This intimation produced another very low bow from Mynheer Van Krause, as it warranted the importance of his guest; but he then rose, and apologising for his presence being necessary below, as they were unloading a cargo of considerable value, he ordered his old porter to show Mr Ramsay into his rooms, and to take up his luggage, informing his guest that, it being now twelve o’clock, dinner would be on the table at half-past one, during which interval he begged Ramsay to amuse himself, by examining the pictures, books, &c., with which the room was well furnished.  Then, resuming his tablets and pen, and taking the letters with him, Mynheer Van Krause made a very low bow, and left Ramsay to himself, little imagining that he had admitted an attainted traitor under his roof.

Ramsay could speak Dutch fluently, for he had been quartered two years at Middleburg, when he was serving in the army.  As soon as the sailors had taken up his portmanteau, and he had dismissed them with a gratuity, the extent of which made the old porter open his eyes with astonishment, and gave him a favourable opinion of his master’s new guest, he entered into conversation with the old man, who, like Eve upon another occasion, was tempted, nothing loth, for the old man loved to talk; and in a house so busy as the syndic’s there were few who had time to chatter, and those who had, preferred other conversation to what, it must be confessed, was rather prosy.

“Mein Gott, mynheer, you must not expect to have company here all day.  My master has the town business and his own business to attend to:  he can’t well get through it all:  besides, now is a busy time, the schuyts are bringing up the cargo of a vessel from a far voyage, and Mynheer Krause always goes to the warehouse from breakfast till dinner, and then again from three or four o’clock till six.  After that he will stay above, and then sees company, and hears our young lady sing.”

“Young lady! has he a daughter then?”

“He has a daughter, mynheer—­only one—­only one child—­no son, it is a pity; and so much money too, they say.  I don’t know how many stivers and guilders she will have by-and-bye.”

“Is not Madame Krause still alive?”

“No, mynheer, she died when this maiden was born.  She was a good lady, cured me once of the yellow jaundice.”

Ramsay, like all young men, wondered what sort of a person this lady might be; but he was too discreet to put the question.  He was, however, pleased to hear that there was a young female in the house, as it would make the time pass away more agreeably; not that he expected much.  Judging from the father, he made up his mind, as he took his clothes out of his valise, that she was very short, very prim, and had a hooked nose.

The old man now left the room to allow Ramsay to dress, and telling him that if he wanted anything, he had only to call for Koops, which was his name, but going out, he returned to say, that Ramsay must call rather loud, as he was a little hard of hearing.