he Englishman; of his
air and bearing, and the fact, of which they declared themselves
convinced, that he was a person of distinction.

But it was not till the drive was over, and the party had separated,
that Denah was able to say what was burning on her tongue. They had
left the clerk's children at their house, said good-bye to Vrouw Van
Heigen and Julia, and were within their own home at last; the girls
went up to their bedroom, and Denah carefully fastened the door, then
she said mysteriously, "Miss Julia knows that Englishman."

Anna jumped at the intelligence, and still more at the tone. "Did she
tell you?" she asked.

"No," Denah replied with some scorn; "she would not tell any one, she
wishes it concealed; she thinks it is so, but I saw it."

The tone and manner suggested many things, but Anna was a terribly
matter-of-fact person, to whom suggestions were nothing. "Why should
she wish it concealed?" she inquired.

"I do not know why," Denah answered; "that remains to be seen. As for
how I know it, I saw it in her face; when she looked at him her lips
became set, and her eyes--she looked--" She hesitated for a word, and
dropped to the homely, "She looked as if she would bite with annoyance
that he should be here. The expression was gone in a moment; she spoke
with an ease and naturalness that was astonishing, even disgusting;
but it had been there. I do not trust her."

The last was said with great seriousness, and for a little Anna was
impressed. But not for long, she could not accept such evidence as
this; in her opinion it was "fancy."

"You read too many romances," she said; "your head is full of such
things. I do not believe Miss Julia knew the Englishman, she would not
have hidden from us her knowledge if she did; it is not so easy to
hide one's feelings in the flash of an eye, besides there was no
reason. Also"--this as an afterthought--"he was a man of good family;
you could see at a glance that he was of the aristocracy, while she is
a paid companion to Vrouw Van Heigen; she could never before have met
him."

Denah, however, was not convinced; she only repeated darkly, "I
mistrust her."

Julia, in the meantime, was busy with her household duties, talking
over the excursion the while with Mevrouw, and helping to detail it to
Mijnheer. At last the table was ready for supper and the coffee made.
Mevrouw sat with her crochet, and Mijnheer opposite her with his
paper. It wanted more than a quarter