d in the day provided an early start
was made and no long halts allowed for meals.

Diogenes had made arrangements for the start to be made by seven
o'clock. A dull light of pale rosy grey hung over the snow-covered
landscape, and far away on the horizon line that same rose-grey light
was just assuming a more brilliant hue. He sent Mevrouw Patz up to the
jongejuffrouw to acquaint her with the plans for the day, and to beg her
to give these her approval.

Mevrouw Patz returned with the message that the jongejuffrouw was ready
to start at any hour which Mynheer would command and was otherwise
prepared to obey him in all things.

So Diogenes, standing well out of sight, watched Gilda as she came out
of the door of the molens and remained for one moment quite still,
waiting for the sledge to draw up. She looked fragile this morning, he
thought, and her face looked tiny and very pale within the soft frame
of the fur hood which covered her head. For a second or two it seemed to
him as if she was looking round somewhat anxiously, with a frown upon
her smooth forehead--puzzled and almost frightened--as if she expected
and at the same time feared to see some one or something.

The next second the cloud appeared to lift from her face and Diogenes
even thought--but in this he may have been mistaken--that a sigh of
relief escaped her lips.

After that she stepped into the sledge, closely followed by Maria.

Pythagoras and Socrates had been well drilled in their duties toward the
jongejuffrouw and Diogenes noted with satisfaction that his brother
philosophers did their best to make the lady as comfortable as possible
with a pillow or two bought at Leyden the day previously and the warm
rugs from Haarlem which they wrapped carefully round her feet. Maria,
dignified and unbending, did her best to prevent those rascals from
doing their duty in this manner, but soon her own wants got the better
of her pride, and shivering with cold she was glad enough to allow
Pythagoras to roll a thick horse-cloth about her knees.

A few moments later a start was made to the accompaniment of lusty
cheering from the miller and his wife, both of whom were pleasant--even
obsequious to the last.

The stolid peasant who held the reins urged his horses on to a brisk
trot as soon as they had reached the flat open road. The three
philosophers rode at some little distance behind the sledge, ready only
to push forward if some marauder or footpad showed