 " So much the better." I 
 
 Wilhelm turned and, in a muffled voice, requested i 
 his companions to keep silence. They now walked : 
 noiselessly on, until just outside the camp they reached ; 
 the broad road around which they had made a circuit. ; 
 A Spanish sentinel challenged them. ' 
 
 '•'' Lepaiito r was the answer, and they passed on I 
 through the camp unmolested. A coach drawn by four i 
 horses, a mere box hung between two tiny fore-wheels ' 
 and a pair of gigantic hind- wheels, drove slowly past 
 them. It was conveyhig Magdalena Moons, the daugh- ■ 
 ter of an aristocratic Holland family, distinguished i 
 among the magistracy, back to the Hague from a visit ; 
 to her lover and future husband, Valdez. No one no- \ 
 ticed Henrica, for there were plenty of women in the i 
 camp. Several poorly-clad ones sat before the tents, \ 
 mending the soldiers' clothes. Some gaily-bedizened i 
 wenches were drinking wine and throwing dice with | 
 their male companions in front of an officer's tent. A \ 
 brighter light glowed from behind the general's quarters, \ 
 where, under a sort of shed, several confessionals and an ' 
 altar had been erected. Upon this altar candles were ] 
 burning, and over it hung a silver lamp; a dark, motion- * 
 less stream pressed towards it; Castilian soldiers, among i 
 whom individuals could be recognized only when the \ 
 candle-light flashed upon a helmet or coat of mail. \ 
 
 The loud singing of carousing German mercenaries, \ 
 the neighing and stampmg of the horses, and the laugh- \ 
 ter of the officers and girls, drowned the low chanting ; 
 of the priests and the murmur of the penitents, but the \ 
 shrill sounding of the bell calling to mass from time to j 
 time pierced, with its swift vibrations, through the noise < 
 
THE burgomaster's wfrE. 313 
 
 of the camp. Just outside the village the watch-word 
 was again used, and they reached the first house unmo- 
 lested. 
 
 " Here we are," said Wilhelm, with a sigh of relief. 
 ^^ Profit by the darkness, Junker, and keep on till you 
 have the Spaniards behind you." 
 
 " No, my friend ; you will remain here. I wish to 
 share your danger. I shall return with you to Leyden 
 and from thence try to reach Delft; meantime I'll keep 
 watch and give you warning, if necessary." 
 
 " Let us bid each other farewell now, Georg ; hours 
 may pass before I return." 
 
 '^ I have time, a horrible amount of time. I'll wait. 
 There goes the door." 
 
 The Junker grasped his sword, but soon removed 
 his hand from the hilt, for it was Belotti, who came out 
 and greeted the signorina. 
 
 Henrica followed him into the house and there 
 talked with him in a low tone, until Georg called her, 
 saying : 
 
 " Fraulein Van Hoogstraten, may I ask for a word 
 of farewell ?" 
 
 " Farewell, Herr von Domburg!" she answered dis- 
 tantly, but advanced a step towards him. 
 
 Georg had also approached, and now held out his 
 hand. She hesitated a moment, then placed hers in it, 
 and said so softly, that only he could hear : 
 
 " Do you love Maria ?" 
 
 " So I am to confess ?" 
 
 *' Don't refuse my last request, as you did the first. 
 If you can be generous, answer me fearlessly. I'll not 
 betray your secret to any one. Do you love Frau Van 
 der Werff ?" 
 
314 THt burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 '' Yes, Fraulein." 
 
 Henrica drew a long breath, then continued : " And 
 now you are rushing out into the world to forget 
 her?" 
 
 '* No, Fraulein." 
 
 '' Then tell me why you have fled from Leyden ?" 
 
 " To find an end that becomes a soldier." 
 
 Henrica advanced close to his side, exclaiming so 
 scornfully, that it cut Georg to the heart : 
 
 " So it has grasped you too ! It seizes all : Knights, 
 maidens, wives and widows ; not one is spared. Never- 
 ending sorrow ! Farewell, Georg ! We can laugh at or 
 pity each other, just as we choose. A heart pierced 
 with seven swords : what an exquisite picture ! Let us 
 wear blood-red knots of ribbon, instead of green and 
 blue ones. Give me your hand once more, now fare- 
 well." 
 
 Henrica beckoned to the musician and both followed 
 Belotti up the steep, narrow stairs. Wilhelm remained 
 behind in a little room, adjoining a second one, where 
 a beautiful boy, about three years old, was being tended 
 by an Itahan woman. In a third chamber, which like 
 all the other rooms in the farm-house, was so low that a 
 tall man could scarcely stand erect, Henrica's sister lay 
 on a wide bedstead, over which a screen, supported by 
 four columns, spread like a canopy. Links dimly 
 lighted the long narrow room. The reddish-yellow rays 
 of their broad flames were darkened by the canopy, and 
 scarcely revealed the invalid's face. 
 
 Henrica had given the Italian woman and the child 
 in the second room but a hasty greeting, and now im- 
 petuously pressed forward into the third, rushed to the 
 bed, threw herself on her knees, clasped her arms pas- 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 315 
 
 sionately around her sister, and covered her face with 
 glowing kisses. 
 
 She said nothing but "Anna," and the sick woman 
 found no other word than " Henrica." Minutes elapsed^ 
 then the young girl started up, seized one of the torches 
 and cast its light on her regained sister's face. How 
 pale, how emaciated it looked ! But it was still beauti- 
 ful, still the same as before. Strangely-blended emo- 
 tions of joy and grief took possession of Henrica's soul. 
 Her cold hard feelings grew warm and melted, and in 
 this hour the comfort of tears, of which she had been so 
 long deprived, once more became hers. 
 
 Gradually the flood tide of emotion began to ebb^ 
 and the confusion of loving exclamations and incohe- 
 rent words gained some order and separated into 
 question and answer. When Anna learned that the 
 musician had accompanied her sister, she wished to see 
 him, and when he entered, held out both hands, ex- 
 claiming : 
 
 " Meister, Meister, in what a condition you find me 
 again ! Henrica, this is the best of men ; the only un- 
 selfish friend I have found on earth." 
 
 The succeeding hours were full of sorrowful agita- 
 tion. 
 
 Belotti and the old Italian woman often undertook 
 to speak for the invalid, and gradually the image of a 
 basely-destroyed life, that had been worthy of a better 
 fate, appeared before Henrica and Wilhelm. Fear, 
 anxiety and torturing doubt had from the first saddened 
 Anna's existence with the unprincipled adventurer and 
 gambler, who had succeeded in beguiling her youngs 
 inexperienced heart. A short period of intoxication 
 was followed by an unexampled awakening. She 
 
7l6 THE burgomaster's WIFE. \ 
 
 ^ 1 
 
 was clasping her first child to her breast, when the \ 
 unprecedented outrage occurred — Don Luis demanded \ 
 that she should move with him into the house of a j 
 notorious Marchesa, in whose ill-famed gambling-rooms \ 
 he had spent his evenings and nights for months. She \ 
 indignantly refused, but he coldly and threateningly \ 
 persisted in having his will. Then the Hoogstraten ] 
 blood asserted itself, and without a word of farewell she \ 
 fled with her child to Lugano. There the boy was re- ; 
 ceived by his mother's former waiting-maid, while she i 
 herself went to Rome, not as an adventuress, but with a \ 
 fixed, praiseworthy object in view. She intended to fully i 
 perfect her musical talents in the new schools of Pales- i 
 trina and Nanini, and thus obtain the ability, by means j 
 of her art, to support her child ii; dependently of his j 
 father and hers. She risked much, but very definite 1 
 hopes hovered before her eyes, for a distinguished pre- i 
 late and lover of music, to whom she had letters of in- j 
 troduction from Brussels, and who knew her voice, had \ 
 promised that after her return from her musical studies he \ 
 would give her the place of singing-mistress to a young 1 
 girl of noble birth, who had been educated in a convent \ 
 at Milan. She was under his guardianship, and the \ 
 worthy man took care to provide Anna, before her de- ; 
 parture, with letters to his friends in the eternal city. ] 
 Her hasty flight from Rome had been caused by the ; 
 news, that Don Luis had found and abducted his son. \ 
 She could not lose her child, and when she did not find ; 
 the boy in Milan, followed and at last discovered him \ 
 in Naples. There d'Avila restored the child, after she ' 
 had declared her willingness to make over to him , 
 the income she still received from her aunt. The long \ 
 journey, so full of excitement and fatigue, exhausted her i 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 317 
 
 Strength, and she returned to Milan feeble and broken in 
 health. 
 
