the
veil that still enveloped her mouth.

The pleasant voice close to Gilda's ear, now called out more loudly:

"Here, Pythagoras, Socrates! lift the mevrouw out of the sleigh and
carry her up to the room which the landlord hath prepared for the
ladies."

Maria immediately gave vent to violent shrieks of protest.

"How dare ye touch me!" she screamed at the top of her voice, "ye
murdering devils dare but lay a finger on a respectable woman and God
will punish you with pestilence and dislocation and ..."

It must be presumed that neither Pythagoras nor Socrates were greatly
upset by the mevrouw's curses, for Gilda, who was on the alert for every
movement and for every sound, was well aware that Maria's highly
respectable person was presently seized by firm hands, that the shawl
round her face was pressed more tightly against her mouth--for her
screams sounded more muffled--and that despite her struggles, her cries
and her kicking she was lifted bodily out of the sledge.

When these disquieting sounds had died down the same pleasant voice
broke in once again on Gilda's obstinate silence.

"Mejuffrouw Beresteyn!" it reiterated once again.

"Dondersteen! but 'tis no use lying mum there, and pretending to be
asleep," it continued after awhile, since Gilda certainly had taken no
notice of the call, "that old woman made enough noise to wake the dead."

Still not a sound from Gilda, who--more like a cowering bird than
ever--was trying with widely-dilated eyes to pierce the darkness around
her, in order to see something of the enemy. She saw the outline of a
plumed hat like a patch of ink against the sky above, and also a pair of
very broad shoulders that were stooping toward the floor of the sledge.

"Hey!" shouted the enemy with imperturbable cheerfulness, "leave that
door wide open, I'll carry the jongejuffrouw in myself. She seems to be
unconscious."

The words roused Gilda out of her attitude of rigid silence,--the words
which she looked on as an awful threat, and also the sensation that the
loose bonds which had pinioned her down to the vehicle were being
undone.

"I am not unconscious," she said aloud and quite calmly, "and was quite
aware just now that you laid rough hands on a helpless woman. Since I am
equally helpless and in your power I pray you to command what I must
do."

"Come! that's brave! I knew that you could not be asleep," rejoined the
enemy with inveterate good-humour, "but for the moment, m