or, The Silver Skates 235

by William the Silent! when he was murdered at Delft by
Balthazar Geraerts. A tawny leather doublet, and plain sur-
coat of gray cloth, a soft felt hat, and a high neck-ruff, from

29>

which hung one of the “ Beggars’”” medals, — these were not
in themselves very princely objects, though the doublet had a
tragic interest from its dark stains and bullet-holes. Ben could
readily believe, as he looked upon the garments, that the Silent
Prince, true to his greatness of character, had been exceedingly
simple in his attire. His aristocratic prejudices were, however,
decidedly shocked when Lambert told him of the way in which
William’s bride first entered the Hague.

“ The beautiful Louisa de Coligny, whose father and former
husband both had fallen at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew,
was coming to be fourth wife to the prince; and of course,”
said Lambert, “ we Hollanders were too gallant to allow the
lady to enter the town on foot. No, sir! We sent (or rather
my ancestors did) a clean, open post-wagon to meet her with
a plank across it for her to sit upon.”

“ Very gallant, indeed!”’ exclaimed Ben, with almost a sneer
in his polite laugh, ‘and she the daughter of an admiral of
France.”

“Was she? Upon my word, I had nearly forgotten that.
But, you see, Holland had very plain ways in the good old
time; in fact, we are a very simple, frugal people to this day.
The Van Gend establishment is a decided exception, you
know.”

“© A very agreeable exception, I think,” said Ben,

“ Certainly, certainly. But, between you and me, Mynheer
van Gend, though he has wrought his own fortunes, can afford
to be magnificent, and yet be frugal.”

1 See note on page 234.