"Who can tell what they are doing, Bertha? Who can tell what goes on inside them?"
"No, they are not struggling."
"Who can tell?"
"No, no . . . Constance, it is just as well that we are going to Baarn."
They heard voices in the drawing-room, loud voices, with an Indian accent. The Ruyvenaers were going:
"Good-bye, Ber-r-rtha," said Aunt Lot, looking through the door. "We're going, Ber-r-rtha."
Constance and Bertha went back to the drawing-room. Bertha forgot to wipe the tears from her eyes, kissed Aunt Lot. Adolphine and Cateau came up to Bertha:
"Ber-tha," whined Cateau; and this time she whined with a vengeance. "We just want-ed to say a word to you. Emilie-tje must not get a di-vorce."
"No," said Adolphine, "if she goes and gets a divorce, the family will become impossible. It'll create a scandal, if they are divorced."
"Ye-es," Cateau droned aloud, "it would be a scan-dal, Ber-tha. Don't you think so too, Constance?"
"There's no question of it . . . for the moment," said Constance. "Emilie has gone abroad for a bit with Henri; and the change is sure to do her good and make her a little calmer."
"Oh? . . . Has she gone a-broad?"