 Her patron had been anxious to. keep the place of 
 singing-mistress open for her, but she could only fulfil for 
 a short time the duties to which the superior of the convent 
 kindly summoned her, for her sickness was increasing and 
 a terrible cough spoiled her voice. She now returned to 
 Lugano, and there sought to compensate her poor honest 
 friend by the sale of her ornaments, but the time soon came 
 when the generous artist was forced to submit to be 
 supported by the charity of a servant. Until the last 
 six months she had not suffered actual want, but when 
 her maid's husband died, anxiety about the means of 
 procuring daily bread arose, and now maternal love 
 broke down Anna's pride : she wrote to her father as a 
 repentant daughter, bowed down by misfortune, but 
 received no reply. At last, reduced to starvation with 
 her child, she undertook the hardest possible task, and 
 besought the man, of whom she could only think with 
 contempt and loathing, not to let his son grow up like a 
 beggar's child. The letter, which contained this cry of 
 distress, had reached Don Luis just before his death. 
 No help was to come to her from him. But Belotti ap- 
 peared, and now she was once more at home, her friend 
 and sister were standing beside her bed, and Henrica 
 encouraged her to hope for her father's forgiveness. 
 
 It was past midnight, yet Georg still awaited his 
 friend's return. The noise and bustle of the camp 
 began to die away and the lantern, which at first had 
 but feebly lighted the spacious lower-room of the farm- 
 house, burned still more dimly. The German shared 
 this apartment with agricultural implements, harnesses, 
 and many kinds of grain and vegetables heaped in piles 
 
3i8 THE burgomaster's wife. ■ 
 
 against the walls, but he lacked inclination to cast even : 
 a glance at his motley surroundings. There was nothing 
 pleasant to him in the present or future. He felt 
 humiliated, guilty, weary of life. His self-respect was 
 trampled under foot, love and happiness were forfeited, 
 there was naught before him save a colorless, charmless 
 future, full of bitterness and mental anguish. Nothing 
 seemed desirable save a speedy death. At times the** 
 fair image of his home rose before his memory — but it 
 vanished as soon as he recalled the burgomaster's 
 dignified figure, his own miserable weakness and the 
 repulse he had experienced. He was full of fierce in- 
 dignation against himself, and longed with passionate 
 impatience for the clash of swords and roar of cannon, 
 the savage struggle man to man. 
 
 Time passed without his perceiving it, but a tortur- : 
 ing desire for food began to torment the starving man. '■ 
 There were plenty of turnips piled against the wall, and 
 he eat one after another, until he experienced the feeling \ 
 of satiety he had so long lacked. Then he sat down on 
 a kneading-trough and considered how he could best ' 
 get to the Beggars. He did not know his way, but woe • 
 betide those who ventured to oppose him. His arm and 
 sword were good, and there were Spaniards enough at , 
 hand whom he could make feel the weight of both. His 
 impatience began to rise, and it seemed like a welcome 
 diversion, when he heard steps approaching and a man's '; 
 figure entered the house. He had stationed himself by 
 the wall with his sword between his folded arms, and * \ 
 now shouted a loud "halt" to the new-comer. 
 
 The latter instantly drew his sword, and when Georg '■ 
 imperiously demanded what he wanted, replied in a boy- \ 
 ish voice, but a proud, resolute tone: 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 319 
 
 "I ask you that question! I am in my father's 
 house." 
 
 " Indeed ! " repHed the German smiling, for he had 
 now recognized the speaker's figure by the dim Hght. 
 *' Put up your sword. If you are young Matanesse Van 
 Wibisma, you Jiave nothing to fear from me." 
 
 "I am. But what are you doing on our premises at 
 night, sword in hand?" 
 
 " I'm warming the wall to my own satisfaction, or, 
 if you want to know the truth, mounting guard." 
 
 "In our house?" 
 
 "Yes, Junker. There is some one up-stairs with 
 your cousins, who wouldn't like to be surprised by the 
 Spaniards. Go up. I know from Captain Van Duiven- 
 voorde what a gallant young fellow you are." 
 
 "From Herr von Warmond?" asked Nicolas eager- 
 ly. "Tell me! what brings you here, and who are 
 you?" 
 
 "One who is fighting for your liberty, a German, 
 Georg von Dornburg." 
 
 "Oh, wait here, I entreat you. I'll come back 
 directly. Do you know whether Fraulein Van Hoog- 
 straten — " 
 
 " Up there," replied Georg, pointing towards the 
 ceiling. 
 
 Nicolas sprang up the stairs in two or three bounds, 
 called his cousin, and hastily told her that her father 
 had had a severe fall from his horse while hunting, and 
 was lying dangerously ill. When Nicolas spoke of 
 Anna he had at first burst into a furious passion, but 
 afterwards voluntarily requested him to tell him about 
 her, and attempted to leave his bed to accompany him. 
 He succeeded in doing so, but fell back fainting. When 
 
320 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 his father came early tlie next morning, she might tell 
 him that he, Nicolas, begged his forgiveness ; he was 
 about to do what he beheved to be his duty. 
 
 He evaded Henrica's questions, and merely hastily 
 enquired about Anna's liealth and the Leyden citizen, 
 whom Georg had mentioned. 
 
 When he heard the name of the musician Wilhelm, 
 he begged her to warn him to depart in good time, 
 and if possible in his company, then bade her a hurried 
 farewell and ran down-stairs. 
 
 Wilhelm soon followed. Henrica accompanied him 
 to the stairs to see Georg once more, but as soon as 
 she heard his voice, turned defiantly away and went 
 back to her sister. 
 
 The musician found Junker von Dornburg engaged 
 in an eager conversation with Nicolas. 
 
 " No, no, my boy," said the German cordially, "my 
 way cannot be yours." 
 
 " I am seventeen years old." 
 
 *' That's not it; you've just confronted me bravely, 
 and you have a man's strength of will — but life ought 
 still to bear flowers for you, if such is God's will — you 
 are going forth to fight sword-in-hand to win a worthy 
 destiny of peace and prosperity, for yourself and your 
 native land, in freedom — but I, I — give me your hand 
 and promise — " 
 
 " My hand ? There it is ; but I must refuse the 
 promise. With or without you — I shall go to the 
 Beggars ! " 
 
 Georg gazed at the brave boy in delight, and asked 
 gently : 
 
 ^' Is your mother living ?" 
 
 "No." 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 32 T 
 
 " Then come. We shall probably both find what 
 we seek with the Beggars.'* 
 
 Nicolas clasped the hand Georg offered, but Wil- 
 helm approached the Junker, saying: 
 
 " I expected this from you, after what I saw at St^ 
 Peter's church and Quatgelat's tavern." 
 
 " You first opened my eyes," replied Nicolas. " Now 
 come, we'll go directly through the camp ; they all- 
 know me." 
 
 In the road the boy pressed close to Georg, and in? 
 answer to his remark that he would be in a hard posi- 
 tion towards his father, replied : 
 
 ** I know it, and it causes me such pain — such pain. 
 — But I can't help it. I won't suffer the word * traitor' 
 to cling to our name." 
 
 " Your cousin Matanesse, Herr von Riviere, is also 
 devoted to the good cause." 
 
