CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THAT EVENING AFTER HE HAD SHUT THE SHOP THE
bell rang and he opened the door. Floris slipped
past him into the shop and ran up the steps and
through the parlour so quickly that he was taken
aback. He waited in the lamp-light, hesitating
whether he should follow him. After a moment,
Floris came in ; he walked past him, timidly, and
turning his grey face towards him, he said : * Don't
ask me anything.' And before Werendonk realised
what he was doing, just as rapidly and almost with-
out a sound, he had gone out of the shop door.
Stien came in with an astonished face. He had
come to her in the kitchen, she said, had asked for
a piece of bread and butter and, after eating it
ravenously, had said : c You mustn't think it was
for the bread I came, but I had to be in the house.'
Werendonk fetched his cap and umbrella, telling
her to remain in the parlour in case the bell should
ring again, and went out to look for him in the
neighbourhood. When he came back, she was
sitting waiting with Frans, but he shook his head,
and drew his chair up to the table. * Fortunately
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