Walter Pieterse Part 33

"To be sure, to be sure, but----"

"On the Noordermarkt!"

"Well, you see he's in the church all right."

The good woman didn't have the heart--or else she had too much heart--to tell the father that it wasn't the right church.

"Whoever wants to get acquainted with G.o.d," said Father Jansen, "must study diligently."

"To be sure," said Mrs. Claus, "the articles of faith. You ought to hear my Femke repeat them. It's a pleasure, isn't it, father? She's my only child, but--she's a girl worth having!"

"Yes, Femke is an excellent girl. I don't have any trouble with her."

The father spoke in a business-like manner; and he meant it that way. The spots on Femke's soul were easily removed. He praised Femke as a cook would praise a kitchen-pot.

Father Jansen had still more praise for Femke: she had patched his drawers so nicely.

Oh, Fancy!

The mention of this fact did not touch Walter's aesthetic feelings. With him there were other considerations. Fancy was used to seeing everything nude--fathers, humanity--so there was no difficulty here.

Walter was sixteen years old, already a little man--why must Femke patch drawers for this father!

"Yes," said the mother. "Femke is clever at patching. If you've got anything else that needs mending, just send it over."

Walter was warm. If it had been collars, socks, waistcoats, or--well, if it had to be something questionable--if it had only been trousers!

"Just send it over, and if Femke isn't here----"

"Where is she going to be?" thought Walter.

"Then I will attend to it myself. I can do it neatly."

Thank G.o.d! Dear, good, magnificent Mrs. Claus! Do it, do it yourself, and leave Femke where she is.

But--where was she?

Thus Walter's thoughts; but what did he say?--the hypocrite, the budding man.

"Yes, indeed, Mrs. Claus, I had almost forgotten to ask where your daughter Femke is."

"Femke? She's at my niece's, where the girl is sick. You know we're of good family. Femke is looking after my niece's children."

Walter didn't have the courage to ask where this niece lived, so he a.s.sumed a look of contentment.

After much waiting and twisting and turning on his chair, Walter finally left the house with Father Jansen. He had not yet learned how to end a visit: some people never learn it.

"Don't you want to do me a favor?" said the good man. "Then walk on my right side. I'm deaf here"--pointing to his left ear.

"I will tell you how it happened. When I was a little boy--are you a good climber?"

"No, M'neer!"

"Well, I am! In the whole of Vucht there wasn't a boy who could climb as well as I could. Do you know what I did once? I climbed up and slipped a flower-pot from a third-story window. And--my priest wasn't in a good humor at all! He didn't want to accept me till I had returned that flower-pot; and then I had to go and beg the old woman's pardon. And she herself went to the priest to intercede for me. Then he accepted me. But I got twenty 'confiteors'--oh, he was severe!

"But I was going to tell you why I'm deaf in the left ear.

"In one of the seminaries was a student--he's a canonicus in the Rhine country, and will get to be a cardinal, perhaps pope, for--he was very sly! I will tell you, his name was--Rake; but, you understand, his name was really something else. This Rake was a mean rascal; but he was never punished, because he was careful. See if he doesn't get to be a cardinal, or pope! You ought to hear him quote from the Vulgate. He could rattle away for three hours and never made a mistake." * * *

"Are you perfectly crazy, boy, or what is the matter with you? Walking with a priest! What in the name of the Lord are you thinking about? Go in the house--quick! Jesu, what troubles I have with that child!"

With these words Juffrouw Pieterse broke off Walter's acquaintance with Father Jansen for this time.

The way that the father and Walter had taken led them directly by Walter's home. Juffrouw Pieterse, who was haggling with a Jew over the price of a basket of potatoes, narrowly escaped a stroke of apoplexy when she saw them together.

"With a priest!--Stoffel! Come down quick--that boy is walking with a priest!"

Tears rose in Walter's eyes. He had found Father Jansen a good man, and was grieved that that gentleman should meet with such a reception.

It is to be hoped that those rude words were received by his left ear. In fact, this seemed to be the case, for when Walter said that he was at home now and that his mother was calling him, Father Jansen answered kindly:

"So? You live there? Then I will tell you the next time why I am so deaf in my left ear--entirely deaf, you understand!"

Thank G.o.d, Walter thought, and wiped away his tears. In his eyes his mother had committed a sin so grave that about fifty "confiteors"

would be necessary for its expiation.

"Oh, yes. I was going to tell you----"

With these words Father Jansen turned around again. He continued: "The flower-pot of the old lady, Juffrouw Dungelaar, you know--it wasn't for the flowers, you understand, nor for the pot, but only because I could climb so well. Otherwise--one mustn't take anything away, even if it is so high up. Adieu, young man!"

After giving Juffrouw Pieterse a friendly greeting that she did not deserve, the man continued on his way.

Stoffel said that to walk with a priest was "simply preposterous."

"As if he were crazy!" said Juffrouw Pieterse.

"Yes," agreed Stoffel, "but it's because he has nothing to do but loaf around. If that keeps up, he will never amount to anything."

True, Walter was loafing around; but he was not idle. His activities brought nothing palpable to light, still he was building up the inner life in a manner of which Stoffel had no idea.

"Of course!" said the mother. "He must have work. If he were only willing to be a compositor! or an apprentice in the shoe-business. To make shoes--that he shall never do."

"This running with priests comes only from idleness, mother. Do I run with priests? Never. Why not? Because I have to go to my school every day!"

"Yes, Stoffel, you go to your school every day."

"Besides, there are good priests. There was Luther, for instance. He was a sort of priest. What did he do?"

"Yes, I know. He reformed the people."