it out of my head that I saw the old, painted, wooden
figure that used to frighten me so much in the church of St. Laurence of
Rotterdam.'

Gerard laughed, though he could not help inwardly acknowledging the
justness of the comparison. He was resolved, however, as far as he
could, to check his niece's inclination to ridicule the ugliness of her
intended bridegroom, although he was not a little pleased to observe
that she appeared totally exempt from that mysterious dread of the
stranger which, he could not disguise it from himself, considerably
affected him, as also his pupil Godfrey Schalken.

Early on the next day there arrived, from various quarters of the town,
rich presents of silks, velvets, jewellery, and so forth, for Rose; and
also a packet directed to Gerard Douw, which, on being opened, was found
to contain a contract of marriage, formally drawn up, between Wilken
Vanderhausen of the Boom-quay, in Rotterdam, and Rose Velderkaust of
Leyden, niece to Gerard Douw, master in the art of painting, also of
the same city; and containing engagements on the part of Vanderhausen
to make settlements upon his bride, far more splendid than he had before
led her guardian to believe likely, and which were to be secured to her
use in the most unexceptionable manner possible--the money being placed
in the hands of Gerard Douw himself.

I have no sentimental scenes to describe, no cruelty of guardians, or
magnanimity of wards, or agonies of lovers. The record I have to make is
one of sordidness, levity, and interest. In less than a week after the
first interview which we have just described, the contract of marriage
was fulfilled, and Schalken saw the prize which he would have risked
anything to secure, carried off triumphantly by his formidable rival.

For two or three days he absented himself from the school; he then
returned and worked, if with less cheerfulness, with far more dogged
resolution than before; the dream of love had given place to that of
ambition.

Months passed away, and, contrary to his expectation, and, indeed, to
the direct promise of the parties, Gerard Douw heard nothing of his
niece, or her worshipful spouse. The interest of the money, which was
to have been demanded in quarterly sums, lay unclaimed in his hands. He
began to grow extremely uneasy.

Mynher Vanderhausen's direction in Rotterdam he was fully possessed
of. After some irresolution he finally determined to journey thither--a
trifling u