登陆注册
4617200000070

第70章

You left off where he caught your arm, Raff.""Yes," resumed her husband, "and I can see his face this minute--so white and wild-looking. 'Take me down this river a way,' says he. I was working then, you'll remember, far down on the line, across from Amsterdam. I told him I was no boatman.

'It's an affair of life and death,' says he. 'Take me on a few miles. Yonder skiff is not locked, but it may be a poor man's boat and I'd be loath to rob him!' (The words might differ some, vrouw, for it's all like a dream.) Well, I took him down--it might be six or eight miles--and then he said he could run the rest of the way on shore. I was in haste to get the boat back.

Before he jumped out, he says, sobbing-like, 'I can trust you.

I've done a thing--God knows I never intended it--but the man is dead. I must fly from Holland.""What was it? Did he say, Raff? Had he been shooting at a comrade, as they do down at the University at Gottingen?""I can't recall that. Mayhap he told me, but it's all like a dream. I said it wasn't for me, a good Hollander, to cheat the laws of my country by helping him off that way, but he kept saying, 'God knows I am innocent!' And he looked at me in the starlight as fair, now, and clear-eyed as our little Hans might--and I just pulled away faster.""It must have been Jan Kamphuisen's boat," remarked Dame Brinker dryly. "None other would have left his oars out that careless.""Aye, 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?""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, vrouw," exclaimed Raff Brinker 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 warding off another digression.

"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.

I'll trust you because you look honest. Will you take this to my father--not today but in a 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. ICAN'T remember where the letter was to go. Poor lad, poor lad!"resumed Raff, sorrowfully, taking the watch from his vrouw's lap as he spoke. "And it's never been sent to his father to this day.""I'll take it, Raff, never fear--the moment Gretel gets back.

She will be in soon. What was the father's name, did you say?

Where were you to find him?"

"Alack!" answered Raff, speaking very slowly. "It's all slipped me. I can see the lad's face and his great eyes, just as plain--and I remember his opening the watch and snatching something from it and kissing it--but no more. All the rest whirls past me; there's a sound like rushing waters comes over me when I try to think.""Aye. That's plain to see, Raff, but I've had the same feeling after a fever. You're tired now. I must get ye straight on the bed again. Where IS the child, I wonder?"Dame Brinker opened the door, and called, "Gretel! Gretel!""Stand aside, vrouw," said Raff feebly as he leaned forward and endeavored to look out upon the bare landscape. "I've half a mind to stand beyond the door just once.""Nay, nay." She laughed. "I'll tell the meester how ye tease and fidget and bother to be let out in the air; and if he says it, I'll bundle ye warm tomorrow and give ye a turn on your feet.

But I'm freezing you with this door open. I declare if there isn't Gretel with her apron full, skating on the canal like wild.

Why, man," she continued almost in a scream as she slammed the door, "thou'rt walking to the bed without my touching thee!

Thou'lt fall!"

The dame's thee proved her mingled fear and delight, even more than the rush which she made toward her husband. Soon he was comfortably settled under the new cover, declaring, as his vrouw tucked him in snug and warm, that it was the last daylight that should see him abed.

"Aye! I can hope it myself," laughed Dame Brinker, "now you have been frisking about at that rate." As Raff closed his eyes, the dame hastened to revive her fire, or rather to dull it, for Dutch peat is like a Dutchman, slow to kindle, but very good at a blaze once started. Then, putting her neglected spinning wheel away, she drew forth her knitting from some invisible pocket and seated herself by the bedside.

"If you could remember the man's name, Raff," she began cautiously, "I might take the watch to him while you're sleeping.

Gretel can't but be in soon."

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. "Look 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.""I don't know about that, vrouw. 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 Boomphoffen.""Aye, take it there.""Take it there, man! Why the whole brood of them's been gone to America these four years. But go to sleep, Raff, you look pale and out of strength. It'll al come to you, what's best to do, in the morning.

