“Quite safe, father.”

“Quite safe—­you say quite safe—­are you sure of it?—­let me see.”

“There it is, father, as you may perceive, quite safe—­thanks to one whom you have not treated so well.”

“Who—­what do you mean?—­Ah, yes, I see him now—­’tis Philip Vanderdecken—­he owes me three guilders and a half, and there is a phial—­did he save you—­and my money, child?”

“He did, indeed, at the risk of his life.”

“Well, well, I will forgive him the whole debt—­yes, the whole of it; but—­the phial is of no use to him—­he must return that.  Give me some water.”

It was some time before the old man could regain his perfect reason.  Philip left him with his daughter, and, taking a brace of loaded pistols, went out to ascertain the fate of the four assailants.  The moon having climbed above the banks of clouds which had obscured her, was now high in the heavens, shining bright, and he could distinguish clearly.  The two men lying across the threshold of the door were quite dead.  The others, who had seized upon Mynheer Poots, were still alive, but one was expiring and the other bled fast.  Philip put a few questions to the latter, but he either would not or could not make any reply; he removed their weapons and returned to the house, where he found the old man attended by his daughter, in a state of comparative composure.

“I thank you, Philip Vanderdecken—­I thank you much.  You have saved my dear child, and my money—­that is little, very little—­for I am poor.  May you live long and happily!”

Philip mused; the letter and his vow were, for the first time since he fell in with the robbers, recalled to his recollection, and a shade passed over his countenance.

“Long and happily—­no, no,” muttered he, with an involuntary shake of the head.

“And I must thank you,” said Amine, looking inquiringly in Philip’s face.  “O, how much have I to thank you for!—­and indeed I am grateful.”

“Yes, yes, she is very grateful,” interrupted the old man; “but we are poor—­very poor.  I talked about my money because I have so little, and I cannot afford to lose it; but you shall not pay me the three guilders and a half—­I am content to lose that, Mr Philip.”

“Why should you lose even that, Mynheer Poots?—­I promised to pay you, and will keep my word.  I have plenty of money—­thousands of guilders, and know not what to do with them.”

“You—­you—­thousands of guilders!” exclaimed Poots.  “Pooh, nonsense, that won’t do.”

“I repeat to you, Amine,” said Philip, “that I have thousands of guilders:  you know I would not tell you a falsehood.”

“I believed you when you said so to my father,” replied Amine.

“Then perhaps, as you have so much, and I am so very poor, Mr Vanderdecken—­”

But Amine put her hand upon her father’s lips, and the sentence was not finished.

“Father,” said Amine, “it is time that we retire.  You must leave us for to-night, Philip.”