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246 with which Emilie’s wedding-days had glittered; she thought it ridiculous, she wanted to do everything more economically and yet she did not like doing everything so economically; and so there was an incessant struggle, both with herself and with Floortje, who also did not wish to be second to Emilie and who gave no thought to money: it was only her parents’ money! But still, with her peculiar gift of self-glorification, Adolphine was now able to praise Floortje’s trousseau to Cateau above all those lace fripperies of Emilie’s.

“Much ni-cer and more last-ing, I think, Adolphine!” whined Cateau.

“Yes; and just look at those chemises, look at those table-cloths and napkins: there’s quality there, you can’t beat it,” said Adolphine, patting the stacks of linen in the cupboard. “And all those silly presents which Emilie had, all that silver, which she can’t use: what do young people, who of course won’t be seeing people for the first few years, want with so much silver? I’m very glad that our friends have been more practical in choosing their presents for Floortje: I shouldn’t have been at all pleased if Floortje had been set up in her silver-cupboard by people whom you may call acquaintances, if you like, but who, after all, are strangers.”

“Ye-e-es,” whined Cateau. “At Emilie-tje’s reception, it looked just like Van Kem-pen’s shop. I thought it so vul-gar and com-mon, didn’t you, Adolph-ine?”

The epithets were not exceptionally well-chosen