ton_ half to inquire what ADAM did with it. "Oh,
_he_ ead him too!" says BOSCH in perfect good faith. I do wish,
too, he wouldn't lead me up to PAUL POTTER's "_Bull_," and ask me
enthusiastically if it isn't "real meat." I shouldn't mind it so much
if there were not several English people about, without couriers--but
there _are_. My only revenge is (as _Merton_) to carefully pick out
the unsigned canvases and ask BOSCH who painted them; whereupon, BOSCH
endeavours furtively to make out the label on the frames, and then
informs me in desperation, "it was '_School_.'--yass, _he_ baint
him!" BOSCH kindly explains the subject of every picture in detail.
He tells me a DROOCHSLOOT represents a "balsham pedder." I suppose
I look bewildered, for he adds--"oppen air tance mit a village."
"Hier dey vas haf a tispute; dis man say de ham vas more value as de
cheese--dere is de cheese, and dere is the ham." "Hier is an old man
dot marry a yong vife, and two tevils com in, and de old man he ron
avay." "Hier he dress him in voman, and de vife is vrighten." "Hier is
JAN STEEN himself as a medicine, and he veel de yong voman's polse and
say dere is nodings de madder, and de modder ask him to trink a glass
of vine." "Hier is de beach at Skavening--now dey puild houses on
de dunes--bot de beach is schdill dere." Such are BOSCH's valuable
and instructive comments, to which, as representing _Sandford_ and
_Merton_, I listen with depressed docility. All the same, can't help
coming to the conclusion that Art is _not_ BOSCH's strong point.
Shall come here again--alone. We go on to the Municipal Museum, where
he shows me what _he_ considers the treasures of the collection--a
glass goblet, engraved "mit dails of tobaggo bipes," and the pipes
themselves; a painting of a rose "mit ade beople's faces in de leafs;"
and a drawing of "two pirts mit only von foots."

Outside again. BOSCH shows me a house. "Lokeer. In dot house leef an
oldt lady all mit herself and ade sairvans. She com from Friesland,
yassir." Really, I think BOSCH is going to be interesting--at last.
There is a sly twinkle in his eye, denoting some story of a scandalous
but infinitely humorous nature. "Well, BOSCH, go on--what about the
old lady?" I ask, eagerly, as _Merton_. "Wol, Sir," says BOSCH, "she
nefer go noveres." ... That's _all_! "A devilish interesting story,
_Sumph_, indeed!" to quote _Mr. Wagg_.

But, as BOSCH frequently reminds me, "It vas pedder, you see, as a
schend