There was another point which also engrossed the moody
Vanslyperken, which was how he should behave relative to the widow
Vandersloosh. Should he call or should he not? He cared nothing for
her, and provided he could succeed with the Portsmouth lady, he would
pitch her to the devil; but still he remembered the old proverb, "You
should never throw away dirty water before you are sure of clean."
After some cogitation he determined upon still pressing his suit, and
hoped at the same time that the widow would not admit him into her
presence. Such were the different resolves and decisions which occupied
the mind of Mr Vanslyperken until he dropped his anchor at Amsterdam,
when he ordered his boat to go on shore, and gave positive directions to
Dick Short that no one was to leave the cutter on any pretence, for he
was determined that as the widow would not have his company, she should
not have the profits arising from his men spending their money at her
house.

"So," cried Coble, after the boat shoved off, "liberty's stopped as well
as singing. What next, I wonder? I sha'n't stand this long."

"No," replied Short.

"Stop till he makes friends with the widow," observed Bill Spurey;
"she'll get us all leave."

"Mein Gott, he nebber say anyting before," observed Jansen.

"No; we might almost go and come as we wished. We must not stand this."

"We won't," replied Jemmy Ducks.

"No," replied Short.

While the crew of the cutter were in this incipient state of mutiny,
Vanslyperken bent his steps to deliver up to the authorities the
despatches with which he was charged; and having so done, he then took
out the letter entrusted to him by Nancy Corbett, and read the address.
It was the same street in which lived the Frau Vandersloosh. This was
awkward, as Vanslyperken did not want to be seen by her; but there was
no help for it. He trusted to her not seeing him, and he proceeded
thither: he ran down the numbers on the doors until he came to the right
one, which was exactly opposite to the widow's house:--this was more
unfortunate. He rang the bell; it was some time before the door was
opened, and while he was standing there he could not help looking round
to see if any one saw him. To his annoyance there stood the widow
filling up her door with her broad frame, and Babette peeping over her
shoulder. Mr Vanslyperken, as there was only the canal and two narrow
roads between them, could do no less than salute her, bu