"And, besides," continued the seductive Laps, "do you think all men have courage? No! They're as afraid of a thief as they are of death. Last week an insolent beggar was on the steps, and the fellow wouldn't leave. Do you think the men did anything to him? Scared to death! But, I tell you, I got hold of him in a hurry and----"
"Well, I would have done that if I hadn't been a woman; for a woman must never use violence. It isn't becoming. What do you say, Trudie? I ran and shut my door. Wasn't that right? No, none of the men-folk has any courage!"
None of the men-folk! Walter felt insulted. He was swelling with suppressed courage; he was eager for a fray. At least, he was eager to show that he was an exception to Juffrouw Laps's general indictment. Of course Juffrouw Laps noticed this.
"And if Laurens is already asleep--and if--if no one else will----"
"Then I suppose I must, relying upon God, go alone. But it's horrible for a woman to be entirely alone!"
She looked at them all in turn, all except the one she was talking to. Walter felt that he was being forgotten, or overlooked. This only increased his latent courage and made him burn with a desire to be numbered with the knighthood of the house.
"Yes, if there's nobody here who's not afraid----"
All but Juffrouw Laps were surprised. She was a good psychologist, and had not expected anything else. It was her part, however, to pretend to be as much surprised as any of the rest.
"Yes, I. I'm not afraid; not if there were ten in the closet and a hundred under the bed!"
A little Luther! But with a difference. Luther had a God in whom he felt he could trust--reinforced by a few grand-dukes. Walter, without any grand-dukes, was ready to enter the field against a God who was allowing any number of murderers to take shelter under the roof and bed of Juffrouw Laps.
"Let him go, Juffrouw Pieterse. You understand--it's company for me to have such a child with me. Then I'm not frightened so badly, if a murderer is in the closet. Nobody wants to be entirely alone. Isn't that so?"
Juffrouw Laps gained her point: Walter was permitted to go with her.
It was principally their vanity that caused the Pieterses to consent so readily to Juffrouw Laps's request and allow her to take Walter away to act as her castellan. Not one of them felt that it was a good thing for Walter to go with the Juffrouw; but they were all proud of his courage. The story would get noised abroad, and people would pass it on to their friends. Juffrouw Pieterse would see to it that the people knew it was "the same young gentlemen, you know, that went home with Dr. Holsma."