old, painted, wooden figure that used to
frighten me so much in the church of St.
Laurence of Rotterdam.'

Gerard laughed, though he could not
help inwardly acknowledging the justness
of the comparison. He was resolved,
however, as far as he could, to check his
niece's inclination to ridicule the ugliness
of her intended bridegroom, although he
was not a little pleased to observe that she
appeared totally exempt from that mysterious
dread of the stranger which, he could
not disguise it from himself, considerably
affected him, as also his pupil Godfrey
Schalken.

Early on the next day there arrived,
from various quarters of the town, rich
presents of silks, velvets, jewellery, and so
forth, for Rose; and also a packet directed
to Gerard Douw, which, on being opened,
was found to contain a contract of marriage,
formally drawn up, between Wilken
Vanderhausen of the Boom-quay, in Rotterdam,
and Rose Velderkaust of Leyden, niece to
Gerard Douw, master in the art of painting,
also of the same city; and containing
engagements on the part of Vanderhausen to
make settlements upon his bride, far more