at," cried Doctor Bontius, rising and shaking
hands with Maria more cordially than ever before. Then he motioned
towards Peter, and exclaimed to the assembled guests: "Will you excuse
the burgomaster for a moment?"

As soon as he stood apart with the husband and wife at the door, he
began:

"You have invited a new visitor to the house, Frau Van der Werff; I won't
drink another drop of Malmsey, if I'm mistaken."

"How do you know?" asked Maria gaily. "I see it in your face."

"And the young lady shall be cordially welcome to me," added Peter.

"Then you know?" asked Maria.

The doctor did not conceal his conjecture from me."

"Why yes, the sick girl will be glad to come to us, and to-morrow--"

"No, I'll send for her to-day," interrupted Peter. "To-day? But dear me!
It's so late; perhaps she is asleep, the gentlemen are here, and our
spare bed--" exclaimed Maria, glancing disapprovingly and irresolutely
from the physician to her husband.

"Calm yourself; child," replied Peter. "The doctor has ordered a covered
litter from St. Catharine's hospital, Jan and one of the city-guard will
carry her, and Barbara has nothing more to do in the kitchen and is now
preparing her own chamber for her."

"And," chimed in the physician, "perhaps the sick girl may find sleep
here. Besides, it will be far more agreeable to her pride to be carried
through the streets unseen, under cover of the darkness."

"Yes, yes," said Maria sadly, "that may be so; but I had been
thinking--People ought not to do anything too hastily."

"Will you be glad to receive the young lady as a guest?" asked Peter.

"Why, certainly."

"Then we won't do things by halves, but show her all the kindness in our
power. There is Barbara beckoning; the litter has come, Doctor. Guide the
nocturnal procession in God's name, but don't keep us waiting too long."

The burgomaster returned to his seat, and Bontius left the room.

Maria followed him. In the entry, he laid his hand on her arm and asked:

"Will you know next time, what I expect from you?"

"No," replied the burgomaster's wife, in a tone which sounded gay, though
it revealed the disappointment she felt; "no--but you have taught me that
you are a man who understands how to spoil one's best pleasures."

"I will procure you others," replied the doctor laughing and descended
the stairs. He was Peter's oldest friend, and had made many objections to
the burgomaster's marriage with a girl so many years