The Argosy — page 238: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Caterina. 219 She bent her stately head beneath the low back door, and entered timidly, looking round the room in quest of someone. “Tell me, vrow,” she said, imploringly, laying her delicate hand on the woman’s shoulder, ‘‘ where is Teresa ?” Hans was at work in the warehouse and had seen her glide into his house, and scenting mischief, he followed her in time to hear her question, and to answer for his wife. “We cannot tell your ladyship.” “Why not?” she murmured with pale lips. “Why must I not know what has become of my little friend ?” “Our child is not fitting friend for youu—Hush, woman!” as his wife tried to speak. ‘‘ Teresa is safe out of your ladyship’s reach.”: Caterina coloured painfully. ‘‘ Ah, good Hans, how can that be? I am lonely. Let me have your daughter as companion: I will pay her any wages you please to ask, for money is no object. I'll enrich you all—only tell me where she is.’ ‘* Better life than riches, lady: you are dangerous to our child. $5 ** Ah, I know what the foolish, ignorant people say of me. ‘They say I meddle with magic—have dealing’ with the Evil One. Never was anything more false.” ‘Nay, madame, you cannot hoodwink us. ‘Teresa confessed that you are able to send her spirit on a journey after the Orange into the Polar seas—that she there saw the dead body of the carpenter. Did she speak truth ?” ‘Certainly ; but I use no magic arts; I simply use the powers of nature, with which the good God has gifted me. ‘There are hidden forces in nature, good Hans, and I discovered by accident that I could wield them—that I could influence your Teresa by my mesmeric power, and cause her to discover what we both longed to know. That is all.” ‘“ Enough, enough, madame. Give up these arts, for thou wilt not persuade ‘Truda, or Van Rennen, that they are innocent.” “Oh, dear lady,” cried Vrow Steen, “ escape for your life while there is time.” “Hoot, hoot, wife, be silent,” said Hans, nervously. Caterina threw her scarf over her head, and turned haughtily away, saying coldly: “You speak of danger to me.:.what danger could possibly threaten Mynheer Heemskerk’s daughter ? ” ‘“Truda,” said Hans significantly. _ “Truda!” repeated Caterina with ineffable scorn— ‘she is the dust beneath my feet.” ~ “Not so fast, lady,” muttered Hans, as her dignified tread died away in the distance. Soon after this a great misfortune fell on Caterina; her father was seized with paralysis and lay helpless. She waited upon him devotedly, giving up her painting, her drives, everything to attend to him. She brought a leech from Rotterdam, a man of widespread fame, but CoOnniclooolkKs mM