gone many minutes.

I was all ready when she ran in again with two large bundles in her
hands. She would not tell me what they were, as she was in a hurry to
change (at least, that was her excuse), but promised that I should see
something interesting if I would come up to the room with her after
dining; and I was not to tell any one that she had been out for the
second time.

We were long over our dinner, as there was such a crowd that the waiters
grew quite confused; and, at the end, we three women sat with Jonkheer
Brederode and Mr. Starr in the garden behind the hotel, while the men
smoked. Nell was so patient that I almost thought she had forgotten the
bundles up-stairs. But at last Lady MacNairne, hearing a clock chime
ten, announced that she had some writing to do before going to bed.

"I suppose you will have a look at the Kermess again?" she said to our
two knights.

"I've seen dozens of such fairs; and when you've seen one, you've seen
pretty well all, nowadays. But if the Mariner would like to go, I shall
be glad to go with him," Jonkheer Brederode answered.

"I'm not sure I didn't see enough this afternoon," said Mr. Starr.
"Anyhow, I mean to have another cigarette or two here; and I do think
the ladies might stop with me, for I have a hundred things to say."

Lady MacNairne and Nell were on their feet, however, and would not be
persuaded; so we bade each other good-night, and three minutes later
Nell was opening her parcels in our room.

"Among the last letters that were forwarded from London, was a larger
check than I expected from the _Fireside Friend_," said she; "so I've
bought a present for you, and for me, from my affectionate self."

With that, she had the paper wrappings off two glittering Frisian
head-dresses, like beautiful gold skull-caps. And in the other bundle
were two black shawls, like those I had seen several girls of Leeuwarden
wearing.

"Oh, how sweet!" I exclaimed. "Thank you so much. I've been wanting some
kind of costume ever since Amsterdam, where they were so expensive.
These are to take home and keep as souvenirs, when we are at work in our
poor little flat, just as if nothing had ever happened to us."

Nell gave a shudder, but she didn't say that we never would go home and
to work again, as she used to say if I spoke of it when we were
beginning our trip. Instead she said----

"I don't know about the future; but I'm going to wear mine to-night."

"What, sleep in that