A grave white-haired seneschal came to their table, and inquired courteously whether Gerard Eliassoen was of their company.Upon Gerard's answer, he said:
"The Princess Marie would confer with you, young sir; I am to conduct you to her presence."Instantly all faces within hearing turned sharp round, and were bent with curiosity and envy on the man that was to go to a princess.
Gerard rose to obey.
"I wager we shall not see you again," said Margaret calmly, but colouring a little.
"That you will," was the reply: then he whispered in her ear:
"This is my good princess; but you are my queen." He added aloud:
"Wait for me, I pray you, I will presently return.""Ay, ay!" said Peter, awaking and speaking at one and the same moment.
Gerard gone, the pair whose dress was so homely, yet they were with the man whom the Princess sent for, became "the cynosure of neighbouring eyes;" observing which, William Johnson came forward, acted surprise, and claimed his relations.
"And to think that there was I at your backs, and you saw me not""Nay, cousin Johnson, I saw you long syne," said Margaret coldly.
"You saw me, and spoke not to me?"
"Cousin, it was for you to welcome us to Rotterdam, as it is for us to welcome you at Sevenbergen.Your servant denied us a seat in your house.""The idiot!"
"And I had a mind to see whether it was 'like maid like master:'
for there is sooth in bywords."
William Johnson blushed purple.He saw Margaret was keen, and suspected him.He did the wisest thing under the circumstances, trusted to deeds not words.He insisted on their coming home with him at once, and he would show them whether they were welcome to Rotterdam or not.
"Who doubts it, cousin? Who doubts it?" said the scholar.
Margaret thanked him graciously, but demurred to go just now: said she wanted to hear the minstrels again.In about a quarter of an hour Johnson renewed his proposal, and bade her observe that many of the guests had left.Then her real reason came out.
"It were ill manners to our friend; and he will lose us.He knows not where we lodge in Rotterdam, and the city is large, and we have parted company once already.""Oh!" said Johnson, "we will provide for that.My young man, ahem!
I mean my secretary, shall sit here and wait, and bring him on to my house: he shall lodge with me and with no other.""Cousin, we shall be too burdensome."
"Nay, nay; you shall see whether you are welcome or not, you and your friends, and your friends' friends, if need be; and I shall hear what the Princess would with him."Margaret felt a thrill of joy that Gerard should be lodged under the same roof with her; then she had a slight misgiving.
"But if your young man should be thoughtless, and go play, and Gerard miss him?""He go play? He leave that spot where I put him, and bid him stay?
Ho! stand forth, Hans Cloterman."
A figure clad in black serge and dark violet hose arose, and took two steps and stood before them without moving a muscle: a solemn, precise young man, the very statue of gravity and starched propriety.At his aspect Margaret, being very happy, could hardly keep her countenance.But she whispered Johnson, "I would put my hand in the fire for him.We are at your command, cousin, as soon as you have given him his orders."Hans was then instructed to sit at the table and wait for Gerard, and conduct him to Ooster-Waagen Straet.He replied, not in words, but by calmly taking the seat indicated, and Margaret, Peter, and William Johnson went away together.
"And, indeed, it is time you were abed, father, after all your travel," said Margaret.This had been in her mind all along.
Hans Cloterman sat waiting for Gerard, solemn and businesslike.
The minutes flew by, but excited no impatience in that perfect young man.Johnson did him no more than justice when he laughed to scorn the idea of his secretary leaving his post or neglecting his duty in pursuit of sport or out of youthful hilarity and frivolity.
As Gerard was long in coming, the patient Hans - his employer's eye being no longer on him improved the time by quaffing solemnly, silently, and at short but accurately measured intervals, goblets of Corsican wine.The wine was strong, so was Cloterman's head;and Gerard had been gone a good hour ere the model secretary imbibed the notion that Creation expected Cloterman to drink the health of all good fellows, and nommement of the Duke of Burgundy there present.With this view he filled bumper nine, and rose gingerly but solemnly and slowly.Having reached his full height, he instantly rolled upon the grass, goblet in hand, spilling the cold liquor on more than one ankle - whose owners frisked - but not disturbing a muscle in his own long face, which, in the total eclipse of reason, retained its gravity, primness, and infallibility.
The seneschal led Gerard through several passages to the door of the pavilion, where some young noblemen, embroidered and feathered, sat sentinel, guarding the heir-apparent, and playing cards by the red light of torches their servants held.A whisper from the seneschal, and one of them rose reluctantly, stared at Gerard with haughty surprise, and entered the pavilion.He presently returned, and, beckoning the pair, led then, through a passage or two and landed them in an ante-chamber, where sat three more young gentlemen, feathered, furred, and embroidered like pieces of fancy work, and deep in that instructive and edifying branch of learning, dice.
"You can't see the Princess - it is too late," said one.
Another followed suit:
"She passed this way but now with her nurse.She is gone to bed, doll and all.Deuce - ace again!"Gerard prepared to retire.The seneschal, with an incredulous smile, replied: