ace.

Ramsay nodded his head authoritatively.

"Gott in himmel!" exclaimed the syndic; but here the bell for dinner
rang a loud peal. "Dinner is on the table, mynheer," continued the
syndic; "allow me to show you the way. We will talk this over to-night.
Gott in himmel! Is it possible?"

Mynheer Krause led the way to another saloon, where Ramsay found not
only the table prepared, but, as he had anticipated, the daughter of his
host, to whom he was introduced. "Wilhelmina," said Mynheer Krause,
"our young friend will stay with us, I trust, some time, and you must do
all you can to make him comfortable. You know, my dear, that business
must be attended to. With me, time is money; so much so, that I can
scarcely do justice to the affairs of the State devolving upon me in
virtue of my office. You must, therefore, join with me, and do your
best to amuse our guest."

To this speech, Wilhelmina made no reply, but by a gracious inclination
of her head towards Ramsay, which was returned with all humility. The
dinner was excellent, and Ramsay amused himself very well indeed until
it was over. Mynheer Krause then led the way to the saloon, called for
coffee, and, as soon as he had finished it, made an apology to his guest
and left him alone with his beautiful daughter.

Wilhelmina Krause was a young person of a strong mind irregularly
cultivated; she had never known the advantage of a mother's care, and
was, indeed, self-educated. She had a strong tinge of romance in her
character, and, left so much alone, she loved to indulge in it.

In other points she was clever, well read, and accomplished; graceful in
her manners, open in her disposition, to a fault; for, like her father,
she could not keep a secret, not even the secrets of her own heart; for
whatever she thought she gave utterance to, which is not exactly the
custom in this world, and often attended with unpleasant consequences.

The seclusion in which she had been kept added to the natural timidity
of her disposition--but when once intimate, it also added to her
confiding character. It was impossible to see without admiring her, to
know her without loving her; for she was Nature herself, and, at the
same time, in her person one of Nature's masterpieces.

As we observed, when they retired to the saloon, Mynheer Krause very
shortly quitted them, to attend to his affairs below, desiring his
daughter to exert herself for the amusement of his guest; the contra