it was his turn. He had come back very gloomy from the Plaats; and Addie had cheered him up during dinner. . . . Sometimes, even, Addie went quite mad. Then he wanted to romp with his father; and Van der Welcke did not object, until Addie discovered a little spot between Papa’s brace-buttons where he was very sensitive and tickled him, furiously, just on that little spot.
“Addie, that’s enough!” Van der Welcke shouted, playing the father, trying to inspire respect.
But Addie, quite mad, caught Papa round the waist, tickled him on that sensitive spot.
“Addie, I’ll give you a thrashing!”
And Van der Welcke squirmed, nervously, ran madly round the room, ran out of the room, followed by his tormentor.
“Addie, if you don’t leave off, you’ll get such a thrashing that you . . .!”
But there was no holding the boy; and Van der Welcke, because of that sensitive spot, lost all his self-respect, cringed, entreated, laughed like a madman when Addie so much as pointed at it.
“Addie, don’t be so silly!” cried Constance from the drawing-room.
Then he rushed to his mother.
“Hullo, are you jealous again? Do you want to play at sweethearts?”
But his father called to him, reproachfully:
“Come, Addie, let us start.”
And Addie ran from one to the other like a little
