The room was so obscure that nothing
further of the appearance of the figure
could be ascertained, and the face was
altogether overshadowed by the heavy flap
of the beaver which overhung it, so that
not a feature could be discerned. A
quantity of dark hair escaped from
beneath this sombre hat, a circumstance
which, connected with the firm, upright
carriage of the intruder, proved that his
years could not yet exceed threescore or
thereabouts.

There was an air of gravity and
importance about the garb of this person, and
something indescribably odd, I might say
awful, in the perfect, stone-like movelessness
of the figure, that effectually checked
the testy comment which had at once
risen to the lips of the irritated artist.
He therefore, as soon as he had suf-
ficiently recovered the surprise, asked the
stranger, civilly, to be seated, and desired
to know if he had any message to leave for
his master.

'Tell Gerard Douw,' said the unknown,
without altering his attitude in the
smallest degree, 'that Mynher Vanderhauseny