Dorine also, Gerrit remembered, had remained in the Hague; and he looked her up at her boarding-house, where she occupied two small, comfortless rooms. He had not seen her for days . . . or was it weeks? He called twice without finding her in: the servant did not know where she had gone, for Miss van Lowe was nearly always out. At last, Gerrit caught her at home, at twelve o'clock, when she was hurriedly having a makeshift lunch, on the edge of the table, with her chair askew, taking nervous bites and timid sips.
"My dear Dorine, where have you been hiding all this time?" asked Gerrit, with boisterous geniality.
She was out of sorts at being taken by surprise:
"Where have I been hiding? Where have I been hiding? I never have a moment to hide anywhere. I'm far too busy for that!"
"But what have you got to do?"
"What have I got to do? The day flies . . . and I never have time to do what I've got to do."
"But what have you got to do, Dorine?"
"My dear Gerrit, I won't bore you with a list of my doings. Take it from me that my life is
160
