“Alas! ’tis but too true, my child; we must then hope for the best.  Kneel with me, my children, and let us offer up a prayer for the soul of the departed.”

Philip and Amine knelt with the priest, who prayed fervently; and as they rose, they exchanged a glance which fully revealed what was passing in the mind of each.

“I will send the people to do their offices for the dead, and prepare the body for interment,” said Father Seysen; “but it were as well not to say that he was dead before I arrived, or to let it be supposed that he was called away without receiving the consolations of our holy creed.”

Philip motioned his head in assent as he stood at the foot of the bed, and the priest departed.  There had always been a strong feeling against Mynheer Poots in the village;—­his neglect of all religious duties—­the doubt whether he was even a member of the church—­his avarice and extortion—­had created for him a host of enemies; but, at the same time, his great medical skill, which was fully acknowledged, rendered him of importance.  Had it been known that his creed (if he had any) was Mahometan, and that he had died in attempting to poison his son-in-law, it is certain that Christian burial would have been refused him, and the finger of scorn would have been pointed at his daughter.  But as Father Seysen, when questioned, said, in a mild voice, that “he had departed in peace,” it was presumed that Mynheer Poots had died a good Christian, although he had acted little up to the tenets of Christianity during his life.  The next day the remains of the old man were consigned to the earth with the usual rites; and Philip and Amine were not a little relieved in their minds at everything having passed off so quietly.

It was not until after the funeral had taken place that Philip, in company with Amine, examined the chamber of his father-in-law.  The key of the iron chest was found in his pocket; but Philip had not yet looked into this darling repository of the old man.  The room was full of bottles and boxes of drugs, all of which were either thrown away, or, if the utility of them was known to Amine, removed to a spare room.  His table contained many drawers, which were now examined, and among the heterogeneous contents were many writings in Arabic—­probably prescriptions.  Boxes and papers were also found, with Arabic characters written upon them; and in the box which they first took up was a powder similar to that which Mynheer Poots had given to Amine.  There were many articles and writings which made it appear that the old man had dabbled in the occult sciences, as they were practised at that period, and those they hastened to commit to the flames.

“Had all these been seen by Father Seysen!” observed Amine, mournfully.  “But here are some printed papers, Philip!”

Philip examined them, and found that they were acknowledgments of shares in the Dutch East India Company.

“No, Amine, these are money, or what is as good—­these are eight shares in the Company’s capital, which will yield us a handsome income every year.  I had no idea that the old man made such use of his money.  I had some intention of doing the same with a part of mine before I went away, instead of allowing it to remain idle.”