cially, by a flare outside of the charcoal
fire, where the _pooferchjes_ were cooked. A powerful brown-armed
peasant woman made them, beating the batter till it frothed, and
dropping it by the spoonful into the little hollows in the great sheet
of iron that glowed on the stove without. The glow of the fire was on
her too, on her short skirt and her fine arms, and the flaring light,
that flickered in the breeze, danced on her strong, brown face, with
its resolute lines, and splendid gold-ringed head-dress. People kept
passing to and fro all the time, or stopping sometimes to look in;
solemnly-gay holiday people, enjoying themselves after their own
fashion. The light flickered on them, too, and on the brick pavement,
and on the trees, plentiful almost as canals in the town. Julia leaned
forward and looked, and listened to the guttural Dutch voices, and the
curious patois to be heard now and then, and the distant notes of
music that blended with it. And the flickering lights and shadows
danced across her mind, and the simple holiday feeling of it all got
to her head.

Then the _pooferchjes_ were done and brought in, little round, crisp
things, smoking hot, and very greasy; something like tiny English
pancakes--at least one might say so if one had not tasted them. And
then more people came in and sat at the opposite side of the table, a
gardener of another bulb grower, and his two daughters. He raised his
hat to the Van Heigen party, and received a similar salutation in
return, though he and they were careful to put their hats on again, a
draught being a thing much feared. Mijnheer shook hands with the
father, and they entered into conversation about the weather; the
girls looked across at Denah and Anna, and more still at Julia, whose
small, slim hands they evidently admired.

But at last the _pooferchjes_ were all eaten and paid for. To do the
latter the notary, Mijnheer and Joost all brought out large purses
and counted out small coins with care, and the party came out, making
way for new-comers. They did not go straight home again, as was first
intended, Julia's interest and gaiety seemed to have infected the
others--all except Denah, and they walked for a little while among the
booths of toys, and sweets, and peepshows, and entertainments. And as
they went, Denah grew more and more silent, watching Julia, who was
walking with Joost; the arrangement was not of the English girl's
seeking, but Denah took no account of t