is door sun-bright
circles played in rainbow colours, and then met in one fiery point,
that seemed to pierce through the wood. As this took place a deep
sighing was heard, broken by cries of pain, which came, as it appeared,
from the room. To his horror, Peregrine fancied that he distinguished
Gamaheh's voice.

"What do you want? what are you doing here?" he exclaimed to the man,
who really seemed to be practising diabolic arts, the rainbow circles
growing with every moment quicker and brighter, the centre-point
piercing more keenly, and the cries sounding more painfully from the
chamber.

"Oh!" exclaimed the stranger, closing his glass, and hastily putting it
into his pocket,--"Oh! the landlord. Your pardon, my dear sir, that I
am operating here without your permission; I did indeed pay you a visit
to request it, but Alina told me you had gone out, and the business
here would admit of no delay."

"What business?" said Peregrine, pretty harshly; "what business is it
that will admit of no delay?"

"Don't you know," replied the stranger with an odious grin, "don't you
know that my ill-advised niece, Doertje Elverdink, has run away? You
were arrested, though with great injustice, as her seducer, on which
score I will with great pleasure testify your perfect innocence, if it
should be requisite. It is not to you, but to Swammerdamm, once my
friend, and now my enemy, that the faithless Doertje has fled. She is in
that chamber--I know it--and alone, since Swammerdamm has gone out. I
cannot get in, as the door is barred and bolted, and I am too mild to
employ force; but I have taken the liberty to torment her a little with
my optical glass, that she may know I am her lord and master in spite
of her imaginary princess-ship."

"You are the devil!" exclaimed Peregrine, in the highest
indignation,--"you are the devil! but not lord and master of the
beautiful Gamaheh. Out of my house! Practise your devil's tricks where
you will, but here you will fail with them, I can promise you."

"Don't put yourself in a passion," replied Leuwenhock; "don't put
yourself in a passion, my dear Mr. Tyss; I am an innocent man, who mean
nothing but good. It is a little monster, a little basilisk, that sits
in yonder room, in the shape of a lovely woman. If the abode with my
insignificance displeased her, she might have fled; but the traitress
should not have robbed me of my most precious treasure, the best friend
of my soul, without whom I am