"Oh, Annie!"
"Oh, Hans!" she mimicked, pursing her lips, and trying to look desperately wicked and unprincipled.
"Now, Annie, I know you would never mean that! You must return some of this money."
"But I'll not do any such thing," insisted Annie; "they're sold, and that's an end of it," then seeing that he looked really pained she added in a lower tone:
"Will you believe me, Hans, when I say that there has been no mistake—that the person who bought your skates insisted upon paying seven guilders for them?"
"I will," he answered—and the light from his clear blue eyes seemed to settle and sparkle under Annie's lashes.
Dame Brinker was delighted at the sight of so much silver, but when she learned that Hans had parted with his treasures to obtain it, she sighed, as she exclaimed:
"Bless thee, child! That will be a sore loss for thee!"
"Here, mother," said the boy, plunging his hands far into his pockets, "here is more—we shall be rich if we keep on!"
"Aye, indeed," she answered, eagerly reaching forth her hand. Then, lowering her voice, added, "we would be rich but for that Jan Kamphuisen. He was at the willow tree years ago, Hans—depend upon it!"