"Oh, no, there aren't, Susie," dissented Rushford. "You don't know the species. You've mistaken a bray for a roar, just as a lot of people always do, if the bray is only loud enough. Come, now, let me know the worst. How much longer do you propose to stay here?" "Well, dad, you see the season won't be at its height for fully a month yet--" "A month!" echoed Rushford, in dismay. "Well, Susie, you and Nell may be able to stand it for a month, but long ere that I'll be dead--ossified, fossilised, dried up, and blown away! Maybe you girls enjoy it, though I didn't think it of you--but what can _I_ do? I'm tired of reading day-before-yesterday's newspaper and of being two days behind the market. Two days! Think what may have happened to steel since I've heard from it! It's enough to drive a man mad!" He got out a cigar, lighted it, and stood puffing it nervously, appalled at the vision his own words had conjured up. "But, dad," Sue pointed out, coming to his side and taking his arm coaxingly, "you know it was just to get away from all that worry--from those horrid stocks and things--that you consented to come with us." "Don't call the stocks hard names, Susie. Don't go back on your best friends!" protested Rushford. "Don't forget what they've done for you!" "But, dear, you remember how strongly Doctor Samuels insisted on your taking a rest; how necessary he said it was?" "Oh, perfectly!" responded Rushford, drily. "I've suspected right along that Samuels took his orders from you." "From me, dad!" cried Sue, indignantly, but her eyes were shining in a most suspicious manner. "A man of his standing--" "It doesn't matter," broke in her father, with a wave of his arm. "I'm willing to grant, for the sake of argument, that Samuels was perfectly sincere. But I still protest that there is no reason why we should conceal ourselves here. We haven't done anything--the police aren't after us--I can speak for myself, at least." "This seemed to be such a nice, quiet place for you, dad," explained Nell, perching herself upon a table near the window and gazing pensively out at the shimmering water, which told that the sun was winning a decisive victory over the mist, and that the day would be a fine one. "For me!" repeated her father, turning and staring at her. "You don't mean to say you chose this place on _my_ account!" Nell nodded, but she winked at Susie. "And then, you know," she added, "we have always wanted to get a glimpse of a real Dutch watering-place." "I don't believe this _is_ a real Dutch watering-place. Nobody here speaks anything but French. Why, it's even got a French name!" "Only two-thirds French, dad," Sue corrected. "And everything is priced in francs." "That is true of all Europe," asserted Nell, with superb aplomb. "Well, Dutch, French, or Hindoo, you've had your glimpse, haven't you? Suppose we move on and get a glimpse or two of something worth seeing."