gether, with the potion, it will be three guilders and a half, that is, provided you return my phial." Philip's senses, which at first waking were confused, gradually recovered themselves during this address. "You shall have your three guilders and a half and your phial to boot, Mr. Poots," replied he, as he rose from off the bed. "Yes, yes; I know you mean to pay me, if you can. But look you, Mynheer Philip, it may be some time before you sell the cottage. You may not find a customer. Now, I never wish to be hard upon people who have no money, and I'll tell you what I'll do. There is a something on your mother's neck. It is of no value, none at all, but to a good Catholic. To help you in your strait, I will take that thing, and then we shall be quits. You will have paid me, and there will be an end of it." Philip listened calmly; he knew to what the little miser had referred, the relic on his mother's neck. That very relic upon which his father swore the fatal oath. He felt that millions of guilders would not have induced him to part with it. "Leave the house," answered he, abruptly. "Leave it immediately. Your money shall be paid." Now Mynheer Poots, in the first place, knew that the setting of the relic, which was in a square frame of pure gold, was worth much more than the sum due to him; he also knew that a large price had been paid for it, for at that time such a relic was considered very valuable, and he had no doubt but that it would again fetch a considerable sum. Tempted by the sight of it when he had entered the chamber of death, he had taken it from the neck of the corpse, and it was then actually concealed in his bosom, so he replied— "My offer is a good one, Mynheer Philip, and you had better take it. What use is such trash ?" "I tell you, no,” cried Philip, in a rage. "Well, then, you will let me have it in my possession till I am paid, Mynheer Vanderdecken,-that is but fair. I must not lose my money. When you bring me my three guilders and a half and the phial, I will return it to you." Philip's indignation was now without bounds. He seized Mynheer Poots by the collar and threw him out of the door. "Away immediately," cried he, “ or by—” There was no occasion for Philip to finish by imprecation. The doctor had hastened away with such alarm, that he fell down half the steps of the staircase, and was limping away across the bridge. He almost wished that the relic had not been in his possession; but his sudden retreat had prevented him, even if so inclined, from replacing it from where he had taken it. The result of this conversation naturally turned Philip's thoughts to the relic, and he went into his mother's room to take possession of it. He opened the curtains, the corpse was laid out, he put forth his hand to untie the black riband. It was not there. "Gone!" exclaimed Philip. "They hardly would have removed it-never would have It must be that villain Poots-wretch; but I will have it if he has swallowed it, if I tear him limb from limb." Philip darted down the stairs, rushed out of the house, cleared the moat at one bound, and without coat or hat flew away in the direction of the doctor's lonely residence. The neighbours saw him as he passed them like the wind; they wondered and they shook their heads. Mynheer Poots was not more than half way to his home, for he had hurt his ancle. Apprehensive of what might possibly take place if his theft was discovered, he occasionally had looked behind him,'and the last time, to his horror, he beheld Philip Vanderdecken at a distance bounding in his career. Frightened almost out of his senses, the wretched pilferer hardly knew how to act; to stop and surrender up the stolen property was the first idea, but fear of Vanderdecken's violence prevented him, so he decided to take to his heels, hoping to gain his house and barricade himself in, by which means he would be in a condition to hold possession, or at all events to make better terms. Mynheer Poots had need to run fast, and so he did; his thin legs bearing his shrivelled form rapidly over the ground. But Philip, who, when he witnessed the doctor's attempt to escape, was fully convinced that he was the culprit, redoubled his exertions, and rapidly came up with the chase. When within a hundred yards of his own door, Mynheer Poots heard the bounding step of Philip nearer and nearer to him and he sprung and leaped in his agony. Nearer and nearer still, until at last he heard the very breathing of his pursuer, and Poots shrieked in his fear, like the hare in the jaws of the greyhound. Philip was not a yard from him; his hand was outstretched when the miscreant dropped down paralyzed with terror, and the impetus of Vanderdecken was so great, that he passed over his body, tripped, and after trying in vain to recover his equilibrium for several yards, he fell and rolled over and over. This saved the little doctor-it was like the double of a hare. In a second he was again on his legs, and before Philip could rise and