 "But my father thinks differently. He has the 
 courage to expect good deeds from the Spaniards. 
 From the Spaniards ! I've learned to know them during 
 the last few months. A brave lad from Leyden, you 
 knew him probably by his nickname, Lowing, which he 
 really deserved, was captured by them in fair fight, and 
 then — it makes me shudder even now wlien I think of 
 it — they hung him up head downward, and tortured hinu 
 to death. I was present, and not one word of theirs es- 
 caped my ears. Such ought to be the fate of all Hol- 
 land, country and people, that was what they wanted. 
 And remarks like these can be heard every day. Na 
 abuse of us is too bad for them, and the King thinks 
 like his soldiers. Let some one else endure to be the 
 slave of a master, who tortures and despises us ! My 
 holy religion is eternal and indestructible. Even if it is 
 
32 2 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 hateful to many of the Beggars, that shall not trouble j 
 me — if only they will help break the Spanish chains." 
 
 Amid such conversation they walked through the i 
 CastiHan camp, where all lay buried in sleep. Then I 
 they reached that of the German troops, and here gay 1 
 carousing was going on under many a tent. At the end \ 
 of the encampment a sutler and his wife were collecting \ 
 together the wares that remained unsold. 
 
 Wilhelm had walked silently behind the other two, \ 
 for his heart was deeply stirred, joy and sorrow were i 
 striving for the mastery. He felt intoxicated with lofty, ; 
 pure emotions, but suddenly checked his steps before the I 
 sutler's stand and pointed to the pastry gradually dis- : 
 appearing in a chest. \ 
 
 Hunger had become a serious, nay only too serious ! 
 and mighty power, in the city beyond, and it was not at ; 
 all surprising that Wilhelm approached the venders, and ; 
 with sparkling eyes bought their last ham and as much i 
 bread as they had left. i 
 
 Nicolas laughed at the bundle he carried under his ! 
 arm, but Georg said : j 
 
 " You haven't yet looked want in the face. Junker. : 
 This bread is a remedy for the most terrible disease." ; 
 
 At the Hohenort Gate Georg ordered Captain von i 
 Warmond to be waked, and introduced Nicolas to him ] 
 as a future Beggar. The captain congratulated the boy ] 
 and offered him money to supply himself in Delft with \ 
 whatever he needed, and defray his expenses during the j 
 first few weeks ; but Nicolas rejected his wealthy friend's i 
 offer, for a purse filled with gold coins hung at his girdle. : 
 A jeweller in the Hague had given them to him yester- \ 
 day in payment for Fraulein Van Hoogstraten's emerald ; 
 ring. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 323 
 
 Nicolas showed the captain his treasure, and then 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " Now forward, Junker von Domburg, I know 
 where we shall find them ; and you. Captain Van Dui- 
 venvoorde, tell the burgomaster and Janus Dousa what 
 has become of me." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIl. 
 
 A WEEK had elapsed since Henrica's flight, and 
 with it a series of days of severe privation. Maria 
 knew from the musician, that young Matanesse had 
 accompanied Georg, and that the latter was on his way 
 to the Beggars. This was the right plan. The bubbling 
 brook belonged to the wild, rushing, mighty river. She 
 wished him happiness, life and pleasure ; but — strange — 
 since the hour that she tore his verses, the remem- 
 brance of him had receeded as far as in the days 
 before the approach of the Spaniards. Nay, after her 
 hard-won conquest of herself and his departure, a rare 
 sense of happiness, amid all her cares and troubles, had 
 taken possession of the young wife's heart. She had 
 been cruel to herself, and the inner light of the clear 
 diamond first gleams forth with the right brilliancy, after 
 it has endured the torture of polishing. She now felt 
 with joyous gratitude, that she could look Peter frankly 
 in the eye, grant him love, and ask love in return. He 
 scarcely seemed to notice her and her management un- 
 der the burden of his cares, but she felt, that many things 
 she said and could do for him pleased him. The young 
 wife did not suffer specially from the long famine, while 
 
324 THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 
 
 it caused Barbara pain and unstrung her vigorous frame. 
 Amid so much suffering, she often sunk into despair be- 
 fore the cold hearth and empty pots, and no longer 
 thought it worth while to plait her large cap and ruffs. 
 It was now Maria's turn to speak words of comfort, and 
 remind her of her son, the Beggar captain, who would 
 soon enter Leyden. 
 
 On the sixth of September the burgomaster's wife 
 was returning home from an early walk. Autumn mists 
 darkened the air, and the sea-breeze drove a fine, driz- 
 zling spray through the streets. The dripping trees had 
 long since been robbed of their leaves, not by wind and 
 storm, but by children and adults, who had carried the 
 caterpillars' food to their kitchens as precious vegetables. 
 
 At the Schagensteg Maria saw Adrian, and overtook 
 him. The boy was sauntering idly along, counting aloud. 
 The burgomaster's wife called to him, and asked why 
 he was not at school and what he was doing there. 
 
 "I'm counting," was the reply. "Now there are 
 nine." 
 
 "Nine?" 
 
 " I've met nine dead bodies so far; the rector sent 
 us home. Master Dirks is dead, and there were only 
 thirteen of us to-day. There are some people bringing 
 another one." 
 
 Maria drew her kerchief tighter and walked on. At 
 her left hand stood a tall, narrow house, in which lived a 
 cobbler, a jovial man, over whose door were two in- 
 scriptions. One ran as follows: 
 
 • ' Here are shoes for sale, 
 
 Round above and flat below ; 
 If David's foot they will not fit, 
 Goliath's sure they'll suit, I know." 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 325 
 
 The other was: 
 
 " When through the desert roved the Jews, 
 Their shoes for forty years they wore, 
 Were the same custom now in use, 
 
 'Prentice would ne'er seek cobbler's door." 
 
 On the ridge of the lofty house was the stork's nest, 
 now empty. The red-billed guests did not usually set 
 out on their journey to the south so early, and some 
 were still in Ley den, standing on the roofs as if lost in 
 thought. What could have become of the cobbler's be- 
 loved lodgers? At noon the day before, their host, who 
 in March usually fastened the luck-bringing nest firmly 
 with his own hands, had stolen up to the roof, and with 
 his cross-bow shot first the little wife and then the hus- 
 band. It was a hard task, and his wife sat weeping in 
 the kitchen while the evil deed was done, but whoever 
 is tormented by the fierce pangs of hunger and sees his 
 dear ones dying of want, doesn't think of old affection * 
 and future good fortune, but seeks deliverance at the 
 present time. 
 
 The storks had been sacrificed too late, for the cob- 
 bler's son, his growing apprentice, had closed his eyes 
 the night before for his eternal sleep. Loud lamenta- 
 tions reached Maria's ear from the open door of the 
 shop, and Adrian said: "Jacob is dead, and Mabel is 
 very sick. This morning their father cursed me on 
 father's account, saying it was his fault that everything 
 was going to destruction. Will there be no bread again 
 to-day, mother? Barbara has some biscuit, and I feel so 
 sick. I can't swallow the everlasting meal any longer." 
 
 "Perhaps there will be a slice. We must save the 
 baked food, child." 
 
 In the entry of her house Maria found a man-servant, 
 
326 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 clad in black. He had come to announce the death of 
 Commissioner Dietrich Van Bronkhorst. The plague 
 had ended the strong man's life on the evening of the 
 day before, Sunday. 
 
 Maria already knew of this heavy loss, which threw 
 the whole responsibility of everything, that now hap- 
 pened, upon her husband's shoulders. She had also 
 learned that a letter had been received from Valdez, in 
 which he had pledged his word of honor as a nobleman, 
 to spare the city, if it would surrender itself to the king's 
 " mercy," and especially to grant Burgomaster Van der 
 Werff,. Herr Van der Does, and the other supporters of 
 the rebellion, free passage through the Spanish lines. 
 The CastiHans would retire and Leyden should be gar- 
 risoned only by a few German troops. He invited Van 
 der Werff and Herr von Nordwyk to come to Leyder- 
 dorp as ambassadors, and in any case, even if the nego- 
 tiations failed, agreed to send them home uninjured 
 under a safe escort. Maria knew that her husband had 
 appointed that day for a great assembly of the council, 
 the magistrates, and all the principal men in the city, as 
 well as the captains of the city-guard — but not a word 
 of all this had reached her ears from Peter. She had 
 heard the news from Frau Van Hout and the wives of 
 other citizens. 
 
