didn't know what he ought to say--or, better,
whether he could say anything, or not. He reflected. Suppose Femke's
mother should ask, "Did you want anything?"

We--yes, the "gentle reader" and I--we should have known what to
answer. I wonder if our wisdom would have been wiser than the stupidity
of the child, who stood irresolute and hesitating before the fence?

He stood staring at the house, his mouth wide open. His knees trembled,
his heart fluttered, his tongue was dry.

A small column of smoke curling up from the chimney aroused him. What
if a fire should break out! Then he would have to go in. He would
rescue her, and carry her away in his arms--far, far away--to the end
of the world, or at least outside of the town! Just anywhere where
the people wear red velvet and green silk, where the gentlemen carry
big swords and the ladies wear long trains. They would be so becoming
to Femke. And she should ride horseback, and he would follow her--no,
he would ride by her side, with a falcon on his hand!

If a fire should break out!

But Walter saw that the house was in no danger. This smoke came from
the kitchen. He noticed other houses in the neighborhood where cooking
seemed to be going on, and everywhere the chimneys were bearing witness
to activities below which were presumably similar to those of Femke.

Finally a crowd of fellows came along who had evidently been stopping
at one of those establishments where "refreshments" are served. They
had been greatly refreshed, and in their exuberance of freshness,
so to say, they crowded Walter away from the fence and took him along
with them for a little way.

He was easily reconciled to this; for why, he thought, should he
stand there and watch the smoke? There wasn't going to be any fire;
and then he didn't have Ophelia with him.

But to-morrow! To-morrow he would bring that picture with him! And
then he wouldn't stand at the fence like a baby.

He felt ashamed when he thought of his friends in their gay colors,
or in armor, with plumes and swords. Those kings and knights and
pages--they had been courageous, otherwise they never would have
received such high orders and distinctions. Unless there were some
change, he felt that he would never be pictured like that.

However, he expected that such a change would come--without doubt,
surely, certainly, truly! The further he went, the more determined
he became to go in the next day and put on a bold front and say:
"