in my boat; I must play my piano; let us
put the work away as soon as we can, and forget it.' It was not so in
my young days; then we worked, or we slept; playing was for children.
There were some great men of business in those days."

Julia was not in a position to contradict this; she only said, "It is
a real holiday, then, like a bank holiday in England?"

"A real holiday, yes," he answered her; "a holiday for you too, if you
like. Would you like a real English bank holiday?" He called to his
wife: "See here," he said, "here is an English miss who would like an
English holiday; when the workmen have theirs she shall have hers too,
is it not so?"

Mevrouw nodded, laughing. "But what will you do with it?" she asked.

"I should go out," Julia answered; "if it is fine I should go out all
day."

"To the fair?" Mijnheer asked. "You would not like that alone; it
would be very rough."

"I should go out into the country," Julia said. "I should make an
excursion all by myself."

They seemed a good deal amused by her taste, but the idea suggested in
fun was really determined upon; Julia, so Mijnheer promised, should
have a holiday when every one else did, and do just what she pleased.

"You shall do as you like," he said; "even though it is not to go to
the fair and eat _pooferchjes_. It is only once in a year one can eat
_pooferchjes_, or three times rather; they are to be had on each of
the three days."

"What are they?" Julia asked. "I have never heard of them."

"Never heard of them," the old man exclaimed. "They do not have them,
I suppose, on an English bank holiday? Then certainly you must have
them here; we will go and eat them on the first day of the fair, when
everything is nice and clean, and there are not too many people about.
I will find a nice quiet place, and we will go and eat them together,
after tea, before there are great crowds. Will you come with me? I
shall be taking my young lady to the fair like a gay dog."

He chuckled at the idea, and Julia readily agreed. "I shall be
delighted," she said.

When Denah came, a little later, it seemed she would be delighted too,
although she was not specially asked. But when she heard of the plan,
she announced that her father had promised to take Anna and herself,
and what could be better than that the parties should join? Mijnheer
quite approved of this, so did Julia; and she, on hearing Denah's
proposal, at once saw that Joost was included as he had n