andatthesametimeheperceived，orthoughtheperceived，flatteringsymptomsofareciprocityofliking，andthiswasquitesufficienttodeterminewhateverindecisionhemighthaveheretoforeexperienced，andtoleadhimtodevoteexclusivelytohereveryhopeandfeelingofhisheart。Inshort，hewasasmuchinloveasaDutchmancouldbe。Hewasnotlonginmakinghispassionknowntotheprettymaidenherself，andhisdeclarationwasfollowedbyacorrespondingconfessionuponherpart。
Schalken，however，wasapoorman，andhepossessednocounterbalancingadvantagesofbirthorpositiontoinducetheoldmantoconsenttoaunionwhichmustinvolvehisnieceandwardinthestrugglingsanddifficultiesofayoungandnearlyfriendlessartist。Hewas，therefore，towaituntiltimehadfurnishedhimwithopportunity，andaccidentwithsuccess；andthen，ifhislabourswerefoundsufficientlylucrative，itwastobehopedthathisproposalsmightatleastbelistenedtobyherjealousguardian。Monthspassedaway，and，cheeredbythesmilesofthelittleRose，Schalken’slabourswereredoubled，andwithsucheffectandimprovementasreasonablytopromisetherealisationofhishopes，andnocontemptibleeminenceinhisart，beforemanyyearsshouldhaveelapsed。
Theevencourseofthischeeringprosperitywas，however，destinedtoexperienceasuddenandformidableinterruption，andthat，too，inamannersostrangeandmysteriousastobaffleallinvestigation，andthrowupontheeventsthemselvesashadowofalmostsupernaturalhorror。
Schalkenhadoneeveningremainedinthemaster’sstudioconsiderablylongerthanhismorevolatilecompanions，whohadgladlyavailedthemselvesoftheexcusewhichtheduskofeveningafforded，towithdrawfromtheirseveraltasks，inordertofinishadayoflabourinthejollityandconvivialityofthetavern。
ButSchalkenworkedforimprovement，orratherforlove。Besides，hewasnowengagedmerelyinsketchingadesign，anoperationwhich，unlikethatofcolouring，mightbecontinuedaslongastherewaslightsufficienttodistinguishbetweencanvasandcharcoal。Hehadnotthen，nor，indeed，untillongafter，discoveredthepeculiarpowersofhispencil，andhewasengagedincomposingagroupofextremelyroguish-lookingandgrotesqueimpsanddemons，whowereinflictingvariousingenioustormentsuponaperspiringandpot-belliedSt。Anthony，whoreclinedinthemidstofthem，apparentlyinthelaststageofdrunkenness。
Theyoungartist，however，thoughincapableofexecuting，orevenofappreciating，anythingoftruesublimity，hadneverthelessdiscernmentenoughtopreventhisbeingbyanymeanssatisfiedwithhiswork；andmanywerethepatienterasuresandcorrectionswhichthelimbsandfeaturesofsaintanddevilunderwent，yetallwithoutproducingintheirnewarrangementanythingofimprovementorincreasedeffect。
Thelarge，old-fashionedroomwassilent，and，withtheexceptionofhimself，quitedesertedbyitsusualinmates。Anhourhadpassed——nearlytwo——withoutanyimprovedresult。Daylighthadalreadydeclined，andtwilightwasfastgivingwaytothedarknessofnight。Thepatienceoftheyoungmanwasexhausted，andhestoodbeforehisunfinishedproduction，absorbedinnoverypleasingruminations，onehandburiedinthefoldsofhislongdarkhair，andtheotherholdingthepieceofcharcoalwhichhadsoillexecuteditsoffice，andwhichhenowrubbed，withoutmuchregardtothesablestreakswhichitproduced，withirritablepressureuponhisampleFlemishinexpressibles。
’Pshaw!’saidtheyoungmanaloud，’wouldthatpicture，devils，saint，andall，werewheretheyshouldbe——inhell!’