again exert his speed, Poots had gained his door and bolted it within. Philip was, however, determined to repossess the important treasure; and as he panted, he cast his eyes around to see if any means offered for his forcing his entrance into the house. But as the habitation of the doctor was lonely, every precaution had been taken by him to render it secure against robbery; the windows below were well barricaded and secured, and those on the upper story were too high for any one to obtain admittance. We must here observe that, although Mynheer Poots was in good practice from his known abilities, his reputation as a heard-hearted, unfeeling miser was well established. No one was ever permitted to enter his threshold, nor, indeed, did any one feel inclined. He was as isolated from his fellow-creatures as was his tenement, and was only to be seen in the chamber of disease and death. What his establishment consisted of was not known. When he first came into the locality, an old decrepit woman occasionally answered the knocks given at the door by those who summoned or required his services; but she had been buried some time, and ever since all calls at the door had been answered by Mynheer Poots in person, if he were at home, and if not, there was no reply to the most reiterated and importunate summons. It was then surmised that the old man lived entirely by himself, being too niggardly to pay for any assistance. This Philip also imagined; and as soon as he had recovered his breath, he began to devise some scheme by which he would be enabled not only to recover the stolen property, but also to wreak a dire revenge. The door was strong, and not to be forced by any means which presented themselves to the eye of Vanderdecken. For a few minutes he paused to consider, and as he reflected so did his anger cool down, and he decided that it would be sufficient to recover his relic without having recourse to violence. So he called out in a loud voice "Mynheer Poots, I know that you can hear me. Give me back what you have taken and I will do you no hurt; but if you will not, you must take the consequence, for your life shall pay the forfeit before I leave this spot." This speech was indeed very plainly heard by Mynheer Poots, but the little miser had recovered from his fright, and thinking himself secure, could not make up his mind to surrender up the relic without a struggle; so the doctor answered not, hoping that the patience of Philip would be exhausted, and that by some arrangement, such as the sacrifice of a few guilders to one so needy as Philip, he would be able to secure what he was satisfied would sell at a high price. Vanderdecken finding that no answer was returned, indulged in strong invective, and then decided upon measures certainly in themselves by no means undecided. There was part of a small stack of dry fodder standing not far from the house, and under the wall a pile of wood for firing. With these Vanderdecken resolved upon setting fire to the house, and thus, if he did not gain his relic, he would at least obtain ample revenge. He brought several armsful of fodder and laid them at the door of the house, and upon that he piled the faggots and logs of wood, until the door was quite concealed by them. He then struck a light with his amadou and flint, which every Dutchman carries in his pocket, and very soon he had fanned the pile into a flame; the smoke ascended in columns up to the rafters of the roof, while the fire raged below. The door was ignited and was adding to the fury of the flames, and Philip shouted with joy at the success of his attempt. "Now miserable despoiler of the dead-now wretched thief, now you shall feel my vengeance," cried Philip, with a loud voice. "If you remain within, you perish in the flames; if you attempt to come out, you shall die by my hands. Do you hear, Mynheer Poots-do you hear ?" Hardly had Philip concluded this address, when the window of the upper floor furthest from the burning door was thrown open. Ay-you come now to beg and to entreat; but no-no," cried Philip-but here he stopped as he beheld at the window what he considered to be an apparition, for instead of the form of the wretched little miser, he beheld one of the loveliest of the other sex whon Nature ever deigned to mould. An angelic creature of about sixteen or seventeen, who appeared calm and resolute in all the danger with which she was threatened. Her long black hair was braided and twined round her beautifully-formed head; her eyes were large, intensely dark, yet soft. A lovelier oval face, from the dimpled chin to the thin-lipped, arched, and ruby mouth, the straight yet small nose to the high white forehead, could not well be imagined. It reminded you of what the best of painters have sometimes, in their more fortunate moments, succeeded in embodying, when they would represent a beauteous saint. And as the flames wreathed and the smoke burst out in columns and swept past the window, so might she have