Yet he persevered in his solicitation. With a slight impatience of

manner he said, "Do but hear me, sir. I have done nothing contrary to

the custom of people in my condition, and I assure you that with all my

soul I love your daughter."

"Love! So talk you. You see a girl beautiful, sweet, and innocent. Your

heart, greedy and covetous, wants her as it has wanted, doubtless, many

others. For yourself only you seek her. And what is it you ask then!

That she should give up for you her father, mother, home, her own

faith, her own people, her own country,--the poor little one!--for a

cold, cheerless land among strangers, alone in the sorrows and pains

that to all women come. Love! In God's name, what know you of love?"

"No man can love her better."

"What say you? How, then, do I love her? I who carried her--mijn witte

lammetje--in these arms before yet she could say to me, 'Fader'!" His

wrath had been steadily growing, in spite of the mist in his eyes and

the tenderness in his voice; and suddenly striking the desk a ponderous

blow with his closed hand, he said with an unmistakable passion, "My

daughter you shall not have. God in heaven to himself take her ere such

sorrow come to her and me!"

"Sir, you are very uncivil; but I am thankful to know so much of your

mind. And, to be plain with you, I am determined to marry your daughter

if I can compass the matter in any way. It is now, then, open war

between us; and so, sir, your servant."

"Stay. To me listen. Not one guilder will I give to my daughter, if"-"To the devil with your guilders! Dirty money made in dirty traffic"-"You lie!"

"Sir, you take an infamous advantage. You know, that, being Katherine's

father, I will not challenge you."

"Christus!!" roared Joris, "challenge me one hundred times. A fool I

would be to answer you. Life my God gave to me. Well, then, only my God

shall from me take it. See you these arms and hands? In them you will be

as the child of one year. Ere beyond my reason you move me, go!" and

he strode to the door and flung it open with a passion that made every

one in the store straighten themselves, and look curiously toward the

two men.

White with rage, and with his hand upon his sword-hilt, Captain Hyde

stamped his way through the crowded store to the dusty street. Then it

struck him that he had not asked the name of the man to whom Katharine

was promised. He swore at himself for the omission. Whether he knew him

or not, he was determined to fight him. In the meantime, the most

practical revenge was to try and see Katherine before her father had the

opportunity to give her any orders regarding him. Just then he met Neil

Semple, and he stopped and asked him the time.




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