同类推荐
  • 大乘经纂要义

    大乘经纂要义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 秦鬟楼谈录

    秦鬟楼谈录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寒松操禅师语录

    寒松操禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三朝圣谕录

    三朝圣谕录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说施一切无畏陀罗尼经

    佛说施一切无畏陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 奥运精神

    奥运精神

    奥运精神铸就伟大企业,奥运品格塑造接触员工,奥运心态成就辉煌人生。用奥运故事激励员工的最佳读本。每个故事都让你感动、流泪、坚持、成功。秉承“更快、更高、更强”奥运精神,每个人都可以是冠军。
  • 神话陨落

    神话陨落

    神话真的存在吗?答案是,真的。一个现代的少年,在体验够了世间冷暖后,在一个雷电交加的夜晚,被虫洞吸到了神话的时代。从此开始了一段传奇之路,斗神魔,战妖邪,灭鬼怪。为爱,他血洒万里,踏遍诸天。为义,他不惧艰辛,勇往直前。且看他如何逆转人生,从一无所有走向巅峰,实现......
  • 佛说乐想经

    佛说乐想经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十里玄机

    十里玄机

    她出生时常年冰冷的玄机山竟入了夏,修为过低差点没能渡劫成功的她也差点害得自己毁容,还好去了蓬莱仙岛重新修行,出来时自己那话痨的哥哥与那魔界公主搞在了一起,后来那天宫太子与哥哥一同出征,回来的只要天宫太子,司命君为她改命又受了天谴,正当她心灰意冷时得知了哪些肮脏的真相,一步一步报复了回去。。。
  • 萨真人得道咒枣记

    萨真人得道咒枣记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中国历代通俗演义:前汉演义(上)

    中国历代通俗演义:前汉演义(上)

    《前汉演义》记述的朝代包括秦和西汉,从秦王嬴政出身讲起,到西汉政权被王莽篡夺为止,共两个半世纪。书中较细地描述了秦朝暴政、楚汉相争、汉武帝开疆拓土,也揶揄了妄想成仙的秦皇汉武,揭露了王莽的阴险狡诈。《前汉演义》较好地描绘了统一的封建帝国初期的面貌。为了写作的方便,作者把秦朝短暂的历史并入到汉朝历史中叙述。本书从“第一回移花接木计献美姬 用李代桃欢承淫后”到“第五十回中行说叛国降虏庭 缇萦女上书赎父罪”的历史。从秦始皇的身世之谜到秦统一六国,从秦朝的暴政到秦历二世而亡,从楚汉之争到高祖建立大汉王朝,从汉高祖建国之初的封侯赏勋到吕后专权杀戮功臣等的历史一一铺陈开来……
  • 花都战神

    花都战神

    一个如同神一样的超级兵王,厌倦了杀戮的生涯,甘愿隐藏在花都。且看陆浩,如何穿梭凡尘,游戏人间……
  • 霜

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我其实是大佬

    我其实是大佬

    “叮!厨师等级提升,当前等级为2,奖励全属性+20!”“叮!炼金师等级提升,当前等级为5,奖励全属性+50.”“叮!......”当罗泽获得一个名为副职业系统的系统后,每次副职业升级都能得到全属性点的奖励,因此,他走上了成神之路......
  • 我要我的心情(好看系列)

    我要我的心情(好看系列)

    叙事艺术的时尚化表达,是王钢作品最受儿童读者欢迎的一个重要的因素。王钢小说呈现了今天儿童生活的时尚性的一面,而且用很新鲜的、具有当下气息的语言准确地表现了校园生活和儿童内心。王钢的时尚化表达,是从两个方面进行的:一是用幽默的场景和夸张而富有情感冲击力的语言来展现形象的特征。二是小说里每一个小角色的性格和语言都是很独立性的,作家给每一个孩子都画下了一幅喜剧化的脸谱。值得注意的是,王钢意识到了儿童生活时尚化的一面,将这种时尚化加以艺术的呈现,给予审美的观照,赋予爱的色彩。