conduct, he was so far obliging as to send his son to be my guide and
caution in the matter of a lodging. This implied my presenting of the
young man to Catriona. The poor, pretty child was much recovered with
resting, looked and behaved to perfection, and took my arm and gave me
the name of brother more easily than I could answer her. But there was
one misfortune: thinking to help, she was rather towardly than otherwise
to my Dutchman. And I could not but reflect that Miss Balfour had rather
suddenly outgrown her bashfulness. And there was another thing, the
difference of our speech. I had the Low Country tongue and dwelled upon
my words; she had a hill voice, spoke with something of an English
accent, only far more delightful, and was scarce quite fit to be called
a deacon in the craft of talking English grammar; so that, for a brother
and sister, we made a most uneven pair. But the young Hollander was a
heavy dog, without so much spirit in his belly as to remark her
prettiness, for which I scorned him. And as soon as he had found a cover
to our heads, he left us alone, which was the greater service of the
two.

* * * * *




CHAPTER XXIV

FULL STORY OF A COPY OF HEINECCIUS


The place found was in the upper part of a house backed on a canal. We
had two rooms, the second entering from the first; each had a chimney