e nearest hen-roost, and
there slipped in and set it upon a nest. "The good-wife will say,
'Alack, here is Beelzebub ahatching of my eggs.'"

"No, you forget he is dead," objected Gerard.

"So he is, so he is. But she doesn't know that, not having the luck
to be acquainted with me, who carry the good news from city to city,
uplifting men's hearts."

Such was Denys in time of peace.

Our travellers towards nightfall reached a village; it was a very small
one, but contained a place of entertainment. They searched for it,
and found a small house with barn and stables. In the former was the
everlasting stove, and the clothes drying round it on lines, and a
traveller or two sitting morose. Gerard asked for supper.

"Supper? We have no time to cook for travellers; we only provide
lodging, good lodging for man and beast. You can have some beer."

"Madman, who, born in Holland, sought other lands!" snorted Gerard in
Dutch. The landlady started.

"What gibberish is that?" asked she, and crossed herself with looks of
superstitious alarm. "You can buy what you like in the village, and cook
it in our oven; but, prithee, mutter no charms nor sorceries here, good
man; don't ye now, it do make my flesh creep so."

They scoured the village for food, and ended by supping on roasted eggs
and brown bread.

At a very early hour their chambermaid came for them. It was a
rosy-cheeked old fellow with a lanthorn.

They followed him. He led them across a dirty farmyard, where they had
much ado to pick their steps, and brought them into a cow-house. There,
on each side of every cow, was laid a little clean straw, and a tied
bundle of ditto for a pillow. The old man looked down on this his work
with paternal pride. Not so Gerard. "What, do you set Christian men to
lie among cattle?"

"Well, it is hard upon the poor beasts. They have scarce room to turn."

"Oh! what, it is not hard on us, then?"

"Where is the hardship? I have lain among them all my life. Look at me!
I am fourscore, and never had a headache in all my born days--all along
of lying among the kye. Bless your silly head, kine's breath is ten
times sweeter to drink nor Christians'. You try it!" and he slammed the
bedroom door.

"Denys, where are you?" whined Gerard.

"Here, on her other side."

"What are you doing?"

"I know not; but as near as I can guess, I think I must be going to
sleep. What are you at?

"I am saying my prayers."

"Forget me not in them!"