n up the ladder, went aft, and slid down by the rope which
held the plank used as a stage by the painters. Mr Vanslyperken seized
his carving-knife, and following softly on deck, went aft. He took a
hurried look forward--there was no one on deck. For a moment he
hesitated at the crime: he observed the starboard rope shake, for
Smallbones was just about to shin up again. The devil prevailed. Mr
Vanslyperken sawed through the rope, heard the splash of the lad in the
water, and, frightened at his own guilt, ran down below, and gained his
cabin. There he seated himself, trembling like an aspen leaf. It was
the first time that he had been a _murderer_. He was pale as ashes. He
felt sick, and he staggered to his cupboard, poured out a tumbler of
scheedam, and drank it off at a draught. This recovered him, and he
again felt brave. He returned on deck, and ordered his boat to be
manned, which was presently done. Mr Vanslyperken would have given the
world to have gone aft, and to have looked over the stern, but he dared
not; so, pushing the men into the boat, he slipped in, and was pulled on
shore. Without giving any directions to the men he stepped out, and
felt a relief when he found himself on _terra firma_. He walked away as
fast as he could--he felt that he could not walk fast enough--he was
anxious to arrive at his mother's. The rain fell fast, but he thought
not of his umbrella: it remained under his arm: and Mr Vanslyperken, as
if he were chased by a fiend, pushed on through the fog and rain; he
wanted to meet a congenial soul, one who would encourage, console him,
ridicule his fears, and applaud the deed which he would just then have
given the world to have recalled.

Where could he seek one more fitted to his purpose than his mother? The
door of the house where she lodged was common to many, and therefore
opened with a latch, he went in and up-stairs, tried the door of his
mother's room, and found it fastened within. He knocked, heard the
grumbling of the old woman at her being obliged to rise from her chair:
she opened the door, and Vanslyperken, as soon as he was in, slammed it
to, and, exhausted with his emotions, fell back in a chair.

"Hey-day! and what's the matter now?" cried the old woman, in Dutch;
"one would think that you had been waylaid, robbed, and almost
murdered."

"Murdered!" stammered Vanslyperken; "yes--it was murder."

"What was murder, my child?" replied the old woman reseating