The Count and the Baron meantime waited in their place of concealment, fully believing that Mynheer Bunck.u.m, on reaching the ground, would discover them. They had no wish that he should do this, as it would show him that they were aware of his malignant designs. They therefore drew close under the bushes, scarcely venturing to to breathe. They could hear him, as he reached the ground, threatening vengeance on their heads. He pa.s.sed so close to them that the Baron, by catching hold of his leg, might have tripped him up, and punished him for his false accusations; but they wisely allowed him to go on, as they considered that such a proceeding would not be calculated to raise them in the estimation of Mynheer Van Arent and his family. They waited till he had got to some distance when, coming out of their place of concealment, they followed him to ascertain in what direction he was going. He was evidently too much put out to venture that evening into the presence of the ladies.
On the way to their inn they naturally looked about them to the right hand and to the left, as well as occasionally behind, to be certain that their jealous rival, as they considered Mynheer Bunck.u.m, was not following them. He all the time was engaged in forming a design against their liberties of which they had no notion. On reaching the inn, they found a note on pink paper in a delicate female hand purporting to come from Mynheer Van Arent, inviting them to accompany his family to a picnic on the banks of the Meer on the following morning.
"By all means we will go," exclaimed the Count. "I will take my violin, and who knows what may happen."
In the course of conversation they made inquiries about the various people in the neighbourhood of the landlady, whose good graces they had won.
"What sort of a person is Mynheer Bunck.u.m?" asked the Count.
"He owns the castle of Wykel, not far from this. It is said that he is trying to win the hand of one of the daughters of Mynheer Van Arent, but whether or not he will gain her is a question. I desire to put you on your guard against him, Mynheers, for he is not a man to be trifled with." Proceeding at an early hour the next morning to the house of Mynheer Van Arent, they found the family prepared for their excursion.
The distance to the lake was not great, and on reaching the pier, running out a short distance into the shallow water, a large boat of substantial build was seen alongside. She of course was round-sterned, drawing but little water, but had tolerably sharp bows; her p.o.o.p was gilded and carved, as was her stern, while every part was either varnished or brilliantly coloured. She was indeed the family yacht.
Instead of white canvas her sails were of a dark red hue, though of fine material; she had a comfortably fitted-up cabin, with every luxury on board. Numberless other vessels, broad and shallow, were sailing here and there over the lake, their sails either red brick or saffron-coloured, reflected on the violet-tinted waters, which contrasted with the silvery hue of the sky, and a green ribbon of land bordering the lake. These flat-bottomed, bulging round vessels were employed in distributing the produce of the neighbouring farms to all parts of the country around.
A short sail on board the yacht took the party to the point which had been selected for their picnic, at which other yachts of a similar construction quickly arrived, and the viands they had brought were then carried on sh.o.r.e, and spread under the shade of the trees. Mynheer Bunck.u.m before long made his appearance, looking gloomy and morose, as he observed the strangers. The Count and the Baron were introduced to a number of persons, who did their best to make themselves agreeable. The feast having concluded, at which if there was not much wit there was a great deal of laughter, the party retreated to a more shady spot, where the Count was requested to favour them with an air on his violin. He gladly complied, and elicited general applause, greatly to the annoyance of Mynheer Bunck.u.m, who, getting up, retired to a distance, and sat himself down, fishing-rod in hand, on a point which projected into the lake, as if such music was not worth listening to.
Meantime a boat had arrived on the beach containing three or four urchins from a neighbouring village, one of whom climbed up on a bank overlooking the spots where the party were collected, and the dinner cloth was spread. He had so placed himself that he could make a signal to his companions: two of these shortly afterwards getting out of their boat, and seeing him beckon, cautiously crept along the sh.o.r.e towards where the party had been enjoying their meal. There was no doubt about their object: they filled not only their capacious pockets, but some large handkerchiefs which they had brought, with everything on which they could lay their hands, especially the silver spoons and forks and other plate. Then at a sign from their companion they rapidly retreated, he quickly following, unnoticed by Mynheer Bunck.u.m or any one else. On reaching their boat, away they pulled with their booty, and were soon out of sight. The Baron and two or three other gentlemen, whose appet.i.tes had not been fully satisfied, returned shortly after this to the table, if so it could be called, and though they observed that some of the things had been disarranged, it did not occur to them that the spot had been visited by robbers. The Baron was the last to leave and return to the ladies. Not till the servants came to pack up the plates and dishes, and knives and forks, was the robbery discovered.
