her for thinking of it, and so, I fear, did Alb. We dined on
such picnic things as we happened to have on board, and when a pale
light, like the reflection of pearls in a mirror, began to tremble in
the east, out went the lights. The moon rose, and Phyllis let me hold
her hand, which would have made me happy if I hadn't been almost sure
she was feeling sisterly. And afterwards I dreamed about both girls.
They were both in love with me, and, after all, I was in love with some
one else whose name I did not seem to know, of whose face I could call
up no memory.

It was Alb who waked me by pounding on the door of my cabin on
"Waterspin," and shouting----

"Get up, if you want to see the sunrise."

So I bounded out of bed, wishing I could recall that dream-face, just to
make sure whether or no it was more beautiful than either of the
girls'. And by the time I had dressed, and gone across to "Mascotte's"
deck, the two I loved were on deck also, with the first light of dawn
shining in their eyes.

What did it matter that we had engaged rooms at Zwolle, which we had not
occupied? We breakfasted there instead, and saw a beautiful water-gate,
together with a few other good and very ancient things, about which Alb
seemed to know a great deal.

There were no signs of "Wilhelmina," and my heart felt light as we went
through a great lock into the Geldern Yssel, which would bear us to
Holland's most beautiful province, Gelderland.

XXVIII

My luck was out in Gelderland.

We had a good day, teuf-teufing to pretty little Dieren, big white
clouds swimming with us in sky and under water, where they moved like
shining fish down in the blue depths. Butterflies chased us, white,
scarlet, and gold, whirling through the air as flower-petals blow in a
high wind; and my thoughts flitted as they flitted, for I was too drunk
with that elixir, joy of life, to care, as the others seemed to care,
that Sir Philip Sidney died at the battle of Zutphen; that the River
Geldern Yssel was cut thirteen years B.C. to connect the Rhine with
something else; that by-and-by we were going to see Het Loo, the Queen's
favorite place; or indeed anything else that could possibly be improving
to the mind. I cared only that Nell and Phyllis were more beautiful than
ever, and that I still might have a chance--with one of them.

"Let Alb score a little," I thought, "by his knowledge of history and
Royalties past and present. _I'll_ paint each of the gi