reminded you in her calmness of demeanour of some martyr at the stake. "What wouldst thou, violent young man? Why are the inmates of this house to suffer death by your means?" said the maiden, with composure. For a few seconds Philip gazed and could make no reply; then the thought seized him that, in his vengeance, he was about to sacrifice so much loveliness. He forgot everything but her danger, and seizing a large pole out of those which he had brought to feed the flame, he threw off and scattered in every direction the burning masses, until there was nothing left but the ignited door itself which could hurt the building, and this which as yet-for it was of thick oak plank-had not suffered very material injury, he soon reduced, by beating it with clods of earth, to a smoking and harmless state. During these active measures on the part of Philip, the young female watched him in silence. "All is safe now, young lady," said Philip. "God forgive me that I should have risked a life so precious. I thought but to wreak my vengeance upon Mynheer Poots." "And what cause can Mynheer Poots have given for such dreadful vengeance?" replied the maiden, calmly. "What cause, young lady? He came to my house-despoiled the dead-took from my mother's corpse a relic beyond price." "Despoiled the dead-he surely cannot- -you must wrong him, young Sir." "No, no. It is the fact, lady,-and that relic-forgive me--but that relic I must have. You know not what depends upon it." "Wait, young Sir," replied the maiden, "I will soon return." Philip waited several minutes, lost in thought and admiration-so fair a creature in the house of Mynheer Poots. Who could she be? While thus ruminating, he was accosted by the silver voice of the object of his reveries, who, leaning out of the window, held in her hand the black riband to which was attached the article so dearly coveted. "Here is your wish, young Sir," said the young female; "I regret much that my father should have done a deed which well might justify your anger: but here it is," continued she, dropping it down on the ground by Philip-" and now you may depart." "Your father, maiden-can he be your father?" said Philip, forgetting to take up the relic which laid at his feet. The young person would have retired from the window without reply, but Philip spoke again. "Stop, lady, stop one moment, until I beg your forgiveness for my wild, foolish act. I swear by this sacred relic," continued he, taking it from the ground and raising it to his lips, "that had I known that any other unoffending person had been in the house, I would not have done the deed, and much do I rejoice that no harm hath happened. But there is still danger, lady; the door must be unbarred, and the jambs, which still are glowing, be extinguished, or the house may yet be burnt. Fear not for your father, maiden; for had he done me a thousand times more wrong, you will protect each hair upon his head. He knows me well enough to know I keep my word. Allow me then to repair the injury I have occasioned, and then I will depart." "No, no; don't trust him," said the voice of Mynheer Poots from within the chamber. "Yes, he may be trusted," replied the daughter; "and his services are much needed, for what could a weak girl like me, and a still weaker father, do in this strait? Open the door and let the house be made secure." The maiden then addressed Philip-" He shall open the door, Sir, and I will thank you for your kind service. I trust entirely to your promise." "I never yet was known to break my word, maiden," replied Philip; "but let him be quick, for the flames are bursting out again." The door was opened by the trembling hands of Mynheer Poots, who then made a hasty retreat up-stairs. The truth of what Philip had said was then apparent. Many were the buckets of water which he was obliged to fetch before the fire was quite subdued; but during his exertions neither the daughter nor the father made their appearance. When all was safe, Philip closed the door, and again looked up at the window. The fair girl made her appearance, and Philip, with a low obeisance, assured her that there was then no danger. "I thank you, Sir," replied she-"I thank you much. Your conduct, although hasty at the first, has yet been most considerate." "Assure your father, maiden, that all animosity on my part hath ceased, and that in a few days I will call and satisfy the demand he hath against me." The window closed, and Philip, more excited but with different feelings than when he had set out, looked at it for a minute, and then bent his steps to his own cottage. BALLAD. How shall I woo thee, beautiful Spring? Shall I search the abode of the ocean king; And a chaplet of pearls bring to thee? Oh, no! for there shines in thy clustering curls, The dew-drops of morning brighter than pearls. Shall I seek the sweet south, where the balmy breeze Shall I bring them to thee with their perfumed leaves, Oh, no! for the violet that blooms at thy feet ANNE C. TURNBULL. |