388 Hans Brinker

Laurens ?— one a merchant, and the other a surgeon. I
shall be the happiest man in Holland. Come to me in the
morning, Hans, and we will arrange matters at once.”

Hans bowed assent. He dared not trust himself to speak.

“And, Brinker,” continued the doctor, “my son Laurens
will need a trusty, ready man like you, when he opens his
warehouse in Amsterdam ; some one to overlook matters, and
see that the lazy clowns round about the place do their duty ;
some one to— Why don’t you tell him yourself, you
rascal ! ”

This last was addressed to the son, and did not sound half
as fierce as it looks in print. The rascal and Raff soon under-
stood each other perfectly.

“I’m loath to leave the dikes,” said the latter, after they
had talked together a while; “but you have made me such a
good offer, mynheer, I’d be robbing my family if I let it go

past me.”

‘Take a long look at Hans as he stands there staring grate-
fully at the meester ; for you shall not see him again for many
a year.

And Gretel — ah, what a vista of puzzling work suddenly
opens before her! Yes, for dear Hans’ sake she will study
now. If he really is to be a meester, his sister must not shame
his greatness.

How faithfully those glancing eyes shall yet seek for the
jewels that lie hidden in rocky school-books!_ And how they
shall yet brighten and droop at the coming of one whom she
knows of now only as the boy who wore a red cap on that
wonderful day when she found the silver skates in her
apron !