Ashort，suddenlaugh，utteredstartlinglyclosetohisear，instantlyrespondedtotheejaculation。
Theartistturnedsharplyround，andnowforthefirsttimebecameawarethathislabourshadbeenoverlookedbyastranger。
Withinaboutayardandahalf，andratherbehindhim，therestoodwhatwas，orappearedtobe，thefigureofanelderlyman：heworeashortcloak，andbroad-
brimmedhatwithaconicalcrown，andinhishand，whichwasprotectedwithaheavy，gauntlet-shapedglove，hecarriedalongebonywalking-stick，surmountedwithwhatappeared，asitglittereddimlyinthetwilight，tobeamassiveheadofgold，anduponhisbreast，throughthefoldsofthecloak，thereshonewhatappearedtobethelinksofarichchainofthesamemetal。
Theroomwassoobscurethatnothingfurtheroftheappearanceofthefigurecouldbeascertained，andthefacewasaltogetherovershadowedbytheheavyflapofthebeaverwhichoverhungit，sothatnotafeaturecouldbediscerned。A
quantityofdarkhairescapedfrombeneaththissombrehat，acircumstancewhich，connectedwiththefirm，uprightcarriageoftheintruder，provedthathisyearscouldnotyetexceedthreescoreorthereabouts。
Therewasanairofgravityandimportanceaboutthegarbofthisperson，andsomethingindescribablyodd，Imightsayawful，intheperfect，stone-likemovelessnessofthefigure，thateffectuallycheckedthetestycommentwhichhadatoncerisentothelipsoftheirritatedartist。
Hetherefore，assoonashehadsuf-
ficientlyrecoveredthesurprise，askedthestranger，civilly，tobeseated，anddesiredtoknowifhehadanymessagetoleaveforhismaster。
’TellGerardDouw，’saidtheunknown，withoutalteringhisattitudeinthesmallestdegree，’thatMynherVanderhausenyofRotterdam，desirestospeakwithhimto-morroweveningatthishour，and，ifheplease，inthisroom，uponmattersofweight——thatisall。Good-night。’
Thestranger，havingfinishedthismessage，turnedabruptly，and，withaquickbutsilentstep，quittedtheroom，beforeSchalkenhadtimetosayawordinreply。
TheyoungmanfeltacuriositytoseeinwhatdirectiontheburgherofRotterdamwouldturnonquittingthestudio，andforthatpurposehewentdirectlytothewindowwhichcommandedthedoor。
Alobbyofconsiderableextentintervenedbetweentheinnerdoorofthepainter’sroomandthestreetentrance，sothatSchalkenoccupiedthepostofobservationbeforetheoldmancouldpossiblyhavereachedthestreet。
Hewatchedinvain，however。Therewasnoothermodeofexit。
Hadtheoldmanvanished，orwashelurkingabouttherecessesofthelobbyforsomebadpurpose？ThislastsuggestionfilledthemindofSchalkenwithavaguehorror，whichwassounaccountablyintenseastomakehimalikeafraidtoremainintheroomaloneandreluctanttopassthroughthelobby。
However，withaneffortwhichap-
pearedverydisproportionedtotheoccasion，hesummonedresolutiontoleavetheroom，and，havingdouble-lockedthedoorandthrustthekeyinhispocket，withoutlookingtotherightorleft，hetraversedthepassagewhichhadsorecently，perhapsstill，containedthepersonofhismysteriousvisitant，scarcelyventuringtobreathetillhehadarrivedintheopenstreet。
’MynherVanderhausen，’saidGerardDouwwithinhimself，astheappointedhourapproached，’MynherVanderhausenofRotterdam!Ineverheardofthemantillyesterday。Whatcanhewantofme？
Aportrait，perhaps，tobepainted；orayoungersonorapoorrelationtobeapprenticed；oracollectiontobevalued；or——pshawIthere’snooneinRotterdamtoleavemealegacy。Well，whateverthebusinessmaybe，weshallsoonknowitall。’
Itwasnowthecloseofday，andeveryeasel，exceptthatofSchalken，wasdeserted。GerardDouwwaspacingtheapartmentwiththerestlessstepofimpatientexpectation，everynowandthenhummingapassagefromapieceofmusicwhichhewashimselfcomposing；for，thoughnogreatproficient，headmiredtheart；sometimespausingtoglanceovertheworkofoneofhisabsentpupils，butmorefrequentlyplacinghimselfatthewindow，fromwhencehemightobservethepassengerswhothreadedtheobscureby-streetinwhichhisstudiowasplaced。
’Saidyounot，Godfrey，’exclaimedDouw，afteralongandfruitlessgazefromhispostofobservation，andturningtoSchalken——’saidyounotthehourofap-
pointmentwasataboutsevenbytheclockoftheStadhouse？’
’IthadjusttoldsevenwhenIfirstsawhim，sir，’answeredthestudent。
’Thehouriscloseathand，then，’saidthemaster，consultingahorologeaslargeandasroundasafull-grownorange。
