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4 now that he knew Bertha’s opinion, he also wanted to know her husband’s opinion and the opinion of all the other brothers and sisters. Meanwhile, he continued to look at the wet hem of Dorine’s skirt and longed to ask her not to touch his paper-knife and paper-weight, which she kept playing with half-nervously; but he said nothing, calculating within himself that, presently, when Dorine was gone, he would have a moment, before dinner, to put everything straight.

“Well, I gathered from what Van Naghel said that he hoped Constance would show the greatest tact and not be too pushing at first, but that, as their brother-in-law, he would welcome Van der Welcke and Constance very cordially.”

Karel nodded placidly, to show that he understood what lay at the back of Van Naghel’s words and that he quite agreed.

“And what did Van Saetzema and Adolphine say?”

“Well, of course, I had more trouble with Adolphine than with any of the others!” cried Dorine, triumphantly waving the paper-knife, while Karel anxiously followed the movements of her hand. “First, she didn’t want to come and said that Mamma had no morals and all that sort of thing. I answered that I respected her views; that, of course, every one was free to think as he pleased; but that she must not forget that Mamma was an old woman, a very old woman, and that we ought to try and make her happy in her old age. Then I