Walter Pieterse Part 24

That was the truth; but it was just as true of the Pieterse family--with the exception of Leentje.

One afternoon Leentje had complained of a terrible headache and had left off sewing and gone out. Later it was learned that she had not spent the evening with her mother; and then there was a perfect storm. But Leentje would not say where she had been that night. "That night" was Juffrouw Pieterse's expression, though she knew that the girl was at home by eleven o'clock. Leentje betrayed nothing. She had promised the dressmaker next door not to say anything; for the dressmaker had to be very careful, because her husband was a hypocrite.

In Leentje's work-box was found a mutilated program; and then one day she began to sing a song she had never sung before--"I'm full of honor, I'm full of honor; oh, yes, I'm a man of honor!"

And then it was all out! She had been to the Elandstraat and had seen the famous Ivan Gras in a comedy!

Leentje began to cry and was going to promise never to do so again, when, to her amazement, she was told that there was nothing wrong in it, and that even the greatest professors went to see comedies.

And now she must tell them about it.

It was "The Child of Love," by Kotzebue, that had greeted her astonished eyes.

"There was music, Juffrouw, and they played beautifully; and then the curtain went up, and there was a great forest, and a woman wept under a tree. There was a Baron who made her son a prisoner, because he was a hunter--but he spoke so nice, and his mother, too. The Baron said he was master on his place, and that he would punish such thieves. He was in a great rage. And then the mother said--no, somebody else came and said--but then the curtain went down. The dressmaker bought waffles that were being pa.s.sed around, and we drank chocolate. The dressmaker said that every day wasn't a feast day. A man sat behind us and explained everything and took our cups when they were empty. Then the band played, 'Pretty girls and pretty flowers.'"

"Shame!" cried the three young ladies. For it was a common street song.

"And then the curtain went up again of its own accord; but the gentleman behind us said somebody raised it--perhaps the 'Child of Love' himself, for he was not in prison when the curtain was down. The dressmaker gave him a peppermint-drop, and he said: 'Watch the stage, Juffrouw, for you have paid to see it.' It cost twelve stivers, without the waffles and chocolate. Then the Baron said--but I can't tell it all exactly as it was. I will only say that the old woman wept all the time, and she could not be reconciled, because she was so unhappy. You see, Juffrouw, the child of love was her own child; and it was also the Baron's child of love. That was bad--because it was just a child of love, you see; and that is always bad. He had no papers, no credentials; nor the mother, either. And he was to die because he had hunted. Oh, it was beautiful, Juffrouw! And then the curtain went down again and we ate another waffle. The gentleman behind us said it was well that they gave plays with prison scenes in them. There were so many bad people in the hall, such as pickpockets and the like, and this would be a warning for them. The dressmaker was going to offer him another mint-drop, when she saw that her box was gone. It was silver. The gentleman said of course some pickpocket had taken it."

"He was the pickpocket!" exclaimed several.

Leentje was indignant at the idea.

"No, no! Don't say that; it's a sin. He was a very respectable gentleman, and addressed me as Juffrouw, just as he did the dressmaker. He tried to find the thief. He asked where the Juffrouw lived, and said that if he found the box he would bring it to her. He wore a fancy vest--no, no, no. Don't say that of him!"

"Well, tell some more about the child of love." All were interested.

"Oh, the music was so nice! And a gentleman showed them with a stick how to play."

"But tell us about the comedy!"

"That is not so easy. It was very beautiful. It must be seen; it can't be told. The Baron saw that the hunter in prison was his own son; because a long time before, you see, that is--formerly, he had been acquainted with--you understand----"

Poor Leentje turned as red as fire, and left her audience in a temporary suspense.

"Yes, he had known the old woman formerly, and then they were good friends, and were often together--I will just tell it that way--and they were to marry, but something came between them; and so--and--for that reason the comedy was called the 'Child of Love.'"

Walter listened with as much interest as the others; but he was less affected than the girls, who sat quietly staring into s.p.a.ce. Stoffel felt called upon to say something.

