that he hoped Constance
would show the greatest tact and not be too pushing at first, but that,
as their brother-in-law, he would welcome Van der Welcke and Constance
very cordially."

Karel nodded placidly, to show that he understood what lay at the back
of Van Naghel's words and that he quite agreed.

"And what did Van Saetzema and Adolphine say?"

"Well, of course, I had more trouble with Adolphine than with any of the
others!" cried Dorine, triumphantly waving the paper-knife, while Karel
anxiously followed the movements of her hand. "First, she didn't want to
come and said that Mamma had no morals and all that sort of thing. I
answered that I respected her views; that, of course, every one was free
to think as he pleased; but that she must not forget that Mamma was an
old woman, a very old woman, and that we ought to try and make her happy
in her old age. Then I said that Constance was Mamma's child as much as
any of us; and that it was only natural for Mamma to want us all to take
Constance back as a sister, as it had all happened so very long ago and
she had been married to Van der Welcke for fifteen years and their boy
is thirteen...."

"Dorine, please, would you mind leaving the paper-weight alone? Else all
those letters are sure to get mixed.... And what did Adolphine say to
that?"

"Well, at first, Adolphine wouldn't hear of going, said she was afraid
of Constance' bad influence on the girls, said she couldn't possibly
take them. In fact, she talked like a fool. But, when I told her that
Van Naghel and Bertha were coming and that not a word had been said
about their girls--that they were coming too--then Adolphine said that
she would come after all and bring her girls. And Gerrit and
Ernst"--Dorine opened Karel's stamp-box, but shut it again at once,
terrified when she saw the stamps neatly arranged in the compartments,
according to their values--"I saw Gerrit and Ernst too; and Adeline
spoke very nicely; and Paul...."

A gong sounded.

"That's dinner," said Karel. "I suppose you won't stay, Dorine? I don't
think there's much: Cateau and I always dine so simply...."

"Oh, I eat very little; I should like to stay, if I may; then we can all
go on to Mamma's afterwards...."

Karel van Lowe gave one more look at the muddy hem; he remembered that
the dining-room had been cleaned that day; and he could restrain himself
no longer:

"Dorine," he said, in despair, "in that case, won't you let Marie brush