78
There were people living in those houses I don't
know how many hundreds of years ago, for this is
an old town, and no doubt they did wrong some-
times, but what's become of that? It's gone,
turned to dust, just like the clothes they wore. At
least in those very old houses, built of bricks that
aren't smooth any more, and that have an iron rod
in the top storey to keep it from toppling over.
Those that are straight all the way down and have
blue tiles aren't so old ; maybe some of the ill deeds
of the forefathers have remained in those.'
He believed what Jansje had said because he had
seen from other boys that they told lies or were
deceitful for no other reason than that it pleased
them to do so. The boys who did wrong at school
knew perfectly well that it was wrong, but they
preferred to go and play rather than learn their
lessons. He had seen it plainly enough with his
cousins in Gierstraat, Hendrik and Evert, Diderik
Werendonk's eldest sons, his only companions on
half-holidays. He took them out for long walks,
beyond Bennebroek, and on the way home they had
to walk fast so as not to get in late. Once he had
held them back and said they needn't hurry, they
could make up some story so as not to get a scolding.
Hendrik, who was smaller than he was, came close
up to him and said : c Do you think we would tell
lies to father ? ' It had frightened him, it was said
so fiercely. And he himself knew perfectly well