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84 away. . . Perhaps later, mevrouw, when I have known you a little longer, I may be able to tell you about that time, so that you may understand it after a fashion."

Constance was disappointed, but she said, with a smile:

"Then I must exercise patience."

"But I exercise no patience," said Van der Welcke. "Tell us now, Max: when you left Leiden, after taking your degree in law, a year before I did—but you were much older than I, an older student who really studied, a rara avis!—what did you do then?"

"I first went back to my father and my brothers, to the factory. And then I took such an aversion to the whole thing, to all that we represented, my father, my brothers and I, that I determined to go and lead an entirely different life. I saw that, though my father and brothers were comparatively good to their workmen, those workmen remained slaves; and we . . ."

He passed his hand over his forehead:

"How can I and why should I talk about all this, my dear Hans?" he said, gently interrupting himself. "You wouldn't understand me; nor you either, mevrouw . . ."

"Why shouldn't we understand you?" asked Constance.