336 Hans Brinker

Raff tried to think, but in vain.

“ Could it be Boomphoffen ?” suggested the dame. “I’ve
heard how they ’ve had two sons turn out bad, — Gerard and
Lambert.”

“It might be,” said Raff. “ “or if there’s letters on the
watch: that ’ll guide us some.’

“ Bless thee, man!” cried the happy dame eagerly lifting the
watch: “why, thou’rt sharper than ever! Sure enough.
Here’s letters, — L. J. B. That’s Lambert Boomphoffen,
you may depend. What the J. is for, I can’t say; but they
used to be grand kind o’ people, high-feathered as fancy fowl,
— just the kind ‘to give their children all double names, which
isn’t Scripture, anyway.”

“J don’t know about that, vreuw. Seems to me, there ’s
long mixed names in the Holy Book, hard enough to make out.
But you’ve got the right guess at a jump. It was your way
always,” said Raff, closing his eyes. “Take the watch to
Boompkinks, and try.”

“ Not Boompkinks! I know no such name: it’s Boomp-
hoffen.”’

“ Ay, take it there.”

“Take it there, man! Why, the whole brood of ’em’s
been gone to America these four years. But go to sleep,
Raff: you look pale, and out of strength. It7ll all come to
you what ’s best to do, in the morning.”

“© So, Mistress Gretel! here you are at last!”

Before Raff awoke that evening, the fairy godmother, as we
know, had been at the cottage, the guilders were once more
safely locked in the big chest, and Dame Brinker and the chil-
dren were faring finely on meat and white bread and wine.