ted more thoroughly than was usual among his
class, and who, at the table of his father, the opulent Burgomaster of
The Hague, from his youth had associated with all classes and conditions
of men. Indeed it was there that he made the acquaintance of Montalvo,
who recognising him in the street had asked him to dinner.

After the dishes were cleared, one of the Spanish officers rose and
begged to be excused, pleading some military duty. When he had saluted
his commandant and gone, Montalvo suggested that they should play a game
of cards. This was an invitation which Dirk would have liked to decline,
but when it came to the point he did not, for fear of seeming peculiar
in the eyes of these brilliant men of the world.

So they began to play, and as the game was simple very soon he picked
up the points of it, and what is more, found them amusing. At first
the stakes were not high, but they doubled themselves in some automatic
fashion, till Dirk was astonished to find that he was gambling for
considerable sums and winning them. Towards the last his luck changed a
little, but when the game came to an end he found himself the richer by
about three hundred and fifty florins.

"What am I do to with this?" he asked colouring up, as with sighs, which
in one instance were genuine enough, the losers pushed the money across
to him.

"Do with it?" laughed Montalvo, "did anybody ever hear such an innocent!
Why, buy your lady-love, or somebody else's lady-love, a present. No,
I'll tell you a better use than this, you give us to-morrow night at
your lodging the best dinner that Leyden can produce, and a chance of
winning some of this coin back again. Is it agreed?"

"If the other gentlemen wish it," said Dirk, modestly, "though my
apartment is but a poor place for such company."

"Of course we wish it," replied the three as with one voice, and the
hour for meeting having been fixed they parted, the Heer Brant walking
with Dirk to the door of his lodging.

"I was going to call on you to-morrow," he said, "to bring to you a
letter of introduction from my father, though that should scarcely be
needed as, in fact, we are cousins--second cousins only, our mothers
having been first cousins."

"Oh! yes, Brant of The Hague, of whom my mother used to speak, saying
that they were kinsmen to be proud of, although she had met them but
little. Well, welcome, cousin; I trust that we shall be friends."

"I am sure of it," answered Brant, and