Part 37 (1/2)

Gerrit shrugged his shoulders, a little angrily, a little uncomfortably, and stretched his long legs across the carpet.

”Gerrit,” said Constance, ”I'm glad you said what you did.”

”It's all nonsense,” growled Gerrit. ”There is a tendency, not only in Paul,--he's a humbug--but in all sorts of people in our set, Constance, of which you were speaking so scornfully just now, to run Holland down, to think nothing Dutch good, to think our language ugly, to think everything French, English or German better than Dutch. Those are your smart Dutch people, Constance, your Hague people, whom you meet in Bertha's drawing-room, Constance. If they go abroad for a couple of months, they've forgotten their mother-tongue when they come back; but let them be three years without going to Paris, London or Berlin, they'll never, never, never forget their French, their English or their German! Oh, they know their foreign languages so well!”

”Gerrit,” said Paul, ”what you say is true; but just try and say it in fine Dutch, Gerrit!”

”And, Sis,” continued Gerrit, stammering a little, but full of mettle, ”that is why I think it so nice that you, a woman like you, who have lived for years in Rome, in just that smart, cosmopolitan world where patriotism tends to disappear, that you, who have been away from your country for twenty years, that just you have felt awaken in yourself....”

”Bravo!” cried Paul. ”His words are coming!”

”A feeling for your country, for your motherland, that made you long to see Holland again. I would never have suspected it in you; and that, Sissy, is why I should almost like to kiss you ... but we're at a party....”

”And a party of Adolphine's into the bargain. And Adelientje is jealous.”

”No, I'm not!” said Adeline, good-naturedly.

”Well, then, Connie, here goes!”

And Gerrit gave his sister an offhand kiss.

”You're a couple of pastoral characters!” said Paul. ”I can't compete with you.”

”And now, Constance, a gla.s.s of champagne ... to drink to all the family and to our native land,” said Gerrit; and, with Constance on his arm, he walked across the room to the buffet.

”Adelientje,” said Paul, ”was there ever such a madman as your husband?”

But Adolphine approached triumphant, trailing her satin train, which she thought magnificent, and, radiant with self-complacency, asked:

”Adeline, tell me now, what do you think of _my_ party?”

”Oh, beautiful, Adolphine!” said Adeline.

”Adolphine,” said Paul, ”your party is simply dazzling. I have been to many parties in my life, but one like to-night's, never!”

”And a good dinner, wasn't it?”

”The dinner was so good, it couldn't have been better.”

”How do you like my new dress, Adeline? Just see how it fits.”

She pa.s.sed her hands over her bosom.

”It's a very charming dress, Adolphine,” said Adeline.

”Adolphine,” said Paul, ”that velvet on the collar of Saetzema's coat....”

”Yes?...”

”That's _good_ velvet.”