or, The Silver Skates 333

“‘ Ay, it was Jan’s boat, sure enough. ‘The man will be
coming in to see me Sunday, likely, if he ’s heard; and young
Hoogsvliet too. Where was I?”

[It was lucky the dame restrained herself. To have spoken
at all of jan, after the last night’s cruel disappointment, would
have been to have let out more sorrow and suspicion than Raff
could bear. ]

““Where were you? Why, not very far, forsooth. The
lad hadn’t yet given ye the watch. Alack! I misgive whether
he came by it honestly.”

“ Why, vroww /” exclaimed Raff, in an injured tone. “He
was dressed soft and fine as the prince himself. The watch
was his own, clear enough.”

“How came he to give it up?” asked the dame, looking
uneasily at the fire; for it needed another block of peat.

“I told ye just now,” he answered with a puzzled air.

Tell me again,” said Dame Brinker, wisely patient.

“‘ Well, just before jumping from the boat, he says, handing
me the watch,‘ I’m flying from my country, as I never thought
I could. Itrust you, because you look honest. Will you take
this to my father, — not to-day, but ina week, and tell him his
unhappy boy sent it; and tell him, if ever the time comes that
he wants me to come back to him, I ’ll brave everything, and
come. ‘Tell him to send a letter to—to—’ There, the rest
is all gone from me. I can’t remember where the letter was
to go. Poor lad, poor lad!” resumed Raff, sorrowfully, taking
the watch from his vrovw’s lap as he spoke; “and it’s never
been sent to his father to this day.”

“Tl take it, Raff, never fear, the moment Gretel gets back.

She will be in soon. What was the father’s name, did you
2

say ? Where were you to find him?”