FAITH UNTO DEATH. 157 



the shades are obscuring the sky j it is thy last evening, and there 

 is one waiting for thee I ween, who may chide her father for his 

 lack of memory. Hasten, son of my adoption ! hasten to thy 

 betrothed ; time hath not so frozen up the fountain of sympathy, 

 that I think but of fame and of gold j there is that dearer than 

 both } mayst thou be happy with my child when I am thought of 

 no more ! " Moved by his tender solemnity, Van Schooreel was 

 about to reply, but pointing to the horologe, the sands of which 

 were nearly ran out, Cornelitz testified the necessity of speed. To 

 fling round him his cloak, and hook his sword to his side, were but 

 the work of a moment — in another second the gallant figure of the 

 youth was seen hastily passing beneath the mulberry trees near 

 the entrance to the house of his master. 



And now reader, we will, with your fair permission, transport 

 you to a pleasant summer residence within a league of Amsterdam, 

 The house was situated in a garden and orchard laid out with all 

 the fanciful skill of the period j old and wide-spreading fruit trees 

 threw their gnarled branches over the paths, and with their verdu- 

 rous shade made the spot cool and agreeable in the heat of the 

 day ; then there were bushes covered with blossoms, and sweet- 

 scented shrubs, and where the flower-beds bloomed, the earth 

 seemed sown thick with jewels of all colours and tints. In the 

 middle of the garden a tall column of water dashed into a basin of 

 granite chiselled with grotesque and whimsical devices, and aquatic 

 plants, sea-weeds and shells, moss and gay pebbles were ingenious- 

 ly scattered around. Now in this delicious retreat there were sun 

 and shade, the sweet breath of flowers and foliage, and the soft 

 salutation of the breeze added to the melody of birds, the lulling of 

 waters and the pleasant whispering of leaves, and as the last beams 

 of the sun slanted on the green sward and shot between the boles 

 of the trees, a bright-haired girl stood at a lattice, anxiously over- 

 looking the grounds. The maiden was sylph-like of form ; her 

 cheek was pale and transparent, but her brilliant eye shone as the 

 star of the evening : slightly restrained by a chaplet of pearls, her 

 glistening locks fell on her neck in profusion, and waved in long 

 rings down her back ; and as the breeze revelled by, they floated 

 far on the air, and disclosed that pure loveliness which they, as 

 instantaneously, strove to conceal. The dress of the maiden 

 bespoke her condition and country ; it was of the fashion of Ger- 

 many, and according to the mode of the day : a boddice of azure 

 sitting low on the shoulder and sloping thence to the waist, showed 

 a kerchief of exquisite cambric plaited and set in a band of elaborate 

 ornament j the sleeves terminated, wide and loose, at the elbow, 

 under-ones of gauze, interwoven with silk, being confined at the 

 wrist with bracelets of gold thickly studded with sapphire and 

 pearl ; the skirt opened at each side, and descended to the knee, 

 the corners being furnished with tassels of seed-pearl 3 beneath 

 this a robe of pure white fell in broad folds to the broidered 

 pantouffle that enclosed the slender foot of the wearer. 



The sun at length disappeared, the crimson and gold died away 



