red and scant of
breath.

Raff's voice was feeble yet. "Treat you WHAT way, Meitje?"

"What way," said Dame Brinker, mimicking his voice and manner. "What
way? Why, just as every woman in the world is treated after she's stood
by a man through the worst, like a--"

"Meitje!"

Raff was leaning forward with outstretched arms. His eyes were full of
tears.

In an instant Dame Brinker was at his feet, clasping his hands in hers.

"Oh, what have I done! Made my good man cry, and he not back with me
four days! Look up, Raff! Nay, Raff, my own boy, I'm sorry I hurt thee.
It's hard not to be told about the watch after waiting ten years to
know, but I'll ask thee no more, Raff. Here, we'll put the thing away
that's made the first trouble between us, after God just gave thee back
to me."

"I was a fool to cry, Meitje," he said, kissing her, "and it's no more
than right that ye should know the truth. But it seemed as if it might
be telling the secrets of the dead to talk about the matter."

"Is the man--the lad--thou wert talking of dead, think thee?" asked the
vrouw, hiding the watch in her hand but seating herself expectantly on
the end of his long foot bench.

"It's hard telling," he answered.

"Was he so sick, Raff?"

"No, not sick, I may say; but troubled, vrouw, very troubled."

"Had he done wrong, think ye?" she asked, lowering her voice.

Raff nodded.

"MURDER?" whispered the wife, not daring to look up.

"He said it was like to that, indeed."

"Oh! Raff, you frighten me. Tell me more, you speak so strange and you
tremble. I must know all."

"If I tremble, mine vrouw, it must be from the fever. There is no guilt
on my soul, thank God!"

"Take a sip of this wine, Raff. There, now you are better. It was like
to a crime, you were saying."

"Aye, Meitje, like to murder. THAT he told me himself. But I'll never
believe it. A likely lad, fresh and honest-looking as our own youngster
but with something not so bold and straight about him."

"Aye, I know," said the dame gently, fearing to interrupt the story.

"He came upon me quite suddenly," continued Raff. "I had never seen his
face before, the palest, frightenedest face that ever was. He caught me
by the arm. 'You look like an honest man,' says he."

"Aye, he was right in that," interrupted the dame emphatically.

Raff looked somewhat bewildered.

"Where was I, mine vrouw?"

"The lad took hold of your arm, Raff," she said, gazing at him
anxiously