ill,' he said, 'and I shall
be able to overlook Cornel. He has a head-board with a
round top, so you will give me two boards, one at my head
and one at my feet, both with round tops. You would not
have that carrion triumph over me?'

"'It shall be done,' said Andries.

"'And you might carve a verse on my headboard,' the old man
went on. 'Cornel has only his name and dates, and no doubt
he counts on my having no more. His board is only painted;
see that you carve mine.'

"'I do not carve letters very well,' began Andries, 'but--'

"'Oh, you carve well enough,' said the old man. 'Very well
indeed, considering. You won't have to do very much. There
are plenty of short verses in the Psalms, and some--very
good ones, too--in Proverbs. The Predikant will soon choose
a verse of the right sort. Say a verse, Andries; it is not
much.'

"'I will see to it,' said Andries.

"Then Piet, whose mind was a dunghill, had a horrible
thought. 'But what about the water?' he cried, for the
stream from which they took their drinking-water ran past
the foot of the hill.

"'You must draw your water higher up, answered the old man.
'If I were not about to die, Piet, and therefore under a
need to judge not, lest I be judged, I would cut down your
oxen and sheep for that. Go out; I will say what I have to
say to Andries.'

"When Piet was gone he went on. 'Remember, Andries, a bare
four foot, no more. I would not wish to be late when the
dead arise. Just four foot of cool earth, and a black
coffin with plenty of room in it.'

"'I will take care,' replied Klein Andries.

"'Very well, do as I have told you, and I shall be very
well off. I shall sleep without pain till the last day, and
perhaps dream in peace about the verse on my head-board and
the round tops.'

"Although I like a man to take it bravely, I can very well
understand that that week must have been a terrible one for
Klein Andries, who, though a good lad, and a wealthy man at
this day, never was particularly quick at taking up an
idea. He went about with a bowed head and empty eyes, like
a man in mortal shame; and I believe that never since has
he quite cast off the load his father laid on him. Not that
I see any harm in the affair myself.

"Well, in proper course the day came, and Andries van der
Linden lay in his bed between the fresh sheets, propped up
with fine clean pillows. His people had come from near and
far, for the curious story was well known, and they we