Walter sat with his elbows on the table, his chin resting in his hands. He seemed to be deeply interested in Leentje's sewing, but we shall see in a moment that his thoughts were elsewhere, and, too, far away from III. 7, c.
They had forbidden her to speak to the shameless rascal, and only occasionally, when Juffrouw Pieterse left the room, did she have an opportunity to whisper to him a few words of comfort. To be sure, she noticed that Walter was not so sad as we should expect one to be who was caught in between the thrashing of yesterday and the priest of to-morrow. This gentleman was to come to-morrow to settle the matter.
"But, Walter, how could you speak of burning cloisters!"
"What sort of a count is that? I'll bet he was one out of another house."
"Yes, it was Amalia's father--but that isn't it. I have something to tell you, Leentje--sh!"
"That was my bride, but--Leentje, I wanted to tell you something--sh!"
"Your bride! Are you mad, Walter? Your bride?"
"Yes, she was; but now no more. I was going to help her--but a duck came--but that isn't it, Leentje. Now I see it all--sh. I swam by--sh!"
"By Amalia. She sat on the rushes--now I understand it all--I am--sh!"
"I don't understand a word, Walter. But the women--why did you want to----"
"The women were in the book--but listen, I am--sh!"
"That has nothing to do with it--I know everything now. Listen Leentje, I am--sh!"
"For Heaven sake, Walter, what's the matter with you? You look as if you were mad."
Walter had a vision. He stretched himself up, cast a proud glance at the beams in the ceiling, placed his right hand over his heart, extended his left, as if he were draping a Spanish mantle about him--remember that he had never been in a theatre--and said:
At that moment his mother came in, boxed his ears and sent him out of the room.
Walter's principality was in the moon--no, much farther away.
In the following the reader shall learn how he had attained to this new dignity.
Long before the beginning of this story--yes, a long time before this--there was a queen of spirits, just like in "Hans Heiling." Her name was A----o.
She did not live in a cave, but held her court far up in the clouds; and this was airier and more suitable for a queen.
