ld, old days, for the bastion seemed the only thing of importance in
the poor little town now. But no doubt the great sand-bank, with its
famous legend of the Proud Lady, is enough to account for the decline.

Nell smiled in a naughty, mischievous way, when her cousin remarked that
his mother's family came originally from Friesland, I suppose because
Jonkheer Brederode had just told us that the Frisian people are the most
obstinate and persistent in the Netherlands: that all the obstinacy in
any other whole province would not be as much as is contained in one
Frisian man--or woman. But I think they have reason to be proud of
themselves, especially as their obstinacy has kept their ancient customs
and language almost intact, and the Spaniards never could make the
least impression upon them by the most original and terrific kinds of
tortures, invented especially to subdue Frisians. If they were buried
alive, they just went on smiling, and saying, "I will," or "I won't,"
until their mouths were covered up.

I almost wished that Jonkheer Brederode hadn't said, before Mr. van
Buren, that a "Frisian head" is an expression used by the Dutch when
they mean incredible hardness or obstinacy; but he didn't mind at all,
and immediately told us a thing that happened to his mother and some
Frisian cousins of hers when they were girls. A musical genius, a young
man, was visiting at their house, and when he had played a great deal
for them at their request, he made a bet that they would tire of hearing
his music before he tired of making it. They took the bet, and he began
to play again; but he was not Frisian, and had never been in Friesland
before, therefore he was not prepared for what would happen. Still, he
was Dutch, so he did not like giving up, and he went on playing for
twenty-four hours, without stopping for more than five minutes at a
time. The ladies always exclaimed: "Please go on if you can; we're not
tired at all," though they looked very pale and ill; so he didn't stop
until he tumbled off his music-stool, and had to be carried away to bed,
where he lay for two days. But the Frisian girls suffered no bad
consequences, and said, if he had not given up, they would have sat
listening for at least a week.

Once Jonkheer Brederode had a big yacht which he lent to the Belgian
king for a trip, and there was a Frisian skipper. Every morning the
decks were washed at five o'clock, and the king sent word that he would
be glad to