“Oh, so Peter Van Der Lann has a better nursery than ours!” she exclaimed. “Well, let me tell you something! He won’t have it long. Everyone in Rosedale knows that he is deeply in debt. He will lose his farm, and then where will he be?” _Chapter 8_ THE TREASURE HOUSE Mrs. Mattox’ words distressed Hanny, who began to cry. She knew only too well that her uncle might lose his property and that she would be sent back to Holland. “My uncle won’t lose his farm,” she denied stubbornly. “He will make a great deal of money this year. Our tulip will win the prize and we will sell our bulbs for a nice price.” “Don’t count on it,” said Mrs. Mattox. “Your uncle will win no prize with any of the tulip varieties I have seen.” “We have one though--” Hanny began, and then she stopped short. She realized she had been on the verge of saying too much. “Where does your uncle grow this wonderful tulip?” Mrs. Mattox pursued the subject. Hanny would not say. She was glad when they reached the boundary of her uncle’s land. The other Brownies were at the fence and helped to pull the water-logged boat back to its mooring place. “Don’t you mind Mrs. Mattox,” Connie said to Hanny, slipping an arm about the little girl’s waist. “She is just an old meanie.” “But it is true my uncle may lose this farm.” “You will win the blue ribbon for your prize tulip.” “I hope so,” Hanny said soberly, “but Uncle Peter says we cannot count on it. All the growers in Rosedale are trying for the prize. Many new varieties will be shown.” “Yours will be the very best,” Connie declared confidently. “If it is the Golden Beauty I am sure it will win.” The children hauled the leaky boat up on the grassy bank. As they overturned it, Miss Gordon hailed them from the path. “Come to the house, girls,” she called. “Mr. Van Der Lann has invited us to have sweet cakes.” “I’ll give you some of my _hopjes_ too,” declared Hanny. “What are those?” Jane Tuttle asked as the group started for the house. “Something to eat?” “Candy with a butterscotch flavor,” Hanny explained. “Good too!” Inside the farm house, Peter had laid a fire on the hearth to take a chill from the air. Hanny, Vevi and Connie moved in close to dry their damp shoes and stockings. As the children were telling Mr. Van Der Lann about the leaky boat, the housekeeper came in bearing steaming chocolate and _maastegles_ or sweet cakes. While they nibbled the cakes, the grownups talked of the coming flower show. Judging of the tulips, the first event in the mammoth festival, was to come the following weekend. Mrs. Langley planned to open her estate to the public according to her usual custom. Prize flowers would be on display at her greenhouse. “Mr. Piff keeps at me to have a part in the commercial show,” Mr. Van Der Lann said. “To participate I must pay one hundred dollars. I do not have it and have told him so. Yet he has told about Rosedale that I have refused only because I am stubborn.”