verything will get out of their way, and they do not at all
mind being conspicuous."

"The English miss should mind," Denah said, "for she is not pretty; no
one looks at her to admire; besides she is poor and has to work
hard."

"Yes, yes," her mother agreed placidly; "she is a fine worker. Vrouw
Van Heigen is full of her praises; such a cook--she has twenty new
dishes, and everything is done quickly, one cannot tell how; it is
like having a magician in the house, so she says. Ah, there is Herr
Van de Greutz's Marthe going into the apothecary's. I wonder now--"

But her daughters were not interested in Marthe; the English girl at
the Van Heigens' interested them a great deal more. They continued to
talk about her a great deal afterwards, Denah going back with her
sister to the kitchen and the vegetables, so as to be able to do so
undisturbed.

"I will help you with these," she said; "then we can go out."

She sat down and took up a knife. "It is strange how much Vrouw Van
Heigen thinks of that girl," she said. "She has been there but one
month and already there is no one like her. She does not keep her in
her place very well; were she a daughter more could not be said. I
wonder how Mijnheer likes it."

"It was Mijnheer who engaged her," Anna said. "It is not likely that
he regrets. I hear that she has written some English letters for him
since one of the clerks has been ill. My father says she can cook like
a Frenchwoman, and that is something. As for Joost, it is surely of
little importance to him, he is too quiet to say anything to her; she
talks little; she must be shy."

Denah had nothing to say to this, although, seeing in which person her
own interest in the Van Heigens lay, she possibly found some comfort
in the assurance. After a little she remarked, "That girl has no
accomplishments; she is as old-fashioned as our Aunt Barje, a
_huisvrouw_, no more. It is strange, for the English women make fun
of us for this, and pretend that they are educated and advanced above
us; she is not, she can do nothing but speak a few languages; she
cannot sing nor play, she has read no science, she cannot draw, nor
model in wax, nor make paper flowers, nor do bead work; she could not
even crochet till I showed her how. I wonder if she has made any
progress with the pattern I gave her. Shall we go and see by and by? I
might set her right if she is in a difficulty, and we could at the
same time inquire after Mevrouw's throat