"Has he hurt you? Can you run? Quick, then; run like lightning!" Without understanding why, Johannes did as she said. The children ran swiftly down the mountain-side, slipped through the shrubbery of a little park, climbed over a couple of low, stone walls, and fled into a small house on the bank of the river, where an old woman in a black kerchief sat peacefully plucking chickens. Johannes and Marjon had continually met with helpfulness and friendliness among poor and lowly people, and now they were not sent off, although they were obliged to admit that the police might be coming after them. "Well, you young scamps," said the old woman, with a playful chuckle, "then you must stay till night in the pigsty. They'll not look for you there; it smells too bad. But take care, if you wake Rike up, or if that gorilla of yours gets to fighting with him!" So there they sat in the pigsty with Rike the fat pig, who made no movement except with his ears, and welcomed his visitors with short little grunts. It began to rain, and they sat as still as mice--Keesje, also, who had a vague impression that he was to blame for this sad state of things. Marjon whispered: "Who would have thought, Jo, that you cared so much for me? _I_ was afraid this time, and you punched his head. It was splendid! Mayn't I give you a kiss, now?" In silence, Johannes accepted her offer. Then Marjon went on: "But we were both of us stupid; I, because I forgot all about Kees, in the music; and you, because you let out about me. "Let out about you!" exclaimed Johannes, in amazement. "Certainly," said Marjon, "by shouting out that I was a girl!" "Did I do that?" asked Johannes. It had quite slipped out of his mind. "Yes," said Marjon, "and now we're in a pickle again! Other togs! You can't do that in these parts. That's worse than hitting a lieutenant over the head, and we mustn't do any more of that." "Did he hit you hard?" asked Johannes. "Does it hurt still?" "Oh," said Marjon, lightly, "I've had worse lickings than that." * * * * * That night, after dark, the old woman's son--the vine-dresser--released them from Rike's hospitable dwelling, and took them, in a rowboat, across the Rhine. XV Bright and early one still, sunny morning they came to a small watering-place nestled in the mountains. It was not yet seven o'clock. A light mist clung around the dark-green summits, and the dew was sparkling on the velvety green grass, and over the flaming red geraniums, the white, purple-hearted carnations, and the fragrant, brown-green mignonette of the park. Fashionably dressed ladies and gentlemen were drinking, according to advice, the hot, saline waters of the springs; and later, while the cheerful music played, they promenaded up and down the marble-paved esplanade.