“I’d be happy to. We can practice both languages together.” Ans liked Miriam immediately and looked forward to having another friend her age. But she also kept an eye on Eloise, who seemed to withdraw inside herself, not saying a word, as everyone around her spoke in German.

“You seem tired, Eloise, my dear,” Professor Huizenga said when they finished their tea. “Why don’t you go upstairs and rest?” He turned to their guests. “You must be weary too. If you’ll please excuse my wife and me, Ans will show you to your rooms and help you get settled.”

Ans carried one of the suitcases as she led Miriam and her father to their rooms on the third floor. Miriam’s room was small and stuffy from lack of use, even though Ans had opened the windows to the warm September air. She was about to apologize for its condition, but before she could get the words out, Miriam twirled in a circle like a child, taking everything in.

“This room is so pretty!” She ran her hand over the flowered bedspread as if caressing it. “We were grateful for the refugee camp, but there was nothing lovely there. I’ve missed color and beauty.” She lifted the vase of flowers from the dresser and inhaled their scent. Ans was glad she and Eloise had walked to the flower market to purchase them.

“I know the Huizengas are very happy to have you here, Miriam. I’ll leave you for now so you can rest and get settled. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Well . . . to be honest, I would love to go for a walk outside, if it’s safe.”

“It’s very safe to walk around Leiden. We can go for a walk right now, if you’d like.”

Miriam smiled for the first time. She crossed the hall and knocked on her father’s door to ask if he wanted to join them.

“Next time, perhaps. I’m going to write a letter to your mother and tell her where we are.”

The walk seemed to energize Miriam and put life and color back into her cheeks. “Cologne, where I grew up, was also a beautiful city,” she said. “But by the time we left, it was no longer safe for us to go for a walk. And there were very few places to go, since we weren’t allowed in the public parks or theaters or other ordinary places.”

“Because you’re Jewish?”

She nodded. “I was a prisoner in our house. It was the same at Westerbork except the camp is in the country. There was still no place to go.”

“You’ll like Leiden. People walk everywhere, and they especially enjoy an evening stroll after dinner. There are a lot of nice cafés, or you can go to a concert or the movies. Sometimes I go to dances with my friends.”