 During the last few days a great change had taken 
 place in her husband. He went out and returned with 
 a palHd, gloomy face. Taciturn and wasting away with 
 anxiety, he withdrew from the members of his family 
 even when at home, repelling his wife curtly and impa- 
 tiently when, yielding to the impulse of her heart, she 
 approached him with encouraging words. Night brought 
 him no sleep, and he left his couch before morning 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 327 
 
 dawned, to pace restlessly to and fro, or gaze at Bessie, 
 who to him alone still tried to show recognition by a 
 faint smile. 
 
 When Maria returned home, she instantly went to 
 the child and found Doctor Bontius with her. The 
 physician shook his head at her appearance, and said the 
 delicate little creature's life would soon be over. Her 
 stomach had been injured during the first months of 
 want ; now it refused to do its office, and to hope for 
 recovery would be folly. 
 
 " She must hve, she must not die !" cried Maria, 
 frantic with grief and yet full of hope, like a true mother, 
 who cannot grasp the thought that she is condemned 
 to lose her child, even when the little heart is already 
 ceasing to beat and the bright eyes are growing dim and 
 closing. " Bessie, Bessie, look at me ! Bessie, take 
 this nice milk. Only a few drops ! Bessie, Bessie, you 
 must not die." 
 
 Peter had entered the room unobserved and heard 
 the last words. Holding his breath, he gazed down at 
 his darhng, his broad shoulders shook, and in a stifled, 
 faltering voice he asked the physician : " Must she 
 die ?" 
 
 " Yes, old friend ; I think so ! Hold up your head J 
 You have much still left you. All five of Van Loo's 
 children have died of the plague." 
 
 Peter shuddered, and without taking any notice of 
 Maria, passed from the room with drooping head. 
 
 Bontius followed him into his study, laid his hand 
 on his arm, and said : 
 
 '' Our little remnant of life is made bitter to us, 
 Peter. Barbara says a corpse was laid before your door 
 early this morning." 
 
328 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 *^ Yes. When I went out, the Hvid face offered me a 
 Tinorning greeting. It was a young person. All whom 
 death mows down, the people lay to my charge. 
 Wherever one looks — corpses ! Whatever one hears — 
 <:urses ! Have I authority over so many lives ? Day 
 ;and night nothing but sorrow and death before my 
 'eyes; — and yet, yet, yet — oh God! save me from 
 madness ! " 
 
 Peter clasped both hands over his brow ; but Bontius 
 found no word of comfort, and merely exclaimed : 
 
 " And 1, and I ? My wife and child ill with a fever, 
 ^day and night on my feet, not to cure, but to see people 
 <iie. What has been learned by hard study becomes 
 'Childish folly in these days, and yet the poor creatures 
 iutter a sigh of hope when I feel their pulses. But this 
 'Can't go on, this can't go on. Day before yesterday 
 -.seventy, yesterday eighty-six deaths, and among them 
 two of my colleagues." 
 
 " And no prospect of improvement ?" 
 
 ^^ To-morrow the ninety will become a hundred — the 
 one hundred will become two, three, four, five, until at 
 last one individual will be left, for whom there will be 
 no grave-digger." 
 
 " The pest-houses are closed, and we still have cattle 
 and horses." 
 
 *' But the pestilence creeps through the joints, and 
 since the last loaf of bread and the last malt-cake have 
 been divided, and there is nothing for the people to eat 
 except meat, meat, and nothing else — one tiny piece for 
 the whole day — disease is piled on disease in forms 
 utterly unprecedented, of which no book speaks, for 
 which no remedy has yet been discovered. This draw- 
 ing water with a bottomless pitcher is beginning to be 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 329 
 
 too much for me. My brain is no stronger than yours. 
 Farewell until to-morrow." 
 
 *^ To-day, to-day ! You are coming to the meeting 
 at the town-hall ?" 
 
 *' Certainly not! Do what you can justify; I shall 
 practise my profession, which now means the same 
 thing as saying : * I shall continue to close eyes and 
 hold coroner's inquests.' If things go on so, there will 
 soon be an end to practice." 
 
 *' Once for all : if you were in my place, you would 
 treat with Valdez ?" 
 
 ** In your place ? I am not you ; I am a physician, 
 one who has nothing to do except to take the field 
 against suifering and death. You, since Bronkhorst's 
 death, are the providence of the city. Supply a bit of 
 bread, if only as large as my hand, in addition to the 
 meat, or — I love my native land and liberty as well as 
 any one — or — " 
 
 '^Or?" 
 
 ** Or — ^leave Death to reap his narvest, you are no 
 physician." 
 
 Bontius bade his friend farewell and left him, but 
 Peter thrust his hand through his hair and stood gazing 
 out of the window, until Barbara entered, laid his 
 official costume on a chair and asked with feigned care- 
 lessness : 
 
 *' May I give Adrain some of the last biscuit ? Meat 
 is repulsive to him. He's lying on the bed, writhing in 
 pain." 
 
 Peter turned pale, and said in a hollow tone : 
 
 ** Give it to him and call the doctor." 
 
 '^ Maria and Bontius are already with him." 
 
 The burgomaster changed his clothing, feeling a 
 
Z^O THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 thrill of fierce indignation against every article he put on. 
 To-day the superb costume was as hateful to him as the 
 office, which gave him the right to wear it, and which^ 
 until a few weeks ago, he had occupied with a joyous 
 sense of confidence in himself 
 
 Before leaving the house, he sought Adrian. The 
 boy was lying in Barbara's room, complaining of vio- 
 lent pains, and asking if he must die too. 
 
 Peter shook his head, but Maria kissed him, ex- 
 claiming : 
 
 *' No, certainly not." 
 
 The burgomaster's time was limited. His wife stop- 
 ped him in the entry, but he hurried down-stairs without 
 hearing what she called after him. 
 
 The young wife returned to Adrian's bedside, think- 
 ing anxiously of the speedy death of many comrades of 
 the dear boy, whose damp hand rested in hers. She 
 thought of Bessie, followed Peter in imagination to the 
 town-hall, and heard his powerful voice contending for 
 resistance to the last man and the last pound of meat; 
 nay, she could place herself by his side, for she knew 
 what was to come : To stand fast, stand fast for liberty, 
 and if God so willed, die a martyr's death for it like 
 Jacoba, Leonhard, and Peter's noble father. 
 
 One anxious hour followed another. 
 
 When Adrian began to feel better, she went to Bes- 
 sie, who pale and inanimate, seemed to be gently fading 
 away, and only now and then raised her little finger to 
 play with her dry lips. 
 
 Oh, the pretty, withering human flower ! How 
 closely the little girl had grown into her heart, how im- 
 possible it seemed to give her up ! With tearful eyes^ 
 she pressed her forehead on her clasped hands, which 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 33! 
 
 rested on the head-board of the little bed, and fervently- 
 implored God to spare and save this child. Again and 
 again she repeated the prayer, but when Bessie's dim 
 eyes no longer met hers and her hands fell into her lap, 
 she could not help thinking of Peter, the assembly, the 
 fate of the city, and the words: "Leyden saved, Hol- 
 land saved ! Leyden lost, all is lost !" 
 
 So the hours passed until the gloomy day wore 
 away into twiHght, and twilight was followed by even- 
 ing. Trautchen brought in the lamp, and at last Peter's 
 step was heard on the stairs. 
 
 It must be he, and yet it was not, for he never came 
 up with such slow and dragging feet. 
 
 Then the study door opened. 
 
 It was he ! 
 
 What could have happened, what had the citizens 
 determined? 
 
 With an anxious heart, she told Trautchen to stay 
 with the child, and then went to her husband. 
 
 Peter sat at the writing-table in full official uniform,, 
 with his hat still on his head. His face lay buried on 
 his folded arms, beside the sconce. 
 
 He saw nothing, heard nothing, and when she at 
 last called him, started, sprang up and flung his hat 
 violently on the table. His hair was dishevelled, his 
 glance restless, and in the faint light of the glimmering 
 candles his cheeks looked deadly pale. 
 
 " What do you want ?" he asked curtly, in a harsh 
 voice; but for a time Maria made no reply, fear para- 
 lyzed her tongue. 
 
