Outside at last, thank goodness! The Groote Kerk, according to BOSCH,
"is not vort de see," so we don't see it. _Sandford_ has a sneaking
impression that I ought to go in, but _Merton_ glad to be let off.
We go to see the pictures at the Mauritshuis instead. BOSCH exchanges
greetings with the attendants in Dutch. "Got _another_ of 'em
in tow, you see--and collar-work, _I_ can tell you!" would be a
free translation, I suspect, of his remarks. Must say that, in a
Picture-gallery, BOSCH is a superfluous luxury. He _does_ take my
ignorance just a trifle too much for granted. He _might_ give me
credit for knowing the story of ADAM and EVE, at all events! "De
Sairpan gif EVA de opple, an' EVA she gif him to ADAM," BOSCH
carefully informs me, before a "_Paradise_," by RUBENS and BRUEGHEL.
This rouses my _Merton_ half to inquire what ADAM did with it. "Oh,
_he_ ead him too!" says BOSCH in perfect good faith. I do wish,
too, he wouldn't lead me up to PAUL POTTER's "_Bull_," and ask me
enthusiastically if it isn't "real meat." I shouldn't mind it so much
if there were not several English people about, without couriers--but
there _are_. My only revenge is (as _Merton_) to carefully pick out
the unsigned canvases and ask BOSCH who painted them; whereupon, BOSCH
endeavours furtively to make out the label on the frames, and then
informs me in desperation, "it was '_School_.
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