This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
On the afternoon of the sixteenth of May, Burgomaster Van der Werff'swife was examining chests and boxes. Her husband was at the town-hall,but had told her that towards evening, the Prince's commissioner, HerrDietrich Van Bronkhorst, the two Seigneurs von Nordwyk, the city clerkVan Hout, and several other heads of municipal affairs and friends offreedom would meet at his house for a confidential consultation. Mariahad the charge of providing the gentlemen with a nice collation, wine,and many similar cares.
This invitation had a very cheering influence on the young wife. Itpleased her to be able to play the hostess, according to the meaning ofthe word in her parents' house. How long she had been debarred fromhearing any grave, earnest conversation. True, there had been no lack ofvisitors: the friends and relatives of her husband's family, who calledupon her and talked with Barbara, often begged her to come to theirhouses; among them were many who showed themselves kindly disposed andcould not help respecting her worth, but not one to whom she wasattracted by any warm affection. Maria, whose life was certainly notcrowded with amusements, dreaded their coming, and when they did call,endured their presence as an unavoidable evil. The worthy matrons wereall much older than herself and, while sitting over their cakes, stewedfruit, and hippocras, knitting, spinning or netting, talked of the hardtimes during the siege, of the cares of children and servants, washingand soap-making, or subjected to a rigid scrutiny the numerousincomprehensible and reprehensible acts other women were said to havecommitted, to be committing, or to desire to commit, until Maria's heartgrew heavy and her lonely room seemed to her a peaceful asylum.
She could find words only when the conversation turned upon the misery ofthe country and the sacred duty of bearing every privation a second time,if necessary for the freedom of the nation, and then she gladly listenedto the sturdy women, who evidently meant what they said; but when thehours were filled with idle gossip, it caused her actual pain. Yet shedared not avoid it and was obliged to wait until the departure of thelast acquaintance; for after she had ventured to retire early severaltimes, Barbara kindly warned her against it, not concealing that she hadhad great difficulty in defending her against the reproach of pride andincivility.
"Such chat," said the widow, "is pleasant and strengthens the courage,and whoever leaves the visitors while they are together, can pray theLord for a favorable report."
One lady in Leyden pleased the burgomaster's wife. This was the wife ofHerr Van Hout, the city clerk, but the latter rarely appeared in company,for though a delicate, aristocratic-looking woman, she was obliged to bebusy from morning till night, to keep the children and household in goodorder on a narrow income.
Maria felt brighter and happier than she had done for many days, as shestood before the shelf that contained the table-furniture and thecupboard where the silver was kept. All the handsome dishes belonging tothe house were bright and shining, free from every grain of dust, so toowere the white linen cloths, trimmed with lace. She selected what sheneeded, but many