looks so out of place here . . . in the little room . . . and it is such a fine portrait. . . ."
Dorine said nothing more. Her legs shook beneath her; but she went on spreading out the cards.
Karel and Cateau arrived:
"How aw-ful!" said Cateau, pale in the face. "We thought we had bet-ter come . . . for Mamma's sake . . . didn't we, Ka-rel?"
"Mamma knows nothing," said Dorine. "But we can't possibly keep it from her. . . . Otto has gone to Baarn to break the news to Bertha."
The Van Saetzemas arrived:
"No details yet?" asked Adolphine.
"No," Dorine whispered, nervously, seeing Mamma approaching.
"How late you all are!" grumbled the old woman. "Why aren't Uncle Herman and Auntie Lot here? And why haven't Auntie Tine and Auntie Rine come yet?"
There was a moment's painful pause.
"But they haven't been coming for some time, Mamma," said Adolphine, gently.
"What do you say? Are they ill?"
"The old aunts haven't been for ev-er so long on Sunday even-ings," said Cateau, with a great deal of pitying emphasis.
Suddenly Mrs. van Lowe seemed to remember. Yes, it was true: the sisters had not come on Sunday evenings for a long time. She nodded her head in
