.

Nothing had been heard of "Lorelei-Mascotte," and though we left the car
and walked to the outer harbor, straining our eyes in the direction
whence she should come, no craft resembling her was in sight.

The beauty of the day had died; sky and water were dull as lead, and
Nell's face, as she stood gazing out to sea, looked pallid in the bleak
light.

Suddenly we felt depressed, though Mr. van Buren said it was hardly time
to expect news. As we lingered, the most exquisite music began to fall
over our heads, apparently from the sky, like a shower of jewels.

"The chimes of the Dromedary," said Mr. van Buren, looking up at the
strong, dark tower looming above us. Our eyes followed his, and the
music sprayed over us in a lovely fountain. Had the bells been all of
silver, rung by fairies, the notes could not have been sweeter. In
itself the air was not sad, yet it pierced to the heart; and as the
chimes played I found that I was a great deal more anxious about
Jonkheer Brederode than I had thought. The tears came to my eyes, and
when Lady MacNairne asked what was the matter, I said impulsively that I
couldn't help being frightened for our friend, doing his self-imposed
duty so bravely by Nell's boat.

Going back to the hotel, we were all miserable. Even Mr. van Buren
seemed wretched, though I can't think why, as he said he was not anxious
about the Jonkheer. And Lady MacNairne forgot to put it down in her
note-book when some one told her that Enkhuisen was the birthplace of
Paul Potter.

XXIII

I shall never forget that night at Enkhuisen, or the hotel.

Mr. Starr said it was no wonder Cities of the Zuider Zee died, if they
were brought up on hotels like that.

Ours, apparently, had no one to attend to it, except one frightened
rabbit of a boy, who appeared to be manager, hall porter, waiter, boots,
and chambermaid in one; but when we had scrambled up a ladder-like
stairway--it was almost as difficult as climbing a greased pole--we
found decent rooms, and after that, things we wanted came by some
mysterious means, we knew not how.

It was an adventure sliding down to dinner. Tibe fell from top to
bottom, into a kind of black well, and upset Lady MacNairne completely.
She said she hated Enkhuisen, and she thought it a dispensation of
Providence that the sand had come and silted it up.

We had quite good things for dinner, but we ate in a dining-room with no
fresh air, because the commercial travelers