"Lighting a pair of candles on the mantelpiece from his, and wishing us a civil '_Bon soir_,' our red-capped guide now left us--to our great relief. Although we tried to dismiss our fears as childish, we both felt more insecure and helpless than we cared to admit, even to each other. None of our friends knew that we were in Antwerp. If we disappeared they would hardly think to look for us there--and still less on this shabby street, the very name of which we did not know. "We barricaded the door against a sudden surprise, inspected the walls with a candle for signs of the secret door (at the head of the winding stairway up which the wicked innkeeper so often creeps upon his prey, according to the chronicles) and at last, the fatigue of the day overcoming our fears, we slept. It was broad daylight when we awoke, and the street was alive with people--mostly cartmen and peasants it seemed. With some difficulty we found our way down to the room where we had seen the landlady the night before. She greeted us warmly, our fears of the night had fled--and we sat down and ordered, and enjoyed, a most excellent breakfast. The hotel was quite a popular one, we learned, much frequented by people from near-by towns, and we had never been safer in our lives. Yet, just the same, we both vowed firmly that 'Never Again' would we take similar chances--and we never have." "I have thought of that incident more than once while talking over our Flemish tour with the Professor," I observed, "and have decided upon this plan. When we find a hotel that suits us all, as regards cleanliness, cuisine and safety--or rather the sense of security, for I daresay we would be safe enough in many that we would hardly care to patronise--we will stay overnight in whatever town we may chance to be visiting. If, on the other hand, we have not had time to find such a place, we'll take a train back to Antwerp or Brussels, where there are hotels that we know all about. We'll get second-class _billets d'abonnement_ every two weeks anyway, so the rail trip will only cost us our time." "And are Antwerp and Brussels both in Flanders?" inquired Mrs. Professor. "Between you, you have given me an idea that I should like to visit Flanders, but you have none of you answered my question as to where it is."