 At last she found words, and deep anxiety was ap- 
 parent in her question : 
 
 " What has happened ?" 
 
332 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 '' The beginning of the end," he answered in a hol- 
 low tone. 
 
 " They have out-voted you ?" cried the young wife. 
 ^' Baersdorp and the other cowards want to negotiate?" 
 
 Peter drew himself up to his full height, and ex- 
 claimed in a loud, threatening tone : 
 
 " Guard your tongue! He who remains steadfast un- 
 til his children die and corpses bar the way in front of 
 his own house, he who bears the responsibility of a 
 thousand deaths, endures curses and imprecations 
 through long weeks, and has vainly hoped for deliver- 
 ance during more than a third of a year — he who, wher- 
 ever he looks, sees nothing save unprecedented, con- 
 stantly increasing misery and then no longer repels the 
 saving hand of the foe — " 
 
 " Is a coward, a traitor, who breaks the sacred oath 
 he has sworn." 
 
 " Maria," cried Peter angrily, approaching with a 
 threatening gesture. 
 
 She drew her slender figure up to its full height and 
 with quickened breath awaited him, pointing her finger 
 at him, as she exclaimed with a sharp tone perceptible 
 through the sHght tremor in her voice : 
 
 " You, you have voted with the Baersdorps, you^ 
 Peter Van der Werff! You have done this thing, you, 
 the friend of the Prince, the shield and providence of 
 this brave city, you, the man who received the oaths of 
 the citizens, the martyr's son, the servant of liberty — " 
 
 " No more !" he interrupted, trembling with shame 
 and rage. *' Do you know what it is to bear the guilt 
 of this most terrible suffering before God and men ?" 
 
 ^' Yes, yes, thrice yes ; it is laying one's heart on the 
 rack, to save Holland and liberty. That is what it 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 335 
 
 means ! Oh, God, my God ! You are lost ! You intend 
 to negotiate with Valdez !" 
 
 " And suppose I do ?" asked the burgomaster, with 
 an angry gesture. 
 
 Maria looked him sternly in the eye, and exclaimed 
 in a loud, resolute tone : 
 
 " Then it will be my turn to say : Go to Delft ; we 
 need different men here.'* 
 
 The burgomaster turned pale and bent his eyes on 
 the floor, while she fearlessly confronted him with a 
 steady glance. 
 
 The hght fell full upon her glowing face, and when 
 Peter again raised his eyes, it seemed as if the same 
 Maria stood before him, who as a bride had vowed to 
 share trouble and peril with him, remain steadfast in the 
 struggle for liberty to the end; he felt that his *' child" 
 Maria had grown to his own height and above him, 
 recognized for the first time in the proud woman before 
 him his companion in conflict, his high-hearted helper 
 in distress and danger. An overmastering yearning, 
 mightier than any emotion ever experienced before, 
 surged through his soul, impelled him towards her, and 
 found utterance in the words : 
 
 ** Maria, Maria, my wife, my guardian angel ! We 
 have written to Valdez, but there is still time, nothing 
 binds me yet, and with you, with you I will stand firm 
 to the end.' 
 
 Then, in the midst of these days of woe, she threw 
 herself on his breast, crying aloud in the abundance of 
 this new, unexpected, unutterable happiness : 
 
 "With you, one with you — forever, unto death, in 
 conflict and in love ! " 
 
334 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Peter felt animated with new life. A fresh store of 
 courage and enthusiasm filled his breast, for he constantly 
 received a new supply from the stout-hearted woman by 
 his side. 
 
 Under the pressure of the terrible responsibility he 
 endured, and urged by his fellow-magistrates, he had 
 consented, at the meeting of the council, to write to 
 Valdez and ask him to give free passage to embassadors, 
 who were to entreat the estates and the Prince of Orange 
 to release the tortured city from her oath. 
 
 Valdez made every effort to induce the burgomaster 
 to enter into farther negotiations, but the latter remained 
 firm, and no petition for release from the sacred duty of 
 resistance left the city. The two Van der Does, Van 
 Hout, Junker von Warmond, and other resolute men, 
 who had already, in the great assembly, denounced any 
 intercourse with the enemy, now valiantly supported 
 him against his fellow-magistrates and the council, that 
 with the exception of seven of its members, persistently 
 and vehemently urged the commencement of negotia- 
 tions. 
 
 Adrian rapidly recovered, but Doctor Bontius's pre- 
 diction was terribly fulfilled, for famine and pestilence 
 vied with each other in horrible fury, and destroyed 
 almost half of all the inhabitants of the flourishing city. 
 Intense was the gloom, dark the sky, yet even amidst 
 the cruel woe there was many an hour in which bright 
 sunshine illumined souls, and hope unfurled her green 
 
THE BURGOMASTER^S WIFE. 335 
 
 banner. The citizens of Leyden rose from their 
 couches more joyously, than a bride roused by the 
 singing of her companions on her wedding-day, when 
 on the morning of September eleventh loud and long- 
 continued cannonading was heard from the distance, 
 and the sky became suffused with a crimson glow. The 
 villages southwest of the city were burning. Every 
 house, every barn that sunk into ashes, burying the 
 property of honest men, was a bonfire to the despairing 
 citizens. 
 
 The Beggars were approaching ! 
 
 Yonder, where the cannon thundered and the hori- 
 zon glowed, lay the Land-scheiding, the bulwark which 
 for centuries had guarded the plains surrounding Ley- 
 den from the assaults of the waves, and now barred the 
 way of the fleet bringing assistance. 
 
 " Fall, protecting walls, rise, tempest, swallow thy 
 prey, raging sea, destroy the property of the husband- 
 man, ruin our fields and meadows, but drown the foe or 
 drive him hence." So sang Janus Dousa, so rang a voice 
 in Peter's soul, so prayed Maria, and with her thousands 
 of men and women. 
 
 But the glow in the horizon died .away, the firing 
 ceased. A second day elapsed, a third and fourth, but 
 no messenger arrived, no Beggar ship appeared, and the 
 sea seemed to lie calm ; but another terrible power in- 
 creased, moving with mysterious, stealthy, irresistible 
 might ; Death, with his pale companions. Despair and 
 Famine. 
 
 The dead were borne secretly to their graves under 
 cover of the darkness of night, to save their scanty ra- 
 tion for the survivors, in the division of food. The angel 
 of death flew from house to house, touched pretty little 
 
;^^6 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 Bessie's heart, and kissed her closed eyes while she 
 slumbered in die quiet night. 
 
 The faint-hearted and the Spanish sympathizers 
 raised their heads and assembled in bands, one of which 
 forced a passage into the council-chamber and demanded 
 bread. But not a crumb remained, and the magistrates 
 had nothing more to distribute except a small portion of 
 cow and horse-flesh, and boiled and salted hides. 
 
 During this period of the sorest distress, Van der 
 WerfF was passing down the '^ broad street." He did 
 not notice that a throng of desperate men and women 
 were pursuing him with threats; but as he turned to 
 ■ enter Van Hout's house, suddenly found himself sur- 
 rounded. A pallid woman, with her dying child in her 
 arms, threw herself before him, held out the expiring 
 infant, and cried in hollow tones : " Let this be enough, 
 let this be enough — see here, see this; it is the third. 
 Let this be enough!" 
 
 " Enough, enough ! Bread, bread ! Give us bread ! '* 
 was shrieked and shouted around him, and threatening 
 weapons and stones were raised; but a carpenter, whom 
 he knew, and who had hitherto faithfully upheld the 
 good cause, advanced saying in measured accents, in his 
 deep voice : " This can go on no longer. We have 
 patiently borne hunger and distress in fighting against 
 the Spaniards- and for our Bible, but to struggle against 
 certain death is madness." 
 
