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Now Truide, rendered fairly frantic by her enforced confinement to the house, grew to look upon Jan as her only chance of excitement and distraction; and Jan, poor, thick-headed noodle of six feet high, was thoroughly wretched. What to do he knew not.
"You are quite right, professor," returned Koosje, curtly; she was sensible even in her trouble. "And what is the trouble?" he asked, gently. "It's just this, professor," cried Koosje, setting her arms akimbo and speaking in a high-pitched, shrill voice; "you and I have been warming a viper in our bosoms, and, viper-like, she has turned round and bitten me." "Is it Truide?"
Just at first Truide, poor child, was charmed. She put away her splendid ornaments, and some lilac frocks and black skirts were purchased for her. Her box, which she had left at the station, supplied all that was necessary for Sunday. It was great fun! For a whole week this young person danced about the rambling old house, playing at being a servant.
The next moment a maid came running into the shop. "Take these people into the kitchen and give them something to eat. Put them by the stove while you prepare it. There is some soup and that smoked ham we had for koffy. Then come here and take my place for a while." "Je, jevrouw," said Yanke, disappearing again, followed by Truide and her children. Then Koosje sat down again, and began to think.
It really was very foolish, for what charmed him most in Truide was the merest outside polish, a certain ease of manner which doubtless she had caught from the English aristocrats whom she had known in her native place. She had not half the sterling good qualities and steadfastness of Koosje; but Jan was in love, and did not stop to argue the matter as you or I are able to do.
"Yes, Jan is dead," Truide answered. "And he left you nothing?" Koosje asked. "We had had nothing for a long time," Truide replied, in her sad, crushed voice. "We didn't get on very well; he soon got tired of me." "That was a weakness of his," remarked Koosje, drily. "We lost five little ones, one after another," Truide continued. "And Jan was fond of them, and somehow it seemed to sour him.
When, after having been as free as air to come and go as she chose, she was only permitted to attend service on Sundays, and to take an hour's promenade with Dortje, who was dull and heavy and stupid, she began to feel positively desperate; and the result of it all was that when Jan van der Welde came, as he was accustomed to do nearly every evening, to see Koosje, Miss Truide, from sheer longing for excitement and change, began to make eyes at him, with what effect I will endeavour to show.
"I said," she mused, presently, "that night that the next time I fell over a bundle I'd leave it where I found it. Ah, well! I'm not a barbarian; I couldn't do that. I never thought, though, it would be Truide." "Hi, jevrouw," was called from the inner room. "Je, mynheer," jumping up and going to her customers. She attended to their wants, and presently bowed them out.
"Oh, you'd better stay," said Koosje, hurriedly. "I live in this big house by myself, and I dare say you'll be more useful in the shop than Yanke if your tongue is as glib as it used to be, that is. You know some English, too, don't you?" "A little," Truide answered, eagerly.
"Truide," she affirmed, disdainfully. "Yes, it is Truide, who but for me would be dead now of hunger and cold or worse. And she has been making love to that great fool, Jan van der Welde, great oaf that he is, after all I have done for her; after my dragging her in out of the cold and rain; after all I have taught her.
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