“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 his discontent and emptied many a cask of my best liquor.”

“Tell the gentlemen how he paid you,” cried Colonel Mulder.

“There hangs the paper framed,” laughed Aquarius.  “Instead of sending money, he wrote this: 

     ’Full many a favor, dear friend, hast thou done me,
     For which good hard coin glad wouldst thou be to see
     There’s none in my pockets; so for the debt
        In place of dirty coin,
        This written sheet so fine;
     Paper money in Leyden is easy to get.’”

“Excellent!” cried Junker von Warmond, “and besides you made the die for the pasteboard coins yourself.”

“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 enterprise, which was shamefully frustrated, because the leader lay down like a mole to sleep!  Where has such 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 provision ships on the Leyden Lake!  And the Kaag!  To think that this fort on the island should be in the hands of the enemy.”

“But the people have held out bravely,” said von Warmond.

“There are real devils among them,” replied Van der Laen, laughing.  “One struck a Spaniard down and, in the midst of the battle, 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 movement, 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.”