strange
peculiarities of their visitor. During his stay his eyelids did not once
close, or, indeed, move in the slightest degree; and farther, there was
a deathlike stillness in his whole person, owing to the absence of the
heaving motion of the chest, caused by the process of respiration. These
two peculiarities, though when told they may appear trifling, produced a
very striking and unpleasant effect when seen and observed. Vanderhausen
at length relieved the painter of Leyden of his inauspicious presence;
and with no trifling sense of relief the little party heard the street
door close after him.

"Dear uncle," said Rose, "what a frightful man! I would not see him
again for the wealth of the States."

"Tush, foolish girl," said Douw, whose sensations were anything but
comfortable. "A man may be as ugly as the devil, and yet, if his heart
and actions are good, he is worth all the pretty-faced perfumed puppies
that walk the Mall. Rose, my girl, it is very true he has not thy pretty
face, but I know him to be wealthy and liberal; and were he ten times
more ugly, these two virtues would be enough to counter balance all his
deformity, and if not sufficient actually to alter the shape and hue of
his features, at least enough to prevent one thinking them so much
amiss."

"Do you know, uncle," said Rose, "when I saw him standing at the door, I
could not get it out of my head that I saw the old painted wooden figure
that used to frighten me so much in the Church of St. Laurence at
Rotterdam."

Gerard laughed, though he could not help inwardly acknowledging the
justness of the comparison. He was resolved, however, as far as he
could, to check his niece's disposition to dilate upon the ugliness of
her intended bridegroom, although he was not a little pleased, as well
as puzzled, to observe that she appeared totally exempt from that
mysterious dread of the stranger which, he could not disguise it from
himself, considerably affected him, as also his pupil Godfrey Schalken.

Early on the next day there arrived, from various quarters of the town,
rich presents of silks, velvets, jewellery, and so forth, for Rose; and
also a packet directed to Gerard Douw, which on being opened, was found
to contain a contract of marriage, formally drawn up, between Wilken
Vanderhausen of the _Boom-quay_, in Rotterdam, and Rose Velderkaust of
Leyden, niece to Gerard Douw, master in the art of painting, also of the
same city; and containing en