abundance and regular order; old jugs and tankards, large and small
coins, gems in carefully-sealed glass-cases, antique lamps of clay and
bronze, stones with ancient Roman inscriptions, Roman and Greek terra-
cotta, polished fragments of marble which he had found in Italy among the
ruins, the head of a faun, an arm, a foot and other bits of Pagan works
of art, a beautifully-enamelled casket of Byzantine work, and another
with enamelled ornamentation from Limoges. Even half a Roman coat of
mail and a bit of mosaic from a Roman bath were to be seen here. Amid
these antiquities, stood beautiful Venetian glasses, pine-cones and
ostrich-eggs. Such another tap-room could scarcely be found in Holland,
and even the liquor, which a neatly-dressed maid poured for the guests
from oddly-shaped tankards into exquisitely-wrought goblets, was
exceptionally fine. In this room Herr Aquanus himself was in the habit
of appearing among his guests; in the other, opposite to the entrance,
his wife held sway.

On this day, the "Angulus," as the beautiful taproom was called, was but
thinly occupied, for the sun had just set, though the lamps were already
lighted. These rested in three-branched iron chandeliers, every portion
of which, from the slender central shaft to the intricately-carved and
twisted ornaments, had been carefully wrought by Aquanus with his own
hand.

Several elderly gentlemen were at one table enjoying their wine, while at
another were Captain Van der Laen, a brave Hollander, who was receiving
English pay and had come to the city with the other defenders of Alfen,
the Musician Wilhelm, Junker Georg, and the landlord.

"It's a pleasure to meet people like you, Junker," said Aquanus. "You've
travelled with your eyes open, and what you tell me about Brescia excites