pt my very particular friend, Mynheer
Engelback," replied the syndic.

"You must excuse us, but we must search the house."

"You have his Majesty's warrant so to do, and no excuse is necessary."

After a diligent search of half an hour, nobody was found in the house,
and the officers began to suspect that the government had been imposed
upon. Mynheer Krause, with every mark of attention and respect, was then
walked off to the Hotel de Ville, where he remained in custody, for it
was not considered right by the authorities, that the syndic should be
thrown into the common prison upon suspicion only. When he arrived
there, Mynheer Krause surprised them all by the philosophy with which he
smoked his pipe.

But, although there was nobody to be found, except the syndic in the
syndic's house, and not a soul at the house inhabited by the Jesuit,
there was one more person included in the warrant, which was the widow
Vandersloosh; for Lord Albemarle, although convinced in his own mind of
her innocence, could not take upon himself to interfere with the
decisions of the council; so, about one o'clock, there was a loud
knocking at the widow's door, which was repeated again and again before
it awoke the widow, who was fatigued with her long and hot journey to
the Hague. As for Babette, she made a rule never to wake at anything,
but the magical No. 6, sounded by the church clock, or by her
mistress's voice.

"Babette," cried the widow Vandersloosh, "Babette."

"Yes, ma'am."

"There's a knock at the door, Babette."

"Only some drunken sailors, ma'am--they go away when they find they
cannot get in."

Here the peals were redoubled.

"Babette, get up, Babette--and threaten them with the watch."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Babette, with a terrible yawn.

Knocking and thumping with strokes louder than before.

"Babette, Babette!"

"I must put something on, ma'am," replied Babette, rather crossly.

"Speak to them out of the window, Babette."

Here poor Babette came down to the first floor, and opening the window
at the landing-place on the stairs, put her head out and cried,

"If you don't go away, you drunken fellows, my mistress will send for
the watch."

"If you don't come down and open the door, we shall break it open,"
replied the officer sent to the duty.

"Tell them it's no inn, Babette, we won't let people in after hours,"
cried the widow, turning in her bed and anxious to resume her
sound sleep.

Babette gave t