’MynherVanderhausen，fromRotterdam——isitnotso？’
’Suchwasthename。’
’Andanelderlyman，richlyclad？’
continuedDouw。
’AswellasImightsee，’repliedhispupil；’hecouldnotbeyoung，noryetveryoldneither，andhisdresswasrichandgrave，asmightbecomeacitizenofwealthandconsideration。’
AtthismomentthesonorousboomoftheStadhouseclocktold，strokeafterstroke，thehourofseven；theeyesofbothmasterandstudentweredirectedtothedoor；anditwasnotuntilthelastpealoftheoldbellhadceasedtovibrate，thatDouwexclaimed：
’So，so；weshallhavehisworshippresently——thatis，ifhemeanstokeephishour；ifnot，thoumaystwaitforhim，Godfrey，ifyoucourttheacquaintanceofacapriciousburgomaster。Asforme，I
thinkouroldLeydencontainsasufficiencyofsuchcommodities，withoutanimportationfromRotterdam。’
Schalkenlaughed，asindutybound；
andafterapauseofsomeminutes，Douwsuddenlyexclaimed：
’Whatifitshouldallproveajest，apieceofmummerygotupbyVankarp，orsomesuchworthy!Iwishyouhadrunallrisks，andcudgelledtheoldburgomaster，stadholder，orwhateverelsehemaybe，soundly。IwouldwageradozenofRhenish，hisworshipwouldhavepleadedoldacquaintancebeforethethirdapplication。’
’Herehecomes，sir，’saidSchalken，inalowadmonitorytone；andinstantly，uponturningtowardsthedoor，GerardDouwobservedthesamefigurewhichhad，onthedaybefore，sounexpectedlygreetedthevisionofhispupilSchalken。
Therewassomethingintheairandmienofthefigurewhichatoncesatisfiedthepainterthattherewasnomummeryinthecase，andthathereallystoodinthepresenceofamanofworship；andso，withouthesitation，hedoffedhiscap，andcourteouslysalutingthestranger，requestedhimtobeseated。
Thevisitorwavedhishandslightly，as，ifinacknowledgmentofthecourtesy，butremainedstanding。
’IhavethehonourtoseeMynherVanderhausen，ofRotterdam？’saidGerardDouw。
’Thesame，’wasthelaconicreplyofhisvisitant。
’Iunderstandyourworshipdesirestospeakwithme，’continuedDouw，’andI
amherebyappointmenttowaityourcommands。’
’Isthatamanoftrust？’saidVanderhausen，turningtowardsSchalken，whostoodatalittledistancebehindhismaster。
’Certainly，’repliedGerard。
’Thenlethimtakethisboxandgetthenearestjewellerorgoldsmithtovalueitscontents，andlethimreturnhitherwithacertificateofthevaluation。’
Atthesametimeheplacedasmallcase，aboutnineinchessquare，inthehandsofGerardDouw，whowasasmuchamazedatitsweightasatthestrangeabruptnesswithwhichitwashandedtohim。
Inaccordancewiththewishesofthestranger，hedelivereditintothehandsofSchalken，andrepeatingHISdirections，despatchedhimuponthemission。
Schalkendisposedhispreciouschargesecurelybeneaththefoldsofhiscloak，andrapidlytraversingtwoorthreenarrowstreets，hestoppedatacornerhouse，thelowerpartofwhichwasthenoccupiedbytheshopofaJewishgoldsmith。
Schalkenenteredtheshop，andcallingthelittleHebrewintotheobscurityofitsbackrecesses，heproceededtolaybeforehimVanderhausen’spacket。
Onbeingexaminedbythelightofalamp，itappearedentirelycasedwithlead，theoutersurfaceofwhichwasmuchscrapedandsoiled，andnearlywhitewithage。Thiswaswithdifficultypartiallyremoved，anddisclosedbeneathaboxofsomedarkandsingularlyhardwood；this，too，wasforced，andaftertheremovaloftwoorthreefoldsoflinen，itscontentsprovedtobeamassofgoldeningots，closepacked，and，astheJewdeclared，ofthemostperfectquality。
EveryingotunderwentthescrutinyofthelittleJew，whoseemedtofeelanepicureandelightintouchingandtestingthesemorselsofthegloriousmetal；andeachoneofthemwasreplacedintheboxwiththeexclamation：
’MeinGott，howveryperfect!notonegrainofalloy——beautiful，beautiful!’
Thetaskwasatlengthfinished，andtheJewcertifiedunderhishandthevalueoftheingotssubmittedtohisexaminationtoamounttomanythousandrix-dollars。
Withthedesireddocumentinhisbosom，andtherichboxofgoldcarefullypressedunderhisarm，andconcealedbyhiscloak，heretracedhisway，andenteringthestudio，foundhismasterandthestrangerincloseconference。
Schalkenhadnosoonerlefttheroom，inordertoexecutethecommissionhehadtakenincharge，thanVanderhausenaddressedGerardDouwinthefollowingterms：
’Imaynottarrywithyouto-nightmorethanafewminutes，andsoIshallbrieflytellyouthematteruponwhichIcome。