hemselves very princely objects, though the doublet had a
tragic interest from its dark stains and bullet holes. Ben could readily
believe, as he looked upon the garments, that the Silent Prince, true to
his greatness of character, had been exceedingly simple in his attire.
His aristocratic prejudices were, however, decidedly shocked when
Lambert told him of the way in which William's bride first entered The
Hague.

"The beautiful Louisa de Coligny, whose father and former husband both
had fallen at the massacre of St. Bartholomew, was coming to be fourth
wife to the Prince, and of course," said Lambert, "we Hollanders were
too gallant to allow the lady to enter the town on foot. No, sir, we
sent--or rather my ancestors did--a clean, open post-wagon to meet her,
with a plank across it for her to sit upon!"

"Very gallant indeed!" exclaimed Ben, with almost a sneer in his polite
laugh. "And she the daughter of an admiral of France."

"Was she? Upon my word, I had nearly forgotten that. But, you see,
Holland had very plain ways in the good old time; in fact, we are a
very simple, frugal people to this day. The Van Gend establishment is a
decided exception, you know."

"A very agreeable exception, I think," said Ben.

"Certainly, certainly. But, between you and me, Mynheer van Gend, though
he has wrought his own fortunes, can afford to be magnificent and yet be
frugal."

"Exactly so," said Ben profoundly, at the same time stroking his upper
lip and chin, which latterly he believed had been showing delightful and
unmistakable signs of coming dignities.

While tramping on foot through the city, Ben often longed for a good
English sidewalk. Here, as in the other towns, there was no curb, no
raised pavement for foot travelers, but the streets were clean and even,
and all vehicles were kept scrupulously within a certain tract. Strange
to say, there were nearly as many sleds as wagons to be seen, though
there was not a particle of snow. The sleds went scraping over the
bricks or cobblestones, some provided with an apparatus in front for
sprinkling water, to diminish the friction, and some rendered less
musical by means of a dripping oil rag, which the driver occasionally
applied to the runners.

Ben was surprised at the noiseless way in which Dutch laborers do their
work. Even around the warehouses and docks there was no bustle, no
shouting from one to another. A certain twitch of the pipe, or turn
of the head, or, at