education was so slight that she could do little more than read and
write, besides speaking a little English, which she had picked up from
the yachtsmen frequenting her native town. The professor found she had
been but a distant relative of the Mevrouw Baake, to seek whom she
had come to Utrecht, and that she had no kinsfolk upon whom she could
depend--a fact which accounted for the profusion of her jewellery, all
her golden trinkets having descended to her as heirlooms.

"I can be your servant, mynheer," she suggested. "Indeed, I am a very
useful girl, as you will find if you will but try me."

Now, as a rule, the professor vigorously set his face against admitting
young servants into his house. They broke his china, they disarranged
his bones, they meddled with his papers, and made general havoc. So,
in truth, he was not very willing to have Gertrude van Floote as a
permanent member of his household, and he said so.

But Koosje had taken a fancy to the girl; and having an eye to her own
departure at no very distant date,--for she had been betrothed more than
two years,--she pleaded so hard to keep her, promising to train her
in all the professor's ways, to teach her the value of old china and
osteologic specimens, that eventually, with a good deal of grumbling,
the old gentleman gave way, and, being a wise as well as an old
gentleman, went back to his studies, dismissing Koosje and the girl
alike from his thoughts.

Just at first Truide, poor child, was charmed.

She put away her splendid ornaments, and some lilac frocks and black
skirts were purchased for her. Her box, which she had left at the