To whom have
I the pleasure of addressing myself?"

"These letters, sir," replied Ramsay, "will inform you."

Mynheer Van Krause laid his tablets on the table, putting his pen across
to mark the leaf where he had them open, and, taking the letters, begged
Ramsay to be seated. He then took a chair, pulled a pair of
hand-glasses out of his pocket, laid them on his knees, broke the seals,
and falling back so as to recline, commenced reading. As soon as he had
finished the first letter, he put his glasses down from his eyes, and
made a bow to Ramsay, folded the open letter the length of the sheet,
took out his pencil, and on the outside wrote the date of the letter,
the day of the month, name, and the name of the writer. Having done
this, he laid the first letter down on the table, took up the second,
raised up his glasses, and performed the same duty towards it, and thus
he continued until he had read the whole six: always, as he concluded
each letter, making the same low bow to Ramsay which he had after the
perusal of the first. Ramsay, who was not a little tired of all this
precision, at last fixed his eyes upon a Wouvermann which hung near him,
and only took them off when he guessed the time of bowing to be at hand.

The last having been duly marked and numbered, Mynheer Van Krause turned
to Ramsay, and said, "I am most happy, mynheer, to find under my roof a
young gentleman so much recommended by many valuable friends; moreover,
as these letters give me to understand, so warm a friend to our joint
sovereign, and so inimical to the Jacobite party. I am informed by
these letters that you intend to remain at Amsterdam. If so, I trust
that you will take up your quarters in this house."

To this proposal Ramsay, who fully expected it, gave a willing consent,
saying, at the same time, that he had proposed going to an hotel; but
Mynheer Van Krause insisted on sending for Ramsay's luggage. He had not
far to send, as it was at the door.

"How did you come over?" inquired the host.

"In a king's cutter," replied Ramsay, "which waited for me at
Portsmouth."

This intimation produced another very low bow from Mynheer Van Krause;
as it warranted the importance of his guest; but he then rose, and
apologising for his presence being necessary below, as they were
unloading a cargo of considerable value, he ordered his old porter to
show Mr Ramsay into his rooms, and to take up his luggage, informing
his guest that, it