The literatures of other lands are great plants
adorned with fragrant flowers; Dutch literature is a little tree laden
with fruit.

On the morning when I left the Hague, after my second visit to the
city, some of my good friends accompanied me to the railway-station.
It was raining. When we were in the waiting-room, before the train
started, I thanked my kind hosts for the courteous reception they had
given me, and, knowing that perhaps I should never see them again, I
could not help expressing my gratitude in sad and affectionate words,
to which they listened in silence. Only one interrupted me by advising
me to guard against the damp.

"I hope at least some of you will come to Italy," I continued, "if
only to give me the opportunity of showing my gratitude. Do promise me
this, so that I may feel a little consoled at my departure. I will not
leave if some one does not say he will come to Italy."

They looked into each other's faces, and one answered laconically,
"Perhaps." Another advised me not to change French gold in the shops.
At that moment the last bell rang.

"Well, then, good-bye," I said in an agitated voice, pressing their
hands. "Farewell: I shall never forget the glorious days passed at the
Hague; I shall always recall your names as the dearest remembrance of
my journey. Think of me sometimes."

"Good-bye," they all answered in the same tone, as if they were expecting
to see me the next day. I leaped into the railway-carriage stricken at
heart, and looked out of the window until the train started, and saw them
all standing there, motionless, silent with impassive faces, their eyes
fixed on mine. I waved a last farewell, and they responded with a slight
bend of the head, and then disappeared from my sight for ever. Whenever I
think of them I see them just as they were when I left them, in the same
attitude, with their serious faces and fixed eyes, and the affection that
I feel for them has in it something of austerity and sadness like their
native sky on the day when I last beheld them.

THE END OF VOLUME I.

End of Project Gutenberg's Holland, v. 1 (of 2), by Edmondo de Amicis

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLLAND, V. 1 (OF 2) ***

***** This file should be named 27799.txt or 27799.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/7/9/27799/

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Jen Haines and the Online
Distributed