 Peter, pale and agitated, gazed at the mother, the 
 child, the sturdy workman and the threatening, shriek- 
 ing mob. The common distress, which afllicted them 
 and so many starving people, oppressed his soul with a 
 thousand-fold greater power. He would fain have 
 drawn them all to his heart, as brothers in misfortune, 
 
THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE. 337 
 
 companions of a future, worthier existence. With deep 
 emotion, he looked from one to the other, then pressed 
 his hand upon his breast and called to the crowd, which 
 thronged around him : 
 
 " Here I stand. I have sworn to faithfully endure 
 to the end ; and you did so with me. I will not break 
 my oath, but I can die. If my life will serve you, here 
 I am ! I have no bread, but here, here is my body. 
 Take it, lay hands on me, tear me to pieces. Here I 
 stand, here I stand. I will keep my oath." 
 
 The carpenter bent his head, and said in a hollow 
 tone : " Come, people, let God's will be done ; we 
 have sworn." 
 
 The burgomaster quietly entered his friend's house. 
 Frau Van Hout had seen and heard all this, and on the 
 very same day told the story to Maria, her eyes spark- 
 ling brightly as she exclaimed : " Never did I see any 
 man so noble as he was in that hour ! It is well for us, 
 that he rules within these walls. Never will our children 
 and children's children forget this deed." 
 
 They have treasured it in their memories, and during 
 the night succeeding the day on which the burgomaster 
 acted so manly a part, a letter arrived from the Prince, 
 full of joyous and encouraging news. The noble man 
 had recovered, and was striving with all his power to 
 rescue brave Ley den. The Beggars had cut the Land- 
 scheiding, their vessels were pressing onward — help was 
 approaching, and the faithful citizen who brought the 
 letter, had seen with his own eyes the fleet bringing 
 relief and the champions of freedom, glowing with 
 martial ardor. The two Van der Does, by the same 
 letter, were appointed the Prince's commissioners in 
 place of the late Herr Van Bronkhorst. Van der Werff 
 
;^^S THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 no longer stood alone, and when the next morning 
 ^^ Father William's " letter was read aloud and the mes- 
 senger's news spread abroad, the courage and confidence 
 of the tortured citizens rose like withering, grass after a 
 refreshing rain. 
 
 But they were still condemned to long weeks of 
 anxiety and suffering. 
 
 During the last days of September they were forced 
 to slaughter the cows hitherto spared for the infants and 
 young mothers, and then, then ? 
 
 Help was close at hand, for the sky often reddened, 
 and the air was shaken by the roar of distant cannon ; 
 but the east wind continued to prevail, driving back the 
 water let in upon the land, and the vessels needed a 
 rising flood to approach the city. 
 
 Not one of all the messengers, who had been sent 
 out, returned; there was nothing certain, save the cruelly 
 increasing unendurable suffering. Even Barbara had 
 succumbed, and complained of weakness and loathing 
 of the ordinary food. 
 
 Maria thought of the roast-pigeon, which had 
 agreed with Bessie so well, and went to the musician, to 
 ask if he could sacrifice another of his pets for her sis- 
 ter-in-law. 
 
 Wilhelm's ni other received the burgomaster's wife. 
 The old lady was sitting wearily in an arm-chair; she 
 could still walk, but amid her anxiety and distress a 
 strange twitching had affected her hands. When Maria 
 made her request, she shook her head, saying : " Ask 
 him yourself He's obliged to keep the little creatures 
 shut up, for whenever they appear, the poor starving 
 people shoot at them. There are only three left. The 
 messengers took the others, and they haven't returned. 
 
THE burgomaster's WIFE. 339 
 
 Thank God for it; the Httle food he still has, will do 
 more good in dishes, than in their crops. Would you 
 believe it ? A fortnight ago he paid fifty florins out of 
 his savings for half a sack of peas, and Heaven knows 
 where he found them. Ulrich, Ulrich ! Take Frau Van 
 der Werff up to Wilhelm. I'd willingly spare you the. 
 climb, but he's watching for the carrier-pigeons that 
 have been sent out, and won't even come down to his 
 meals. To be sure, they would hardly be worth the 
 trouble !" 
 
 It was a clear, sunny day. Wilhelm was standing 
 in his look-out, gazing over the green, watery plain, that 
 lay out-spread below him, towards the south. Behind 
 him sat Andreas, the fencing-master's fatherless boy, 
 writing notes, but his attention was not fixed on his 
 work ; for as soon as he had finished a line he too gazed 
 towards the horizon, watching for the pigeon his teacher 
 expected. He did not look particularly emaciated, for 
 many a grain of the doves' food had been secretly added 
 to his scanty ration of meat. 
 
 Wilhelm showed that he felt both surprised and 
 honored by P>au Van der Werff's visit, and even prom- 
 ised to grant her request, though it was evident that the 
 ^'saying yes" was by no means easy for him. 
 
 The young wife went out on the balcony with him, 
 and he showed her in the south, where usually nothing 
 but a green plain met the eye, a wide expanse over 
 which a light mist was hovering. The noon sun seemed 
 to steep the white vapor with light, and lure it upward 
 by its ardent rays. This was the water streaming 
 through the broken dyke, and the black oblong specks 
 moving along its edges were the Spanish troops and 
 herds of cattle, that had retreated before the advancing 
 
340 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 flood from the outer fortifications, villages and hamlets. 
 The Land-scheiding itself was not visible, but the Beg- 
 gars had already passed it. If the fleet succeeded in 
 reaching the Zoetermere Lake and from thence. — 
 
 Wilhelm suddenly interrupted his explanation, for 
 Andreas had suddenly started up, upsetting his stool^ 
 and exclaimed : 
 
 " It's coming ! The dove ! Roland, my fore man^ 
 there it comes !" 
 
 For the first time Wilhelm heard the boy's lips ut- 
 ter his father's exclamation. Some great emotion must 
 have stirred his heart, and in truth he was not mistaken; 
 the speck piercing the air, which his keen eye had dis- 
 covered, was no longer a mere spot, but an oblong 
 something — a bird, the pigeon ! 
 
 Wilhelm seized the flag on the balcony, and waved 
 it as joyously as ever conqueror unfurled his banner 
 after a hard-won fight. The dove came nearer — 
 alighted, slipped into the cote, and a few minutes after 
 the musician ai)peared with a tiny letter. 
 
 " To the magistrates !" cried Wilhelm. '' Take it to 
 your husband at once. Oh ! dear lady, dear lady, finish 
 what the dove has begun. Thank God ! thank God ! 
 they are already at North-Aa. This will save the poor 
 people from despair ! And now one ^hing more ! You 
 shall have the roasted bird, but take this grain too ; a 
 barley-porridge is the best medicine for Barbara's con- 
 dition ; I've tried it !" 
 
 When evening came, and the musician had told his 
 parents the joyful news, he ordered the blue dove with 
 the white breast to be caught. " Kill it outside the 
 house," said he, " I can't bear to see it." 
 
 Andreas soon came back with the beheaded pigeon. 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 34I 
 
 His lips were bloody, Wilhelm knew from what, yet he 
 did not reprove the hungry boy, but merely said : 
 
 ^' Fie, you pole-cat !" 
 
 Early the next morning a second dove returned. 
 The letters the winged messengers had brought were 
 read aloud from the windows of the town -hall, and the 
 courage of the populace, pressed to the extremest limits 
 of endurance, flickered up anew and helped them bear 
 their misery. One of the letters were addressed to the 
 magistrates, the other to Janus Dousa ; they sounded 
 confident and hopeful, and the Prince, the faithful shield 
 of liberty, the friend and guide of the people, had re- 
 covered from his sickness and visited the vessels and 
 troops intended for the relief of Ley den. Rescue was 
 so near, but the north-east wind would not change, and 
 the water did not rise. Great numbers of citizens, sol- 
 diers, magistrates and women stood on the citadel and 
 other elevated places, gazing into the distance. 
 
