of the
building, flanked by two wings, which seemed uninhabited, and in fact
so neglected as to be uninhabitable. Most of the panes were cracked
or broken, and only in some cases had the broken glass been replaced
by gray paper. The aloe-trees, set out to ornament the front of the
house, were planted for the greater part in cracked or broken vases.

As Francis had remarked, before I could follow her into the house
"half the garrison turned out" to salute us in the person of the
Captain, whom I immediately recognized from the description I had
had of him. He wore a blue jacket and trousers, a waistcoat buttoned
close up to his chin, and the military black-leather collar, which
he had not yet been able to dispense with. The William's Order [3]
adorned his breast; and he stood erect in spite of his stiff leg,
which obliged him to support himself with a stick. He had placed
his cap jauntily and soldier-like on one side of his head, and his
entire bearing called up the idea of a military man only half at
his ease in civilian dress. Though deep in the fifties, his hair is
still jet black, and the length and stiffness of his mustachios, a
la Napoleon, indicate a constant use of cosmetics. His face is very
red, his eyes brown and bold, his features rude, and his thick red
lips and short round chin give him a sensual appearance. He had in
his mouth a long German pipe, from which he puffed clouds of smoke,
and after a military salute he accosted us in these words--

"Well, Major, what's this? Have you made a prisoner? or is this some
one to be quartered on us?"

"A visitor for the General, Captain," replied Francis, stepping past
him, and giving me a hint to follow her.

"Had a deuced bad luncheon! Waited half an hour for the Freule;
the eggs too hard, the beefsteak like leather, his Excellency out of
humour--and all this because the Freule takes it into her head to ride
out at inconvenient hours, and return on foot to the fortress leading
the hero of this pretty adventure in triumph behind her," growled
the Captain, in a half-angry, half-jesting tone, as he followed us.

Francis turning round said--

"All this, Captain, is because your Major--you understand me,
your Major--has had the pleasure of meeting with her cousin, Jonker
Leopold van Zonshoven; let that suffice you, and if you have any more
complaints, put them in your report-book."

After this I followed Francis through the vestibule, where a servant
received us