peakest truly, O wise citizen of this worthy republic," said
Diogenes, boldly answering the man's low-spoken words, "my father was
one of the roisterers who came in English Leicester's train. An
Englishman he, of loose morals and doubtful piety no doubt, but your
sound Dutch example and my mother's Dutch blood--Heaven rest her
soul--have both sobered me since then."

He looked round at the crowd of faces, all of which were now turned
toward him, kindly faces and angry ones, contemptuous eyes and
good-natured ones, and some that expressed both compassion and reproof.

"By the Lord," he said, and as he spoke he threw back his head and burst
into a loud and prolonged fit of laughter, "but I have never in my life
seen so many ugly faces before."

There was a murmur and many angry words among the assembly. One or two
of the men half rose from their seats, scowling viciously and clenching
their fists. Master Beek perspiring with anxiety saw these signs of a
possible fray. The thought drove him well-nigh frantic. An affray in his
establishment on New Year's morning! it was unthinkable! He rushed round
to his customers with a veritable dictionary of soothing words upon his
tongue.

"Gentlemen! gentlemen," he entreated, "I beg of you to calm
yourselves.... I humbly beseech you to pay no heed to these men...."

"Plepshurk! Insolent rabble!" quoth a corpulent gentleman who was
crimson with wrath.

"Yes, mynheer, yes, yes," stammered Beek meekly, "but they are
foreigners ... they ... they do not understand our Dutch ways ... but
they mean no harm ... they...."

Some of the younger men were not easily pacified.

"Throw them out, Beek," said one of them curtly.

"They make the place insufferable with their bragging and their
insolence," muttered another.

Diogenes and his friends could not help but see these signs of latent
storm, and Mynheer Beek's feeble efforts at pacifying his wrathful
guests. Diogenes had laughed long and loudly, now he had to stop in

order to wipe his eyes which were streaming; then quite casually he drew
Bucephalus from its scabbard and thoughtfully examined its blade.

Almost simultaneously the fraternity of merry-makers at his table also
showed a sudden desire to examine the blade of their swords and
immediately half a dozen glints of steel caught the reflection of tallow
candles.

I would not assert that order was restored because of these unconscious
gestures on the part of the insolent ra