"SEEING THE ELEPHANT."
"'You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear,'" sang
Nettie, as she leaned over the balcony railing, gazing out upon the lovely
lake and island before them; for Mr. Hyde had explained that, as his time
was exceedingly limited, he could allow them only three days to explore
Havenhaag, and at the end of that time they must leave for New York.
"So we will begin with the Royal Museum to-morrow morning," he added; "and
all who are up in good season can take a trip with me, in one of those
shallops, around the lake."
After the children had retired, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde held a consultation
about Eric. They expected the arrival of Dr. Ward and their nephew daily,
and were in hopes of seeing them before the steamer should sail. But there
was just a chance that the doctor might be delayed at Paris; and if it
should so happen, what would Eric do?
His parents were unwilling to disappoint him by taking him to New York
without making the desired tour of Germany; and they disliked the idea of
leaving him, a young boy of thirteen, alone in a strange place.
But his father at length decided to let him remain at the Vyverberg House,
in case the doctor should be detained until after they had sailed.
Eric was a thoughtful, reliable boy, and old enough, his father said, to
learn to depend upon himself.
Mrs. Hyde felt some misgivings as to this course at first; but her
confidence in Eric was so great, that she soon consented to it, and having
once decided in favor of the plan, she would let no thought of it trouble
her.
You may be sure that the three children did not need an "early call" in
the morning, for they were up and dressed with the daylight, having a romp
on their balcony with Froll, who frightened several of the occupants of
adjacent rooms by trying to get in at their windows.
Nettie told Eric how Froll had got her into disgrace, the day before, by
the same trick.
"I think," said Eric, "that she must once have belonged to an
organ-grinder, and have been taught to climb up for money."
"Very likely," said Allan. "But you had better break her of the trick.
People, as a general thing, are not fond of the sudden appearance of a
black monkey at their chamber windows."
"Here's papa!" cried Nettie. "Now for our sail!"
"Isn't Mrs. Hyde coming?" Allan asked.
"Here she is! Good morning, mamma, and--O, Eric, mind Froll!" cried
Nettie; but too late, for Froll had darted from him, and gone in at an
open window above.
There was a breathless silence.
Mr. and Mrs. Hyde were very much annoyed, and the children were alarmed
for the safety of their pet.
While they were momentarily expecting a scream of terror from the occupant
of the room, Froll reappeared at the window, and, with a grin and chatter
of defiance, tumbled out, and clambered down towards the children, with a
pair of gold-rimmed eye-glasses in her hand. A night-capped head, thrust
out after her, was withdrawn again hastily, as its owner's eyes
encountered those of Mrs. Hyde.
Saucy Froll perched herself upon the top of the parlor blind, stuck the
glasses upon her nose, and peered down at the children, who greeted this
manoeuvre with an irresistible burst of laughter, in which their father
and mother joined.
The owner of the glasses again thrust his head out at the window, minus
the nightcap this time, and seeing the monkey, laughed as heartily as the
others.
Leaning forward, he could reach the chain, which he caught; and then Froll
was made to surrender her plunder; after which she was committed to her
cage in disgrace.
The sail on the lake was delightful. The water was as smooth as glass, the
air fresh and cool, and the little island in the lake's centre was crowded
with song birds, whose sweet, merry notes rang musically over the water,
and were echoed back from the shore.
After breakfast they prepared to visit the places of interest in
"Gravenhaag."
Mr. Hyde led the way to the National Museum, occupying the Prince Maurice
palace--an elegant building of the seventeenth century. Numerous guides
offered their services, and when one had been engaged, our party followed
him up a broad, solid stairway to the famous picture gallery. Most of the
paintings were old pieces of the German masters, and did not interest the
children so much as their parents, for they were too young to appreciate
them. But in one of the rooms almost entirely covering one end, was a
grand picture, so vivid and natural that Nettie was quite startled by it
at first. It was a picture of a young bull spotted white and brown, a cow
lazily resting on the grass before it, a few sheep in different attitudes,
and an aged cowherd leaning upon a fence. The background of the picture
was a distant landscape, and all the objects were life-size.
"That picture is Paul Potter's Bull--a highly prized work of art," said
Mr. Hyde. "When the French invaded Holland, Napoleon ordered it to Paris,
to be hung in the Louvre."
"I suppose it didn't go, as it's here now," remarked Allan.
"Yes, it was carried there, and excited much admiration. But when Holland
was free of the French, and Germany victorious, the painting was
reclaimed."
