m much obliged to you for your good intentions, Mynheer Bunckum, but
would rather you had taken some other method of warning me, instead of
throwing sticks at this window."

"I could not tell whether those pretended Count and Baron were already
in your house; and, as my object was to avoid meeting them, I climbed
into this tree that I might wait till I saw you approach the window."

"The Count and Baron have not come to the house this evening, and I
would advise you, Mynheer Bunckum, to descend from your perilous
position, and allow my husband and me to arrange our family affairs as
we think right and best; and I must again beg you to get off that tree,
and take care, as you do so, that you do not fall down and break your
neck."

"I obey you, Vrouw Van Arent," answered Mynheer Bunckum, cautiously
retracing his steps along the branch, while the lady of the mansion shut
the window, and closed the shutter over it, which completely excluded
the light.

The Count and the Baron meantime waited in their place of concealment,
fully believing that Mynheer Bunckum, on reaching the ground, would
discover them. They had no wish that he should do this, as it would
show him that they were aware of his malignant designs. They therefore
drew close under the bushes, scarcely venturing to to breathe. They
could hear him, as he reached the ground, threatening vengeance on their
heads. He passed so close to them that the Baron, by catching hold of
his leg, might have tripped him up, and punished him for his false
accusations; but they wisely allowed him to go on, as they considered
that such a proceeding would not be calculated to raise them in the
estimation of Mynheer Van Arent and his family. They waited till he had
got to some distance when, coming out of their place of concealment,
they followed him to ascertain in what direction he was going. He was
evidently too much put out to venture that evening into the presence of
the ladies.

On the way to their inn they naturally looked about them to the right
hand and to the left, as well as occasionally behind, to be certain that
their jealous rival, as they considered Mynheer Bunckum, was not
following them. He all the time was engaged in forming a design against
their liberties of which they had no notion. On reaching the inn, they
found a note on pink paper in a delicate female hand purporting to come
from Mynheer Van Arent, inviting them to accompany his family to a
picnic