s excited she talks
more like an American than a Scotswoman; however, I believe she has been
to the States.) At last we all three formed a kind of hollow square
round Tibe with our skirts over his back, and when he wasn't asleep he
amused himself by pretending that our shoes were bones.

Even Mr. Starr could not keep us gay and laughing for the whole two
hours of the trip, for we were squeezed in between bags of potatoes (he
sat on one), and our feet kept going to sleep. But Nell said, think of
Urk, and how seeing Urk would make up for everything.

Eventually we did see it, and it really did look pretty from a distance,
with its little close-clustered red roofs like a buttonhole bouquet
floating on the sea. As the steamer brought us nearer the island
something of the glamor faded; but there were about a dozen girls
assembled to watch the arrival of the boat, wearing rather nice, winged
white caps and low-necked black dresses.

Quickly we made our cameras ready, expecting them to smile shyly and
seem pleased, as at Volendam; but with one accord they sneered and
turned their backs, as if on a word of command. We "snapped" nothing but
a row of sunburnt necks under the caps. The girls laughed scornfully,
and when we landed they repaid our first interest in them by staring at
us with impudent contempt. There was no one to carry our bags, so we had
to do it ourselves, Mr. Starr taking all he could manage; and as we
trailed off to find the hotel, about forty or fifty ugly and
disagreeable-looking people followed after us, jeering and evidently
making the most personal remarks.

Nobody could, or would, tell us where to find the inn; but it was close
by really, as we presently found out for ourselves, after we had gone
the wrong way once or twice. Perhaps it wasn't strange, though, that we
missed it, for it was a shabby little house with no resemblance to a
hotel; and when we went in, the landlord, who was cleaning lamps and
curtain-rods in a scene of great disorder in the principal room, showed
signs of bewildered surprise at sight of us. But he was a great deal
more surprised when he heard that we wished to stay the night. He had
not many rooms, he said, and people seldom asked for them; indeed, no
tourist had ever done so before within his experience. Still, he would
do his best for us, and--yes, we could see the rooms.

He dropped his cleaning-rags and curtain-rods on the floor, and, opening
a door, started to go up a l