 A thousand hands were clasped in fervent prayer, 
 and the eyes of all were turned in feverish expectation 
 and eager yearning towards the south, but the boundary 
 line of the waves did not move ; and the sun, as if in 
 mockery, burst cheerily through the mists of the autumn 
 morning, imparted a pleasant warmth to the keen air, 
 and in the evening sank towards the west in the 
 midst of radiant light, diffusing its golden rays far 
 and wide. The cloudless blue sky arched piti- 
 lessly over the city, and at night glittered with 
 thousands of twinkling stars. Early on the morning of 
 the twenty-ninth the mists grew denser, the grass re- 
 mained dry, the fogs lifted, the cool air changed to a 
 sultry atmosphere, the grey clouds piled in masses on 
 €ach other, and grew black and threatening. A light 
 
342 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 breeze rose, stirring the leafless branches of the trees, 
 then a sudden gust of wind swept over the heads of the 
 throngs watching the distant horizon. A second and 
 third followed, then a howling tempest roared and hissed 
 without cessation through the city, wrenching tiles from 
 the roofs, twisting the fruit-trees in the gardens and the 
 young elms and lindens in many a street, tearing away 
 the flags the boys had fastened on the walls in defiance 
 of the Spaniards, lashing the still waters of the city moat 
 and quiet canals, and — the Lord does not abandon His 
 own — and the vanes turned, the storm came from the 
 north-west. No one saw the result, but the sailors 
 shouted the tidings, and each individual caught up the 
 words and bore them exultantly on — the hurricane drove 
 the sea into the mouth of the Meuse, forcing back the 
 waves of the river by its fierce assault, driving them 
 over its banks through the gaps opened in the dykes, 
 and the gates of the sluices, and bearing forward on 
 their towering crests the vessels bringing deliverance. 
 
 Roar, roar, thou storm, stream, stream, rushing rain^ 
 rage, waves, and destroy the meadows, swallow up 
 houses and villages ! Thousands and thousands of 
 people on the walls and towers of Ley den hail your 
 approach, behold in you the terrible armies of the 
 avenging God, exult and shout a joyous welcome ! 
 
 For two successive days the burgomaster, Maria and 
 Adrian, the Van der Does and Van Houts stood with 
 brief intervals of rest among the throng on the citadel or 
 the tower at the Cow-Gate; even Barbara, far more 
 strengthened by hope than by the barley-porridge or the 
 lean carrier-pigeon, would not stay at home, but dragged 
 herself to the musician's look-out, for every one wanted 
 to see the rising water, the earth softening, the moisture 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 343 
 
 creeping between the blades of grass, then spreading 
 into pools and ponds, until at last there was a wide 
 expanse of water, on which bubbles rose, burst under 
 the descending rain, and formed ever-widening circles. 
 Every one wanted to watch the Spaniards, hurrying 
 hither and thither like sheep pursued by a wolf. Every 
 one wanted to hear the thunder of the Beggars* cannon, 
 the rattle of their arquebuses and muskets; men and 
 women thought the tempest that threatened to sweep 
 them away, pleasanter than the softest breeze, and the 
 pouring rain," which drenched them, preferable to spring 
 dew-drops mirroring the sunshine. 
 
 Behind the strong fort of Lammen, defended by 
 several hundred Spanish soldiers, and the Castle of 
 Cronenstein, a keen eye could distinguish the Beggars* 
 vessels. 
 
 During Thursday and Friday Wilhelm watched in 
 vain for a dove, but on Saturday his best flier returned, 
 bringing a letter from Admiral Boisot, who called upon 
 the armed forces of the city to sally out on Friday and 
 attack Lammen. 
 
 The storm had blown the pigeon away. It had 
 reached the city too late, but on Saturday evening Janus 
 Dousa and Captain Van der Laen were actively en- 
 gaged, summoning every one capable of bearing arms 
 to appear early Sunday morning. Poor, pale, emaciated 
 troops were those who obeyed the leaders' call, but not 
 a man was absent, and each stood ready to give his Hfe 
 for the deliverance of the city and his family. 
 
 The tempest had moderated, the firing had ceased, 
 and the night was dark and sultry. No eyes wished to 
 sleep, and those whom slumber overpowered for a short 
 time, were startled and terrified by strange, mysterious 
 
344 THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 noises. Wilhelm sat in his look-out, gazing towards the 
 south and listening intently. Sometimes a light gust of 
 wind whistled around the lofty . house, sometimes a 
 shout, a scream, or the blast of a trumpet echoed 
 through the stillness of the night ; then a crashing noise, 
 'as if an earthquake had shaken part, of the city to its 
 foundations, arose near the Cow- Gate. Not a star was 
 visible in the sky, but bright spots, like will-o'-the-wisps, 
 moved through the dense gloom in regular order near 
 Lammen. It was a horrible, anxious night. 
 
 Early next morning the citizens saw that a part of 
 the city- wall near the Cow-Gate had fallen, and then 
 unexampled rejoicing arose at the breach, no longer 
 dangerous ; exultant cries echoed through every street 
 and alley, drawing from the houses men and women, 
 grey-beards and children, the sick and the well, one 
 after another thronging to the Cow-Gate, where the 
 Beggars' fleet was seen approaching. The city-carpenter, 
 Thomassohn, and other men, tore out of the water the 
 posts by which the Spaniards had attempted to bar the 
 vessels' advance, then the first ship, followed by a 
 second and third, arrived at the walls. Stern, bearded 
 men, with fierce, scarred, weather-beaten faces, whose 
 cheeks for years had been touched by no salt moisture, 
 save the sea-spray, smiled kindly at the citizens, flung 
 them one loaf of bread after another, and many other 
 good things of which they had long been deprived, 
 weeping and sobbing with emotion like children, while 
 the poor people eat and eat, unable to utter a word of 
 thanks. Then the leaders came, Admiral Boisot em- 
 braced the Van der Does and Burgomaster Van der 
 WerfF, the Beggar captain Van Duijkenburg was 
 clasped in the arms of his mother, Barbara, and many 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 345 
 
 a Leyden man hugged a liberator, on whom his 
 eyes now rested for the first time. Many, many tears 
 fell, thousands of hearts overflowed, and the Sunday 
 bells, sounding so much clearer and gayer than usual, 
 summoned rescuers and rescued to the churches to 
 pray. The spacious sanctuary was too small for the 
 worshippers, and when the pastor, Corneliussohn, who 
 filled the place of the good Verstroot, now ill from 
 caring for so many sufferers, called -upon the congrega- 
 tion to give thanks, his exhortation had long since been 
 anticipated; from the first notes of the organ,, the 
 thousands who poured into the church had been filled 
 with the same eager longing, to utter thanks, thanks, 
 fervent thanks. 
 
 In the Grey Sisters' chapel Father Damianus also 
 thanked the Lord, and with him Nicolas Van Wibisma 
 and other Catholics, who loved their native land and 
 liberty. 
 
 After church Adrian, holding a piece of bread in one 
 hand and his shoes in the. other, waded at the head of 
 his school-mates through the higher meadows to Ley- 
 derdorp, to see the Spaniards' deserted camp. There 
 stood the superb tent of General Valdez, in which, over 
 the bed, hung a map of the Rhine country, drawn by 
 the Netherlander Beeldsnijder to injure his own nation. 
 The boys looked, at it, and a Beggar, who had formerly 
 been in a writing-school and now looked like a sea-bear, 
 said : 
 
 " Look here, my lads. There is the Land-scheiding. 
 We first pierced that, but more was to be done. The 
 green path had many obstacles, and here at the third , 
 dyke — they call it the Front-way — there were hard nuts 
 to crack, and farther progress was impossible. We now 
 
346 THE burgomaster's WIFE. 
 
 returned, made a wide circuit across the Segwaert- 
 way, and through this canal here, wliere there was hard 
 fighting, to North- Aa. The Zoetermeer Lake now lay 
 behind us, but the water became too shallow and we 
 could get no farther. Have you seen the great Ark of 
 Delft ? It's a huge vessel, moved by wheels, by which 
 the water is thrust aside. You'll be delighted with 
 it. At last the Lord gave us the storm and the 
 spring-tide. Then the vessels had the right depth of 
 water. There was warm work again at the Kirk-way, 
 but the day before yesterday we reached Lammen. 
 Many a brave man has fallen on both sides, but at Lam- 
 men every one expected the worst struggle to take 
 place. We were going to attack it early this morning, 
 but when day dawned everything was unnaturally quiet 
 in the den, and moreover, a strange stillness prevailed. 
 Then we thought: Leyden has surrendered; starva- 
 tion conquered her. But it was nothing of the sort ! 
 You are people of the right stamp, and soon after a lad 
 about as large as one of you, came to our vessel and 
 told us he had seen a long procession of lights move out 
 of the fort during the night and march away. At first 
 we wouldn't believe him, but the boy was right. The 
 water had grown too hot for the crabs, and the lights the 
 lad saw were the Spaniards' lunts. Look, children, there 
 is Lammen — " , 
 
 Adrian had gone close to the map with his compan- 
 ions and now interrupted the Beggar by laughing 
 loudly. 
 
