This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
The burgomaster's wife had been anxious about Henrica, but the lattergreeted her with special cheerfulness and met her gentle reproaches withthe assurance that this morning had done her good. Fate, she said,was just, and if it were true that confidence of recovery helped thephysician, Doctor Bontius would have an easy task with her. The deadCastilian must be the wretch, who had plunged her sister Anna intomisery. Maria, surprised, but entirely relieved, left her and sought herhusband to tell him how she had found the invalid, and in what relationthe Spanish officer, slain by Allertssohn, seemed to have stood toHenrica and her sister. Peter only half listened to her, and whenBarbara brought him a freshly-ironed ruff, interrupted his wife in themiddle of her story, gave her the dead man's letter-case, and said:
"There, let her satisfy herself, and bring it to me again in the evening,
I shall hardly be able to come to dinner; I suppose you'll see poor
Allertssohn's widow in the course of the day."
"Certainly," she answered eagerly. "Whom will you appoint in his place?"
"That is for the Prince to decide."
"Have you thought of any means of keeping the communication with Delftfree from the enemy?"
"On your mother's account?"
"Not solely. Rotterdam also lies to the south. We can expect nothingfrom Haarlem and Amsterdam, that is, from the north, for everything thereis in the hands of the Spaniards."
"I'll get you a place in the council of war. Where do you learn yourwisdom?"
"We have our thoughts, and isn't it natural that I should rather followyou into the future with my eyes open, than blindly? Has the Englishtroop been used to secure the fortifications on the old canal? Kaak toois an important point."
Peter gazed at his wife in amazement, and the sense of discomfortexperienced by an unskilful writer, when some one looks over hisshoulder, stole over him. She had pointed out a bad, momentous error,which, it is true, did not burden him alone, and as he certainly did notwish to defend it to her, and moreover might have found justificationdifficult, he made no reply, saying nothing but: "Men's affairs! Good-bye until evening." With these words he walked past Barbara, towards thedoor.
Maria did not know how it happened, but before he laid his hand on thelatch she gained sufficient self-command to call after him:
"Are you going so, Peter! Is that right? What did you promise me onyour return from the journey to the Prince?"
"I know, I know," he answered impatiently. "We cannot serve two masters,and in these times I beg you not to trouble me with questions and mattersthat don't concern you. To direct the business of the city is my affair;you have your invalid, the children, the poor; let that suffice."
Without waiting for her reply he left the room, while she stoodmotionless, gazing after him.
Barbara watched her anxiously for several minutes, then busied herselfwith the papers on her brother's writing-table, saying as if to herself,though turning slightly towards her sister-in-law:
...