Just then Mynheer Bunck.u.m, who had got tired of fishing, and had returned to the table, on hearing that several articles were missing, exclaimed:
"I know who is the robber, I saw what that Baron was about. I shall now be able to prove that my suspicions were correct!"
He, however, made no further remark at the time, so that the harmony which had prevailed during the picnic was not disturbed. On the approach of evening the various parties separated to their different homes. The Count and the Baron accompanied Mynheer Van Arent and his family to theirs, whence after a friendly farewell they returned to their inn.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
The day following the picnic on the Meer, the Count and the Baron set out to pay a visit to the Van Arent family. As yet, however, they could not tell whether the courteous treatment they had received was simply owing to their being strangers of rank. The Count fancied that his performances on the violin, and the Baron supposed that his fascinating powers of conversation, and other attractive qualities, had something to do with it. On reaching the house they were told that the ladies had gone to take a walk at some distance.
"Perhaps we may meet them," said the Count to the Baron.
They inquired of the servant in what direction the ladies had gone. He pointed to the northward, and they set out; they walked on and on till they arrived at a wood, such as is not often found in that part of the country, and they observed an ancient tower with battlements rising up amid the trees.
"This looks like an interesting place," observed the Count, "let us explore it."
"By all means," answered the Baron. And they walked on with that air of curiosity generally exhibited by strangers when arriving at a place worth seeing.
"Fine trees and shady walks, really my castle scarcely exhibits anything finer; if I marry the fair Isabelle, it"s just the sort of place I should like to possess; but we may pay it a hurried visit," said the Count.
"Then it is the Vrouw Isabelle on whom your regards are fixed?" observed the Baron.
"It was but a slip of my tongue," said the Count. "I did not intend to betray my secret."
"All right, my dear Count; to say the truth, my heart has been captivated by the Vrouw Margaret, so that we shall not be rivals."
"That is a fortunate circ.u.mstance," observed the Count, in a somewhat supercilious tone. "However, you must remember that we, both of us, have to ascertain the feelings of the ladies; at present we are left somewhat in the dark on that subject."
"I cannot say that I think so," answered the Baron, drawing up his shirt-collar. "I flatter myself that the Vrouw Margaret regards me with peculiar distinction."
"Did I possess more vanity in this case, I might have said the same with regard to Vrouw Isabelle," said the Count.
"You do, do you!" exclaimed a voice from among the bushes, which made the Count and the Baron start.
"Who could that have been?" exclaimed the Count.
"Where did it come from?" cried the Baron.
"Let us try to discover the eavesdropper," said the Count.
"We had better not," whispered the Baron. "Depend upon it the person, whoever he is, is prepared for us. We had better move on, and not in future talk so loudly of our private affairs."
"Your advice is good," said the Count; "we will follow it."
And they moved on a short distance, paying much less attention than before to the beauties of the scenery. They had just reached the neighbourhood of what appeared to be an old summer-house, now neglected and disused, for it was thickly overgrown with ivy and various creepers.
Looking up close to it they observed a board, on which was painted in large letters, "Whoever is found trespa.s.sing in these grounds will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law." Scarcely had they read this unpleasant announcement, when they observed at the farther end of the walk a party of men, who from their costume were evidently huntsmen or gamekeepers, led by a person whom they recognised at a glance as Mynheer Bunck.u.m, their jealous rival.
