"Oh! Mynheer Vanslyperken, is this you? I heard you had come in and so did my mistress, and she has been expecting you this last half-hour."
"I have made all the haste I can, Babette. But I was obliged to deliver my despatches first," replied Vanslyperken.
"But I thought you always took your despatches to the Stadt House?"
"Well, so I do, Babette; I have just come from thence."
This was enough for Babette, it proved that his visit to the syndic's was intended to be concealed; she was too prudent to let him know that she had traced him.
"Why, Mr Vanslyperken, you look very ill. What has been the matter with you? My mistress will be quite frightened."
"I have not been well, Babette," replied Vanslyperken.
"I really must run home as fast as I can. I will tell my mistress you have been unwell, for otherwise she will be in such a quandary;" and Babette hastened ahead of Mr Vanslyperken, who was in too weak a state to walk fast.
"The syndic's house--heh!"--said the widow, "Mynheer Van Krause. Why he is thorough king's man, by all report," continued she. "I don't understand it. But there is no trusting any man now-a-days.
"Babette, you must go there by-and-bye and see if you can find out whether that person he brought over, and he called a king's messenger, is living at the syndic's house. I think he must be, or why would Vanslyperken go there? and if he is, there's treason going on--that's all! and I'll find it out, or my name is not Vandersloosh."