le all talk at once it is not
easy to say who originates an idea; anyhow, it was agreed that the
weather was so dry and the trees so lovely and Mevrouw so seldom went
out. She really felt--did she not?--that she would enjoy making a
small excursion, she was so wonderfully well--for her. What did Anna
think her mother would say? Perhaps they might join together for a
drive?

Anna thought her mother would be delighted; indeed, she often spoke of
the charms of a country excursion; Denah was called upon to
corroborate, and did so volubly. Where should they go? Half-a-dozen
different places were suggested; why not go here, or there, or to the
wood? Yes, the wood, that would be lovely. They could take their tea
out; if they were well wrapped up, of course, protected from the damp
and the wind, might it not be possible?

So by degrees the plan was brought to the first stage. Denah and Anna
were to talk it over with their mother, and if she thought favourably
of it, then "we must see." By that time Denah had set the crochet work
quite straight, and with kisses and hand-shakings the visitors
departed. Julia went back to the little room where first she washed
the glasses that had been used, afterwards she finished the shrimps
and washed them and put them ready for supper in a china dish like a
large soap dish on three feet. When that was done, it was necessary to
lay the table for dinner and superintend the getting of that meal.

The Van Heigens dined at four. It had taken Julia all the month she
had been with them to in any way get used to that time. Mijnheer and
the only son, Joost, came in from the office for two hours then. The
office joined the house and the great dim orderly bulb barns joined
the office, so the father and son had not far to come in whichever
place they might be. Julia and Mevrouw fetched the food from the
kitchen and cleared the table, as well as getting their own meal; but
that was nothing when you were used to it, any more than was the
curious butter and nutmeg sauce that always seemed to play a part at
dinner.

Mijnheer had a good deal to say to Julia, principally about his
business. The letters she had written for him during the illness of
the clerk who usually did his English correspondence, had given her
some little insight into it. This she had profited by, being in the
first instance really interested, and, in the second, not slow to see
that the old man, far from resenting it, had been pleased