She then told him all that had befallen, "And," said she, "they will not
keep the living for him for ever. He bids fair to lose that, as well as
break all our hearts."

"Call my servant," cried the burgomaster, with sudden vigour.

He sent him for a table and writing materials, and dictated letters to
the burgomasters in all the principal towns in Holland, and one to a
Prussian authority, his friend. His clerk and Margaret wrote them,
and he signed them. "There," said he, "the matter shall be despatched
throughout Holland by trusty couriers, and as far as Basle in
Switzerland; and fear not, but we will soon have the vicar of Gouda to
his village."

She went home animated with fresh hopes, and accusing herself of
ingratitude to Gerard. "I value my wealth now," said she.

She also made a resolution never to blame his conduct till she should
hear from his own lips his reason.

Not long after her return from Tergou a fresh disaster befell.
Catherine, I must premise, had secret interviews with the black sheep,
the very day after they were expelled; and Cornelis followed her to
Tergou, and lived there on secret contributions, but Sybrandt chose to
remain in Rotterdam. Ere Catherine left, she asked Margaret to lend her
two gold angels. "For," said she, "all mine are spent." Margaret was
delighted to lend them or give them; but the words were scarce out of
her mouth ere she caught a look of regret and distress on Kate's face,
and she saw directly whither her money was going. She gave Catherine the
money, and went and shut herself up with her boy. Now this money was to
last Sybrandt till his mother could make some good excuse for visiting
Rotterdam again, and then she would bring the idle dog some of her own
industrious savings.

But Sybrandt, having gold in his pocket, thought it inexhaustible: and
being now under no shadow of restraint, led the life of a complete sot;
until one afternoon, in a drunken frolic, he climbed on the roof of the
stable at the inn he was carousing in, and proceeded to walk along it, a
feat he had performed many times when sober. But now his unsteady brain
made his legs unsteady, and he rolled down the roof and fell with a
loud thwack on to an horizontal paling, where he hung a moment in a
semicircle; then toppled over and lay silent on the ground, amidst roars
of laughter from his boon companions. When they came to pick him up he
could not stand; but fell down giggling at each attempt.

On thi