Our travellers towards nightfall reached a village; it was a very small one, but contained a place of entertainment. They searched for it, and found a small house with barn and stables. In the former was the everlasting stove, and the clothes drying round it on lines, and a traveller or two sitting morose. Gerard asked for supper. "Supper? We have no time to cook for travellers; we only provide lodging, good lodging for man and beast. You can have some beer." "Madman, who, born in Holland, sought other lands!" snorted Gerard in Dutch. The landlady started. "What gibberish is that?" asked she, and crossed herself with looks of superstitious alarm. "You can buy what you like in the village, and cook it in our oven; but, prithee, mutter no charms nor sorceries here, good man; don't ye now, it do make my flesh creep so." They scoured the village for food, and ended by supping on roasted eggs and brown bread. At a very early hour their chambermaid came for them. It was a rosy-cheeked old fellow with a lanthorn. They followed him. He led them across a dirty farm-yard, where they had much ado to pick their steps, and brought them into a cow-house. There, on each side of every cow, was laid a little clean straw, and a tied bundle of ditto for a pillow. The old man looked down on this his work with paternal pride. Not so Gerard. "What, do you set Christian men to lie among cattle?" "Well, it is hard upon the poor beasts. They have scarce room to turn." "Oh! what, it is not hard on us then?" "Where is the hardship? I have lain among them all my life. Look at me! I am four score, and never had a headache in all my born days--all along of lying among the kye. Bless your silly head, kine's breath is ten times sweeter to drink nor Christians'. You try it!" and he slammed the bedroom door. * * * * * "Denys, where are you?" whined Gerard. "Here, on her other side." "What are you doing?" "I know not. But, as near as I can guess, I think I must be going to sleep. What are you at?" "I am saying my prayers." "Forget me not in them!" "Is it likely? Denys I shall soon have done: do not go to sleep, I want to talk." "Despatch then! for I feel--augh--like--like--floating--in the sky--on a warm cloud." "Denys!" "Augh! eh! hallo! is it time to get up?" "Alack, no. There, I hurried my orisons to talk; and look at you, going to sleep! We shall be starved before morning, having no coverlets." "Well, you know what to do." "Not I, in sooth." "Cuddle the cow." "Thank you." "Burrow in the straw then. You must be very new to the world, to grumble at this. How would you bear to lie on the field of battle on a frosty night, as I did t'other day, stark naked, with nothing to keep me warm but the carcass of a fellow I had been and helped kill?" "Horrible! horrible! Tell me all about it! Oh but this is sweet."