accident. .It was a fruitless task, for the Spaarne
was broad, and by the faint light of the street lamps
it was hardly possible to distinguish the outlines of
the barges. But it turned out he was right; two
days later they pulled him out and brought him
home ; he had an expression on his face that he
had never had during his life, as though at last he
had found deliverance. Everyone thought it was
an accident, but Gerbrand could not help thinking
of something else. Their faithful Jansje, too, had
nodded her head and said : € Yes, it must have
been an accident/ as though she didn't believe it.
But of the children none of the others had ever had
a doubt; indeed, the three youngest had no con-
ception of such disasters. Why it should have been
anything else than an accident caused by the dark-
ness it was impossible to say, for, as far as was
known, his father had had no reason for making
away with himself. He owned three houses besides
the shop ; moreover, he had a trifle invested, and
his business was in a satisfactory state. When he
had succeeded to the shop the receipts had not
been a sixth of what they were when he passed it
on. He never had to worry about money. And
yet Gerbrand was convinced that there had been
something that consumed him, but that had
remained a secret, and no one save God alone knew
anything about it. O Lord, he prayed in his
heart, have mercy on him.