"I don't wish to hear anything more about them, if--you--please," she
said, severely and emphatically, to Dortje.

But not so. In time the professor died, leaving Koosje the large legacy
with which she set up the handsome shop in the Oude Gracht; and several
years passed on.

It happened one day that Koosje was sitting in her shop sewing. In the
large inner room a party of ladies and officers were eating cakes and
drinking chocolates and liquors with a good deal of fun and laughter,
when the door opened timidly, thereby letting in a gust of bitter wind,
and a woman crept fearfully in, followed by two small, crying children.

Could the lady give her something to eat? she asked; they had had
nothing during the day, and the little ones were almost famished.

Koosje, who was very charitable, lifted a tray of large, plain buns, and
was about to give her some, when her eyes fell upon the poor beggar's
faded face, and she exclaimed:

"Truide!"

Truide, for it was she, looked up in startled surprise.

"I did not know, or I would not have come in, Koosje," she said, humbly;
"for I treated you very badly."

"Ve-ry bad-ly," returned Koosje, emphatically. "Then where is Jan?"