oughly knew the cause of their dissension.
Peregrine found this protest so reasonable, that he did not hesitate to
throw himself between the champions with a similar declaration. To this
the combatants were forced to yield. Swammerdamm, moreover, asserted,
that he had not at all come with hostile intentions, but merely to
enter into some composition with Leuwenhock, and thus to end a feud
which had so long divided two similarly-created principles, whose
united researches only could exhaust the deepest springs of knowledge.
With this he looked smilingly at Peregrine, into whose arms Doertje had
fled, and expressed a wish that he would mediate.

Leuwenhock, on the other hand, admitted that Doertje was, indeed, the
apple of contention, but that he had just now discovered a new trick of
his unworthy colleague. It was not only that, to revive his unjust
pretensions to Doertje, he denied the possession of a certain microscope
which he had received on a certain occasion as a quittance; but the
more to torment him,--Leuwenhock,--he had given it to another. In
answer to all this, Swammerdamm swore, high and low, that he had never
received the microscope, and had great reason to believe that
Leuwenhock had shamefully purloined it.

"The fools!"--softly whispered Master Flea to Peregrine--"the fools!
they are talking of the microscope which is in your eye. You know that
I was present at the treaty of peace concluded between them about the
possession of the princess, and, when Swammerdamm was flinging into the
pupil of his left eye the microscopic glass which he had, in fact,
received from Leuwenhock, I snapped it up, because it was not
Leuwenhock's, but my lawful property. Tell them plainly at once, that
you have the jewel."

Upon this Peregrine made no hesitation in declaring that he was in
possession of the microscopic glass which Swammerdamm should have
received, but did not receive, from Leuwenhock; and moreover that the
union was not yet settled, and neither Leuwenhock nor Swammerdamm had
at present the unconditional right to look on Doertje Elverdink as his
foster-daughter.

After much argument, it was agreed by the disputants that Mr. Tyss
should marry Doertje Elverdink, who tenderly loved him; and then, after
seven months, should decide which of the two microscopists was the most
desirable father-in-law.

However beautiful Doertje appeared in a dress so admirable that it might
seem to have been fashioned by the Loves