Page:Twilight of the Souls (1917).djvu/78

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THE TWILIGHT OF THE SOULS

used to each other, to fall into each other's ways. Do you think that Grandmamma never had any differences with Grandpapa? Oh, there were ever so many . . . and later on even, after years of marriage! How often didn't Grandmamma and Grandpapa differ about poor Aunt Constance ! . . . And Mamma and Papa: do you think they always agreed? . . . Temper, Emilie, is a thing we all have in our family, but one has to keep it under. A woman must preserve her dignity towards her husband. What a pity, what a pity it was! . . . Well, child, and where are you living now? Not with Mamma at Baarn, I know."

"I'm living in Paris, Granny, with Henri."

"What do you say? In Paris? Are you living in Paris? With Henri? Well, you see, Henri too—yes, Granny isn't quite in her dotage yet—leaving Leiden like that! For shame! Why not have finished his college course and gone to India? . . . And what do you do there, in Paris? It's very nice, for the two of you to be together; but it's not natural, Emilietje. Yes, I remember now: they told me you were living in Paris. I had heard it before. But that's no sort of life: to go running through the bit of money which your poor father left you, in Paris! What will people say! For shame! . . . No, Grandmamma isn't pleased with you. Instead of remaining quietly with your husband . . . instead of Henri's quietly finishing his