"I will do it, Femke!"

"Then you must go home and begin at once."

Thus she sent him away. As she told him "Good-bye" she noticed all at once that he was too large for her to kiss. A few hours later, when Father Jansen was calling on her mother and incidentally saw Walter's painting, Walter suddenly became a child again. The priest had said that in Dutch Ophelia meant Flora, who was the patron-saint of roses and forget-me-nots.

"Oh, that picture is from a little boy, a very small boy. He's about ten years old--or nine. He's certainly not older than nine!"

"Girl, you are foolish!" cried the mother. "The boy is fifteen."

"Yes, that may be--but I just meant that he's still only a child."

She stuck Ophelia away in some hidden nook, and Mrs. Claus and Father Jansen never saw that new edition of the old flower-G.o.ddess again.

"Femke, I will do it!" Walter had said.

There was really reason to believe that he would learn faster now; but Pennewip's instruction would wear Femke's colors. Walter knew very well that in requiring this service she had had his own welfare in view; but this showed her interest in him, and was not so bad. How would it have looked, he thought, if, after all that had gone before, he had answered: "Everything except that!"

Of course he would have greatly preferred to serve his lady on some journey full of adventure. But one cannot select for one's self heroic deeds. In these days Hercules and St. George would have to put up with miniature dragons.

At all events, Walter took hold of his work in earnest. He studied his "Ippel," his "Strabbe," his "National History" and even the "Gender of Nouns," and everything else necessary to the education of a good Netherlander. Poetry was included; and Walter's accomplishments along this line were such that other "Herculeses" might have envied him.

He had never read the stories of tournaments. No enchantress gave him a charmed coat of mail; no Minerva put the head of Medusa on his shield--no, nothing of all that. But--Keesje, the butcher's boy, might look sharp for his laurels!

In justice to Walter it must be said that he gave his opponent fair warning, in true knightly style.

At the end of three months Walter was actually the first in his cla.s.ses. Pennewip was compelled to take notice of it.

"It is strange," he remarked. "I might say that it is remarkable. Yes, in a way, it is unprecedented--without a parallel!"

At home the result was that a great council was held regarding Walter's future. He didn't want to become a compositor; and to be a sailor--that would have suited him, but his mother was opposed to it. Stoffel, too, objected on the ground that usually only young people who are worthless on land are sent to sea.

Thus Walter's plans for conquest were slipping away from him. He was not attracted by the brilliant careers that were proposed: They left Africa out of account. He didn't want to be a school-teacher, or a shoemaker, or a clerk, or a counter-jumper.

However, after all authorities had been heard, Stoffel came to the conclusion that Walter was peculiarly well fitted for "business." Juffrouw Pieterse agreed with him thoroughly.

CHAPTER XXII

"A responsible business firm wants a young man (Dt. Ref.) of good family. He must be moral, well-behaved and not under fifteen years old. Prospect of salary if diligent and reliable. Good treatment guaranteed. Address written applications in own handwriting to 'Business,' care E. Maaskamp's book and art store, Nieuwendyk, Amsterdam."

The writer cannot recall what sort of art publications E. Maaskamp was dealing in just at that time, and will not make any guesses, for fear of getting the reader into chronological difficulties. If it should become necessary in writing Walter's history, the writer would have no compunctions of conscience in putting the republic after Louis, or William I. before the republic.

And as for that "Dt. Ref."--Dutch Reform--in the advertis.e.m.e.nt--that gives the writer no trouble. He knows very well that "Dt. Ref." as a necessary qualification for servants, apprentices, etc., was introduced after E. Maaskamp's pictures had been forgotten. Nevertheless, it must be insisted upon that the aforesaid abbreviation was in the advertis.e.m.e.nt which was now occupying the undivided attention of the Pieterses.

"There couldn't be anything more fortunate," said the mother. "What do you think, Stoffel?"

"Yes, mother, it couldn't be better."

"What pleases me especially is the 'well-behaved.'"

"Moral and well-behaved, mother."

"Yes, moral and well-behaved--do you hear, Walter? Just as I have always said. And 'prospect of salary.' What do you think of that, Stoffel?"

"Yes, mother; but--he must be 'diligent and reliable.'"

"Yes, Walter, you must be diligent and reliable. Haven't I always told you that? And they require 'Dt. Ref.'; but you are that, thank G.o.d."

"Yes, mother, he's that all right."

"Stoffel, don't you think you'd better write the letter?"

"But it says 'in own handwriting.'"

"That's so! But if you write the letter in your own handwriting--that will be better than for such a child to write it."

Stoffel had some difficulty in making it plain to his mother that "own handwriting" meant Walter's own handwriting; but she finally saw the point, and Walter was given a seat at the table.

"Well? What must I write at the top?"

"Now, have you forgotten that again? Such a simple thing? Have you got down the date? Then write 'Gentlemen,' in business style. It says, 'responsible business firm.'"

"Yes," said the mother, "and add that your father had a business, too. We sold shoes from Paris. Otherwise they will think we're only shoemakers."

"And write that you are the first in school."

"And that you belong to the Dutch Reform Church."

"And that you are moral and well-behaved."

"And that you are diligent and reliable. Don't you see, you may get a salary then right away."

At last the letter was ready. It only remained to stamp it and post it. But why couldn't the young applicant deliver the letter in person and save the postage? Stoffel thought there would be no impropriety in such a course. Even a responsible business firm ought to overlook such a detail.

With a heavy heart Walter started out on his important errand. He was entering the real world, and was about to become a worshiper of the great G.o.d of "business." He was depressed by his lack of confidence, and felt that it was unbecoming in himself to make application to a "responsible business firm."

If he met a man that looked well-to-do, he would ask himself if the gentleman was a "business man," and belonged to a "responsible business firm." This last high-sounding expression embodied mysteries which he did not attempt to understand. He would learn it all later.

Walter stammered an excuse to the young fellow in the shop for not having sent his letter by post. The fellow didn't understand him, but threw the letter carelessly into a box containing a few dozen others that were awaiting the favorable consideration of Messrs. Motto, Business & Co.

The fellow was busy with some Turkish battles in glaring colors, and declined to enter into any conversation with our hero. Walter's mouth watered for a bright picture of Grecian chivalry. But what good did it do? He had no money; and, besides, he was out for business, not for heroic deeds.

"Later!" he thought.

Arrived at home he received the usual scolding. His mother maintained that he had certainly not entered the shop in a "respectable" manner; otherwise the young gentleman would have given him a friendlier reception. She was afraid that those excellent gentlemen, Motto, Business & Co., would take this into consideration to his detriment.