"Tut! tut!" said the doctor kindly, "say nothing about money. I can find plenty of such pay any time, but gratitude comes seldom. That boy's 'thank you,'" he added, nodding sidewise toward Hans, "was pay enough for me."
"Like enough ye have a boy of your own," said Dame Brinker, quite delighted to see the great man becoming so sociable.
Dr. Boekman's good-nature vanished at once. He gave a growl (at least, it seemed so to Gretel) but made no actual reply.
"Do not think the vrouw meddlesome, mynheer," said Raff; "she has been sore touched of late about a lad whose folks have gone away, none know where; and I had a message for them from the young gentleman."
"The name was Boomphoffen," said the dame eagerly. "Do you know aught of the family, mynheer?"
The doctor's reply was brief and gruff.
"Yes. A troublesome set. They went long since to America."
"It might be, Raff," persisted Dame Brinker, timidly, "that the meester knows somebody in that country, though I'm told they are mostly savages over there. If he could get the watch to the Boomphoffens with the poor lad's message, it would be a most blessed thing."
"Tut! vrouw, why pester the good meester and dying men and women wanting him everywhere. How do ye know ye have the true name?"
"I'm sure of it," she replied. "They had a son Lambert, and there's an L for Lambert and a B for Boomphoffen, on the back; though to be sure there's an odd J too, but the meester can look for himself."