Page:Small Souls (1919).djvu/419

Rh some attempt to adopt an attitude; and their excitement cooled down. But it struck them all that Van Naghel looked exceedingly tired, Bertha pale and Marianne as though she had been crying; her eyes were specks under her swollen lids. They exchanged vague, almost doleful good-evenings, giving a hand here, a kiss there. . ..

After all the agitation, a gloom descended upon the family. The voices sank into a whisper. And, through the whispering, suddenly, the voices of the two old aunts sounded piercingly, as they spoke to the Van Naghels:

“Yes, yes, I remember you, I know you. Good-evening, Van Naghel.”

“Good-evening, Aunt.”

“Good-evening, Toetie. Yes, yes, I know you: you’re Toetie, Van Naghel’s wife. And who’s that?”

“That’s my girl, Auntie: Marianne. And I’m Bertha. . . .”

“Oh, yes, that’s Emilietje!” Auntie Tine screamed in Auntie Rine’s ear, in a moment of sudden and not yet perfect lucidity. “That’s Toetie’s daughter Emilie-etje!”

“No, Auntie, Emilie is married!”

“What d’you say? Is she dead?”

“No,” screamed Auntie Tine, “Floortje, Floortje is married! This is Emilie-etje!”

“Oh, I see! Good-evening, Emilietje.”

A smile lit up gloomy features here and there. The aunts never knew any one properly, were always