 " What. is it, curly-head ?" asked the latter. 
 
 ''Look, look!" cried the boy, ''the great General 
 Valdez has immortalized himself here, and there is his 
 name too. Listen^ listen ! The rector would hang a 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 347 
 
 placard with the word donkey round his neck, for he has 
 written : * Castelli parvi I Vale civitas^ valete castelli 
 pann ; relicti estis propter aquam et 71071 per vitn ini7fii- 
 corum P Oh! the donkey * Castelli pann I '^^ 
 
 " What does it mean ?" asked the Beggar. 
 
 *' Farewell, Leyden, farewell, ye little ' Castelli-,' ye 
 are abandoned on account of the waves, and not of the 
 power of the enemy. ' ' Parvi Castelli I ' I must tell 
 mother that !" 
 
 On Monday, WilHam of Orange entered Leyden, 
 and went to Herr von Montfort's house. The people 
 received their Father William with joy, and the unwea- 
 ried champion of liberty, in the midst of the exultation 
 and rejoicing that surrounded him, labored for the future 
 prosperity of the city. At a later period he rewarded 
 the faithful endurance of the people with a peerless me- 
 morial : the University of Leyden. This awakened and 
 kept alive in the busy city and the country bleeding for 
 years in severe conflicts, that lofty aspiration and effort, 
 which is its own reward, and places eternal welfare far 
 above mere temporal prosperity. The tree, whose seed 
 was planted amid the deepest misery, conflict and 
 calamity, has borne the noblest fruits for humanity, still 
 bears them, and if it is the will of God will continue to 
 bear them for centuries. 
 
 On the twenty-sixth of July, 1581, seven years after 
 the rescue of Leyden, Holland and Zealand, whose 
 political independence had already been established for 
 six years, proclaimed themselves at the Hague free from 
 Spain. Hitherto, William of Orange had ruled as King 
 
34^ THE burgomaster's wife. 
 
 Philip's '' stadtholder," and even the war against the 
 monarch had been carried on in his name. Nay, the 
 document estabUshing the University, a paper, which 
 with all the earnestness that dictated it, deserves to be 
 called an unsurpassed masterpiece of the subtlest 
 political irony, purported to issue from King Philip's 
 mouth, and it sounds amusing enough to read in this 
 paper, that the gloomy dunce in the Escurial, after 
 mature deliberation with his dear and faithful cousin, 
 William of Orange, has determined to found a free- 
 school and university, from motives, which could not 
 fail to seem abominable to the King. 
 
 On the twenty-fourth of July this game ceased, 
 allegiance to Philip was renounced, and the Prince 
 assumed sovereign authority. 
 
 Three days after, these joyful events were celebrated 
 by a splendid banquet at Herr Van der WerfF's house. 
 
 The windows of the dining-room were thrown wide 
 open, and the fresh breeze of the summer night fanned 
 the brows of the guests, who had assembled around the 
 burgomaster's table. They were the most intimate 
 friends of the family : Janus Dousa, Van Hout, the 
 learned Doctor Grotius of Delft, who to Maria's delight 
 had been invited to Leyden as a professor, and this 
 very year filled the office of President of the new 
 University, the learned tavern-keeper Aquanus, Doctor 
 Bontius, now professor of medicine at the University, 
 and many others. 
 
 The musician Wilhelm was also present, but no 
 longer alone ; beside him sat his beautiful, delicate wife, 
 Anna d'Avila, with whom he had recently returned from 
 Italy. He had borne for several years the name of Van 
 Duivenbode (messenger-dove), which the city had be- 
 
THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 349 
 
 Stowed on him, together with a coat of arms bearing 
 three bkie doves on a" silver field and two crossed 
 keys. 
 
 With the Prince's consent the legacies bequeathed by- 
 old Fraulein Van Hoogstraten to her relatives and ser- 
 vants, had been paid, and Wilhelm now occupied with 
 his wife a beautiful new house, that did not lack a dove- 
 cote, and where Maria, though her four children gave 
 her little time, took part in many a madrigal. The musi- 
 cian had much to say about Rome and his beautiful sis- 
 ter-in-law Henrica, to Adrian, now a fine young man, 
 who had graduated at the University and was soon to be 
 admitted to the council. Belotti, after the death of the 
 young girl's father, who had seen and blessed Anna 
 again, went to Italy with her, where she lived as superior 
 of a secular institution, where music was cultivated with 
 special devotion. 
 
 Barbara did not appear among the guests. She had 
 plenty to do in the kitchen. Her white caps were now 
 plaited with almost coquettish skill and care, and the 
 firm, contented manner in which she ruled Trautchen 
 and the two under maid-servants, showed that every- 
 thing was going on well in Peter's house and business. It 
 was worth while to do a great deal for the guests up- 
 stairs. Junker von Warmond was among them, and had 
 been given the seat of honor between Doctor Grotius 
 and Janus Dousa, the first trustee of the University, for 
 he had become a great nobleman and influential states- 
 man, who found much difficulty in getting time to leave 
 the Hague and attend the banquet with his young assis- 
 tant, Nicolas Van Wibisma. He drank to Meister 
 Aquanus as eagerly and gaily as ever, exclaiming : 
 
 "To old times and our friend, Georg von Dornburg.** 
 
350 THE BURGOMASTER S WIFE. 
 
 " With all my heart," replied the landlord. ^'^ We 
 haven't heard of his bold deeds and expeditions for a 
 long time." 
 
 " Of course ! The fermenting wine is now clear. 
 Domburg is in the English service, and four weeks ago 
 I met him as a member of her British Majesty's navy in 
 London. His squadron is now on the way to Venice. 
 He still cherishes an affectionate memory of Leyden, 
 and sends kind remembrances to you, but you would 
 never recognize in the dignified commander and quiet, 
 cheerful man, our favorite in former days. How often 
 his enthusiastic temperament carried him far beyond us 
 all, and how it would make the heart ache to see him 
 brooding mournfully over his secret grief." 
 
 " I met the Junker in Delft," said Doctor Grotius. 
 *^ Such enthusiastic natures easily soar too high and 
 then get a fall, but when they yoke themselves to the 
 chariot of work and duty, their strength moves vast 
 burdens, and with cheerful superiority conquers the 
 hardest obstacles." 
 
 Meantime Adrian, at a sign from his father, had 
 risen and filled the glasses with the best wine. The 
 ^^ hurrah," led by the Burgomaster, was given to the 
 Prince, and Janus Dousa followed it by a toast to the 
 independence and liberty of their native land. 
 
 Van Hout devoted a glass to the memory of the 
 days of trouble, and the city's marvellous deliverance. 
 
 All joined in the toast, and after the cheers had died 
 away, Aquanus said : 
 
 " Who would not gladly recall the exquisite Sunday 
 of October third; but when I think of the misery that 
 preceded it, my heart contracts, even at the present 
 day." 
 
THE BURGOMASTERS WIFE. 351 
 
 At these words Peter clasped Maria's hand, pressed 
 it tenderly, and whispered : 
 
 " And yet, on the saddest day of my Hfe, I found my 
 best treasure." 
 
 " So did I ! " she repUed, gazing gratefully into his 
 faithful eyes. 
 
 1 
 
 THE END. 
 
/^.n 
 
UNIVERSITY OP CALIFOBNIA LIBRARY 
 
 this book is due on the last date 
 stamped below 
 
 -;AH 4 .327 
 
 SEP Bti 1928 
 
 .OCT 919»3