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who was watching him, noticed that his eyes were
stealthily turned towards himself. c Good-night/ he
said at last, and when he was outside the door, his
face remained for a moment at the window, pale,
with big eyes.
He waited at the table, his books remained closed.
Floris rang and went into the kitchen, then upstairs
where his footsteps could be heard ; he went out
into the yard, too, and rummaged in the shed, then
he walked furtively out of the shop again. Weren-
donk prayed over the Bible; afterwards he sat
staring into the lamp. There was something he
didn't want to think about.
He looked round because he seemed to hear some-
thing ; he thought it must be the buzzing in his
pars that he had had lately when he was tired. He
knew he ought to go to bed, but it had become a
habit with him to sit up late. It grew chilly in the
parlour. Tomorrow Stien would have to put some
peat in the stove. Frans came in, rubbing his
hands. * There's a cold wind/ he said, ' but, of
course, we're not far off St. Martin's Day.' He
went into the kitchen.
Werendonk sat so still staring at the floor that he
was startled when the Tower clock struck the half-
hour. And now again he heard something in the
yard, he thought it must be Floris, although he had
seen him go out of the front door. It sounded as
though someone was whispering and then softly