The children could have staid, gazing with delight upon it, for a much
longer time than was allowed them. The guide soon led the way to the Royal
Museum of Curiosities, and they reluctantly followed. The collection of
curiosities was in the lower part of the building, and here they saw all
kinds of Chinese and Japanese articles, which, the guide informed them,
was the largest and best collection of the kind in the world.
There was enough here to interest our young folks, and old folks, too.
All kinds of merchandise and manufactures, and most interesting and
complicated toys, model cities, barges gayly-colored and filled with tiny
men at work on tinier oars, pagodas, shops, temples, huts, houses,
vehicles, and men, women, and children in every variety of costume,
engaged in every conceivable employment.
So fascinating was this Museum that the entire morning was most agreeably
spent in it; and there was but just time, before leaving it, to look into
the historical department, where were many objects of interest, and among
other things the armor and weapons of De Ruyter, the famous admiral. At
any other time these would have possessed great interest for the boys; but
now they rather slighted them for the unique toys of China and Japan.
After their dinner and a half hour's rest, the children paid a visit to
the king's palace; for Gravenhaag, you must know, is the favorite
residence of the king and court.
Nettie and the boys walked very carefully, and held themselves very
properly, such a thing as a visit to the king's palace not being a daily
event with them. Although she would not have missed going for anything,
Nettie was a little alarmed at their situation, as they drew near to the
palace, a large Grecian building, with two wings, forming three sides of a
square. She had an idea that whenever kings were displeased with people,
they ordered their heads to be cut off; and she wondered if he _would_ be
pleased to have their party looking at his possessions. Her fears were
groundless, however.
As they reached the square, they saw, near the entrance to the palace, a
fine-looking man, well dressed and gentlemanly, who smiled kindly at the
children, and, seeing their eager scrutiny of the palace, politely invited
them to enter it.
The boys were delighted, but Nettie declared that she was afraid of the
king.
"O, the king will not trouble you, my little maid," said the stranger, in
excellent English: "walk in, walk in!"
He held out his hand to Nettie, and was such a kind, pleasant-looking man,
that Nettie's fears vanished. She gave him her hand, and the two boys
followed her into the palace. Yes, actually _into_ it, when, a few minutes
before, she had hardly dared venture a terrified glance at the outside,
and was momentarily expecting the stern command,--
"Off with their heads!"
Their new friend led them to a lovely garden, gave them flowers and fruit,
and chatted gayly with them all the time. Then he took them to several
apartments of the palace, and finally into the drawing-room.
The children noticed that every one made a respectful bow to their kind
escort, and concluded that he must be some great nobleman; but judge of
their surprise, when they found themselves being presented by him to a
beautiful, pale lady, quietly dressed in black.
"Alicia, my dear," said their nobleman, still speaking in English, "I have
brought these young American travellers to see you. My little friends," to
the children, "yonder lady is the _Queen of Holland_."
Wasn't _that_ enough to confuse the best bred child in the world?
Poor Eric had a faint idea that he must kiss the queen's toe, as a mark of
courtesy, and stepped forward, with a dizzy singing in his ears, to do so.
But he was saved from such a ridiculous situation by the gentle queen, who
smiled and extended her hand; then Eric thankfully remembered that it was
the queen's hand and the pope's toe. So he bent gracefully forward and
kissed Queen Alicia's white fingers.
Allan, of course, did the same. And Nettie had no time to consider what
she must do, for the queen had kissed her quite warmly at first, and their
strange guide had drawn her to his knee.
"Why did you fear the king, little maid?" he asked, so kindly that Nettie
confessed her idea of majestic temperaments. How he laughed! and how the
queen laughed, too!
"Now, I suppose you will want to go to mamma," he said, soon afterwards;
and giving them each a gold coin, added, "Keep these to remember me by,
and you can tell your friends that the _King of Holland_ gave them to
you."
The children were perfectly amazed, and could not speak their thanks
properly; but of this the king took no notice. He led them to the entrance
on the street, and then kindly said, "Good by."
Mr. and Mrs. Hyde, who had become quite anxious over their long delay,
were much relieved to see the children come safely home just before
tea-time. They were quite as much astonished, by the account of the visit,
as our young folks had supposed they would be.
Tea, on the balcony, and some quiet music in the evening, finished up the
day; and when the tired children sought their pillows, they quickly fell
asleep.