"There are the robbers! There are the impostors! There are those thieves and vagabonds, who have come here pretending to be n.o.blemen travelling for their pleasure. On! on! seize them, my men! treat them with no ceremony."
Mynheer Bunck.u.m, though he shouted, did not move himself, and his followers appeared to hesitate for a few moments. This gave time to the Count and Baron to retreat behind the summer-house.
"Come along, Count, we must trust to our legs to escape from these fellows," cried the Baron, and he set off running as fast as he could go.
"Stop! stop!" cried the Count. "You will be seen to a certainty and overtaken; come in here, I perceive an opening, and we shall be able to lie hid, while our jealous rival pa.s.ses by."
The Baron, however, did not hear him, but still rushed on.
"I shall be seen if I attempt to run," thought the Count. Without more ado he slipped through an opening in the side of the wall, in his hurry forgetting to feel his way. He had made but a few steps when, to his dismay, he found himself descending, and fully believed that he was about to be precipitated down a well. Greatly to his relief he reached the bottom sooner than he had expected.
"Here, at all events, I shall be secure while our jealous rival and his men are hunting about for me; but I am afraid the Baron has very little chance of escaping. I might have got into rather a pleasanter place; it is somewhat damp; I hear the frogs croaking, and feel the slippery efts and other creatures crawling about. I only hope that there are no venomous snakes; but, by the by, how am I ever to get out again? We should have acted more wisely had we walked up boldly to Mynheer Bunck.u.m, and apologising for having entered his grounds, wished him good morning. It is entirely owing to the Baron"s cowardice that I am placed in this very unpleasant position."
Such were the thoughts which pa.s.sed through the Count"s mind, for he did not speak them aloud. He heard the voices of Mynheer Bunck.u.m and his men, as they searched round and round the building, but none of them looked into the well, or if they did, failed to discover him. At length, to his great relief, their voices grew less and less distinct, and he was satisfied that they were moving on.
"At all events this delay will have enabled the Baron to make his escape, and I hope that by and by, when these people have given up the search, I shall be able to rejoin him," he thought.
Meantime the Baron had continued his course. Not being much accustomed to running, he soon began to puff and blow, and wish that he could find some place in which to hide himself, and recover his wind. Instead of taking the direct path along which he and the Count had come, rightly suspecting that if he did so he should quickly be observed, he turned aside to a wilder part of the wood; he stopped every now and then to try and recover his breath, and to ascertain if the Count was following.
Having no landmark to direct him, he completely lost himself, and became very uncertain whether he was making his way out of the wood, or only getting further into it.
"It was very selfish and unmannerly in Count Funnibos not to accompany me," he said to himself. "We might have helped each other out of this difficulty; and, indeed, at any moment Mynheer Bunck.u.m and his myrmidons may overtake me, and in the vicious mood they are in, I do not know how I shall be treated. Ah! there I see a large hollow tree. Yes, there is an opening at the bottom, I will creep in and try to conceal myself within the stem till the hue and cry is over."
Suiting the action to the word, the Baron knelt down, and was about to crawl into the opening when he saw a movement of the bushes at a little distance off, and presently a head popped up above them.
"I hope that I was not observed," he thought, and he quickly crawled in at the hole, unfortunately, as he did so, knocking off his hat, which rolled away on one side; he dared not crawl out again to look for it, and could only hope that it would be concealed by the tall gra.s.s and underwood which grew around. The Baron stood trembling and quaking in his boots, every moment expecting to be discovered, while he felt sure that the face of which he had caught a glimpse was no other than that of the jealous rival.
He listened anxiously; he could hear the cracking of the boughs, and then the sound of footsteps approaching. Nearer and nearer drew the footsteps; presently he heard an exclamation of surprise.
"Why, this is the hat of one of them," said a voice.
"Yes; it is that of the fat, ridiculous little man who pretended to be a Baron," answered a female voice.
Was it possible? Yes, the Baron felt sure that the voice was that of the fair Vrouw Margaret on whom he had placed his affections.