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Rh “Well, I think, if Constance wants to see people in that sort of way, she could have done so just as well in Brussels. She’s supposed to have come here for the family.”

“But she doesn’t ask the fam-ily. Oh, you mustn’t count us, Phi-i-ine. We al-ways live ve-ry qui-etly. It’s Ka-rel, you see.”

“But I feel sure now that she means to get presented at Court.”

“Yes, by Vrees-wijck, no doubt. Will he present her to the Queen?” asked Cateau, rounding her owl’s eyes.

“Oh, no!” said Adolphine, irritably. “But they mean to push themselves with his assistance.”

“Oh, is that the way it’s done? You see, we know no-thing about the Court. You wouldn’t get Ka-rel to go to Court for any-thing! Not if you paid him! But now it’s quite cert-ain.”

“Yes, I’m convinced of it now.”

“About the Court?”

“Yes.”

“Oh! Well, I al-ways thought that Con-stance would have too much tact for that. And may I have a look at Floortje’s trous-seau now, Adolph-ine? She’ll be mar-ried quite soon now, won’t she? In a week? Ah! And I al-ways think it so nice to be mar-ried in May, don’t you, Adolph-ine?”

The two sisters’ voices whined and snarled, the stairs creaked, the doors slammed. Ta-ta, ta-ta, ta-ta, ta-ta, went the scales. Whew, boo, whew! went the wind, roaring down the sooty chimney.