Walter Pieterse Part 38

"You can't. But I am beside myself, and I want to ask your advice. Do they all go to bed so early?--Stoffel--and Laurens--all of them? Look, how I'm shaking. Do you suppose I dare go back to my room?"

"Why not? Do you think you're going to be murdered?"

"Yes. I do think it! The murderers of that old woman and of the servant-girl are still on the war-path. Yesterday at the illumination how many watches did they steal? And the police--what do they do? Nothing, nothing! Yes, they watch you to see if you beat a rug in the morning after ten o'clock. That's what the police do. They don't bother murderers."

"What do you know about the murderers? It's your duty to report them if you know them."

Walter put on his vest and wrapped his m.u.f.fler around his neck.

"What I know about them! They are besieging me in my own house. Isn't that pretty rough? I went out at noon to see the boat race on the Amstel; but there was nothing to see, because there was no wind. And such a crowd! All the kings were there, and the visiting princes and princesses, you know; and everybody stared at the carriages, and I did too. Not that I care anything about a king. Goodness, no! For he is only a worm in G.o.d's hand, and when the Master doesn't aid him--all is vanity, vanity. Dust and ashes--that's all. But I looked at the carriages, you know, and at the horses, and at the staring crowd. I thought to myself, I will fry the potatoes when I go home. They had been left over from dinner; and when there are any potatoes left over, you know, I always fry them for supper. There was a big crowd, and all were mad because there was no wind; for people are foolish about pleasure and never think of the Master. Worldly, worldly, they were--and the princes and princesses. I thought, well, it's no wonder that there's so much robbery and murder; for they try G.o.d's patience. I thought, G.o.d will punish you; He's only abiding His time. He always does it, Juffrouw Pieterse! A lady--the creature had red pimples on her face, and was older than you--what do you suppose she had on her head? A turban! She rode in a carriage with four horses. What do you think of that? She was playing with a fan; and, when a prince rode up to her carriage, she stuck out her hand and let the fan go up and down three times. And the prince did that way three times. Were they crazy, or not? What will the Master say to that? If He only doesn't send a pestilence on us!"

"Yes, but the murderers--what did they do to you?"

"Why, certainly--what they did? I am going to tell you. I'm still trembling. I had sliced my potatoes, put them on a saucer and set them away in the cupboard. Then I thought, I will fry them when I come home; for I didn't expect to stay long in the crowd, for I have been saved by grace and don't care for worldly things--ah, dear Juffrouw Pieterse, you must call Stoffel, so he can hear what has happened."

Stoffel was already on his way down; and Walter was glad of it. Walter had heard the noise Stoffel was making putting on his clothes in the adjoining booth, and upon this he builded hopes that he too might be allowed to go down, where he could hear the exciting story better than was possible through the cracks in the floor. In the meantime he had completely dressed himself. The noises below told him of Stoffel's arrival in the sitting-room. He heard the usual greetings and Juffrouw Laps's solemn a.s.surance that she was still in such a tremble that she couldn't say a word. Then he heard her ask immediately where Laurens was.

Laurens? Well, he was asleep.

That youth's absence seemed to trouble the visitor. She couldn't proceed. Was it really necessary for Laurens to be present?

"What do you say, Stoffel? Isn't the city full of thieves and murderers?"

Stoffel drew in his upper lip and tried to make the lower one touch his nose. Let the reader try the same; then he will know how Stoffel answered, and what his answer meant.

Juffrouw Laps pretended to believe that he had said "yes."

"Don't you see, Stoffel says so too! The city is full of thieves and murderers, and--a respectable person is afraid to go to bed alone any more. It's just that way."

"But--Juffrouw!"

"The police? Nonsense! What good do the police do, when people don't believe in G.o.d? That's the truth. Whoever doesn't do that is lost. Human help--I cannot understand at all why Laurens goes to bed so early. You surely know that so much sleep isn't good for anybody. What does the Bible say? Watch and pray! But--everyone according to his notion. I swear before G.o.d that I don't dare to go home alone and----"

Walter's curiosity was at high tension. In order to hear better he was leaning over, supporting himself with the chair. The point of support was unsteady. The chair slipped and rattled across the floor, crashing into another piece of furniture.

"Heaven and earth! What are they up to now," groaned the mother. "Laurens, is that you?"

Walter peeped in, "It was me." The result was that he was soon in the midst of the interesting conversation that he had been trying to hear from above.

His entrance took place under unfavorable circ.u.mstances. He was blamed for not having been undressed.

"Do you always put on your nightcap before you undress?" cried the mother.

The boy had actually forgotten to take off his nightcap. He was so ashamed that he felt he would like to fall through the floor. He would rather have neglected anything else.

"And--what have you there?"

Alas, our hero looked more ridiculous than anyone could look by simply putting on a nightcap. He had armed himself with an old rusty knife that his father had used in prehistoric times for cutting leather!

During the whole of the Laps recital, which progressed so slowly, he had thought and hoped and intended--yes, he heard something that sounded like, "Where is Walter?" The speaker really did not say it--no, on the contrary, those were the very words she wished to avoid--still, he thought he heard her say them. On this Friday he had acted mean and cowardly; but he was still Walter.

Murderers? Thieves? A lady in danger? What other answer could there be but: "I am here, I, Walter!"

Oh, fate, why did you put that sword in his hand and let him forget to remove that nightcap? Why didn't you divide these two absurdities between Stoffel and Walter! Or why couldn't you put that feathery diadem on the head of the sleeping Laurens? It would have been all the same to him how he looked in his sleep.

Walter was in a rage.

And I am, too. Towards Femke his chivalry had remained in the background; and now it must burst forth at a doubtful call from Juffrouw Laps!

In his anger he threw the weapon down violently and allowed it to rebound across the room. He slapped the nightcap on the table.

No one would have thought that the little man could be so vehement. His mother, with her usual solicitousness, inquired into the condition of his mind, asking if he was only cracked, or downright crazy.

"I tell you," said the visitor, "you ought not to worry that child so much."

"Go to bed at once!" cried the mother.

"Why can't you let the child stay here? But--oh, yes! I was going to tell you about my potatoes."

Walter stayed. For this privilege he was indebted to the general curiosity.

"Just imagine, when I came home about half past ten o'clock--I couldn't get away earlier on account of the crush, you know. Don't you know, I don't care for these big occasions. Well, when I got home--the city is full of thieves, murderers, and that must not be forgotten--well, my potatoes were--what do you think my potatoes were? They were--gone!"

"Gone?"

"Gone!"

"All gone?"

"All gone!"

"Your potatoes--gone?"

"My potatoes--all completely gone!"

"But----"

"I tell you those thieves and murderers did it. Who else could have done it? Thieves and murderers in my house! And I wanted to ask you--for I'm afraid in my room----"

Walter's eyes fairly shone.

"I wanted to ask, if perhaps--your son Stoffel----"

Stoffel's face was a study, a curiosity. If the said thieves and murderers could have seen it they would have been greatly pleased, for it bore evidence of Stoffel's intention to leave them undisturbed in their work.

"But, Juffrouw," he said, "haven't you a cat in your room?"

"A cat? A cat to fight murderers with!"