thing on, ma'am," replied Babette, rather crossly.

"Speak to them out of the window, Babette."

Here poor Babette came down to the first floor, and opening the window
at the landing-place on the stairs, put her head out and cried,--"If you
don't go away, you drunken fellows, my mistress will send for the
watch."

"If you don't come down and open the door, we shall break it open,"
replied the officer sent to the duty.

"Tell them it's no inn, Babette, we won't let people in after hours,"
cried the widow, turning in her bed and anxious to resume her sound
sleep.

Babette gave the message and shut down the window.

"Break open the door," cried the officer to his attendants. In a minute
or two the door was burst open, and the party ascended the staircase.

"Mercy on me! Babette, if they ar'n't come in," cried the widow, who
jumped out of her bed, and, nearly shutting her door, which had been
left open for ventilation, she peeped out to see who were the bold
intruders; she perceived a man in black with a white staff.

"What do you want?" screamed the widow, terrified.

"We want Mistress Vandersloosh. Are you that person?" said the officer.

"To be sure I am. But what do you want here?"

"I must request you to dress and come along with me directly to the
Stadt House," replied the officer, very civilly.

"Gott in himmel! what's the matter?"

"It's on a charge of treasonable practices, madam."

"Oh, ho! I see: Mr Vanslyperken. Very well, good sir; I'll put on my
clothes directly. I'll get up any hour in the night, with pleasure, to
bring that villain--. Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, we shall see.
Babette, take the gentlemen down in the parlour, and give them some
bottled beer. You'll find it very good, sirs; it's of my own brewing.
And Babette, you must come up and help me."

The officer did not think it necessary to undeceive the widow, who
imagined that she was to give evidence against Vanslyperken, not that
she was a prisoner herself. Still the widow Vandersloosh did not like
being called up at such an unseasonable hour, and thus expressed herself
to Babette as she was dressing herself.

"Well, we shall see the ending of this, Babette.--My under petticoat is
on the chair.--I told the lords the whole truth, every word of it; and I
am convinced that they believed me too.--Don't pull tight all at once,
Babette; how often do I tell you that? I do believe you missed a
hole.--The cunning villain goes th