"That's it! He abused her chast.i.ty--that's the way it's spoken of--and she was left to bear the disgrace. The youth of to-day cannot be warned enough against this. How often have I told the boys at school!"

"Listen, Walter, and pay attention to what Stoffel says!"

Encouraged by the approval of his mother, Stoffel continued.

"Yes, mother, virtue must be revered. That is G.o.d's will; and what G.o.d does is well done. Of all sins sensual pleasure is--a very great sin, because it is forbidden; and because all sins are punished, either in this world or in the next."

"Do you hear, Walter?"

"Here, or in the next world, mother! Innocent pleasure, yes; but sensual pleasure--it is forbidden! It loosens all the ties of human society. You see that such a comedy can be very fine. Only you must understand it properly--that's the idea."

"And what did the Baron do then?"

"Ah, Juffrouw, what shall I say! He talked a whole lot to the old woman, and was very sad because he had--away back there--because he had----"

"Seduced her," added Stoffel, seeing that Leentje couldn't find the word. "That's what it's called."

"Yes, that's what she said, too; and he promised never to do it again. And then he told the child of love always to follow the path of virtue, and that he would marry the old woman. She was satisfied with the arrangement."

"I suppose so," cried the three girls in a breath. "She will be a rich baroness!"

"Yes," said Leentje, "she became a great lady. And then the child of love fell on the Baron's neck; and they played 'Bridal Wreath.' The 'Child of Love' became a hussar and sang, 'I'm full of honor, I'm full of honor; Oh, I'm a man of honor!' I don't know what became of the old Baron. And then we went home; but the dressmaker took no more pleasure in the play now, because her silver box was gone. I don't know whether the gentleman ever brought it to her, or not."

The play was out.

The girls thought: "Baroness!"

Stoffel was thinking: "Virtue!"

The mother's thoughts ran: "Twelve stivers for a ticket, and waffles and chocolate extra!"

Walter was saying to himself: "A hunter! A whole year in the forest, in the great forest, and alone. I'd like to do it, too."

He took up his brush and looked at Ophelia: "To be alone in the great forest with--Femke!"

But the theatre question was far from being settled. Leentje had to clear up many doubtful points yet. For instance, Pietro wanted to know how old the woman was when the Baron finally married her. Leentje thought she must have been about sixty.

Also Juffrouw Laps had to express her opinion. She declared that she was opposed to everything "worldly," and insisted that Walter be sent to church.

Later she got into a big dispute over the theatre with Master Pennewip, whom Stoffel had brought in to reinforce his position. He had brought with him "Floris the Fifth," that powerful comedy by the n.o.ble Bilderdyk. With many declensions and conjugations and remarks on rhyme and metre, he explained, firstly, that "Floris the Fifth"

was a play from which much could be learned; and, secondly, that the theatre was something very moral and thoroughly respectable.

To be sure, he failed to convince Juffrouw Laps. Nor was Walter greatly impressed by that masterpiece, despite the fact that there were three deaths in it. He much preferred the beautiful story of Glorioso, or the Peruvian story--or even Little Red Riding Hood.

CHAPTER XIX

Walter had been to church: that was now behind him. Stoffel thought the pastor had preached a beautiful sermon, and said that "in a way all he said could be accepted." He hoped that it would "bear fruit."

"Yes," said the mother, "and he mustn't tear his new breeches again. They cost too much hard work for that."

As a matter of fact the "hard work" done in the Pieterse family might be regarded as a negligible quant.i.ty. There was the necessary housework, and the usual complaining--or boasting, if you will--but this was to be expected.

That Walter had postponed his visit to go to church was a result of the frightful threats of Juffrouw Laps. She cited Second Chronicles xvi. 12, and in the face of this text the Pieterses were not able successfully to defend their new and more liberal position. Juffrouw Pieterse could only say that the Bible was not to be interpreted that way, as if everything in it applied to a given individual.

But Juffrouw Laps stuck to it, that if one has faith and grace one may come through all right; whereupon Juffrouw Pieterse expressed her willingness at all times to take advice.