om me. He hath
name Praff, and will see to the comfort of my sister and of her duenna,
while you and I settle the first instalment of our business, quite
unbeknown to her. There, sir, having assured myself that my sister is
safe and in your hands, I will give over to you the sum of 1,000
guilders, together with a letter writ by me to the banker Ben Isaje of
Rotterdam. He knows Jongejuffrouw Beresteyn well by sight, and in my
letter I will ask him, firstly, to ascertain from herself if she is well
and safe, and secondly to see that she is at once conveyed, still under
your escort, to his private residence which is situate some little
distance out of the city between Schiedam and Overschie on the way to
Delft, and lastly, to hand over to you the balance of 3,000 guilders
still due then by me to you."

He paused a moment to draw breath after the lengthy peroration, then, as
Diogenes made no comment, he said somewhat impatiently:

"I hope, sir, that all these arrangements meet with your approval!"

"They fill me with profound respect for you, sir, and admiration for
your administrative capacities," replied Diogenes, with studied
politeness.

"Indeed I do flatter myself ..." quoth the other.

"Not without reason, sir. The marvellous way in which you have provided
for the safety of three-fourths of your money, and hardly at all for
that of your sister, fills me with envy which I cannot control."

"Insolent...."

"No, no, my good sir," interposed Diogenes blandly, "we have already
agreed that we are not going to quarrel, you and I ... we have too great
a need for one another; for that 3,000 guilders--which, after
deductions, will be my profit in this matter--means a fortune to a
penniless adventurer, and you are shrewd enough to have gauged that
fact, else you had not come to me with such a proposal. I will do you
service, sir, for the 3,000 guilders which will enable me to live a life
of independence in the future, and also for another reason, which I
would not care to put into words, and which you, sir, would fail to
understand. So let us say no more about all these matters. I agree to
your proposals and you accept my services. To-night at ten o'clock I
will meet you at the half-way house which stands in the hamlet of
Bennebrock at the cross-roads where a signpost points the way to
Leyden."

"To-night! That's brave!" exclaimed Beresteyn. "You read my thoughts,
sir, even before I could tell you that delay in this