than
any of her own three ugly, lubberly boys. However, she kissed Constance
and arranged for Constance to come and take tea with her next evening.
When Constance was a little calmer and had laughed a little through her
tears, Adolphine took her leave with a warm kiss:

"And I'll just leave Van Saetzema's card, shall I, Constance, here, by
Karel's, for Van der Welcke? Then he'll get it when he arrives...."

She put down the card and, suddenly unable to restrain herself, went, as
though in passing, to the bolero, looked at it and said, in a voice that
bore no resemblance to the envious thoughts that still smouldered in her
heart:

"But, Constance!... Do you still wear those short little jackets?"

"Oh, they've been the fashion so long!" answered Constance, still
thinking of the visiting-cards.

"Well, I don't know: they'd be too short for me, at my age, I think!"

Seeing that she was younger than Constance, the remark was not only
unkind, but dishonest; and Adolphine, now satisfied, went away.

Constance stared at the two visiting-cards and suddenly burst out
sobbing again.

Addie took her in his arms. He was already nearly as tall as she was:

"Mamma," he said, gently, with his resolute lad's voice, "don't cry so;
and go and lie down a little. You have to go to Grandmamma's to-night;
and you'll be too tired if you don't rest first."

And he helped her to take off some of her things and settled her pillows
for her.

She lay on the bed, sobbing convulsively, without really remembering
why.

The boy sat down by the window, near the console-table, and took up his
book, a story of the Boer war. A movement of his arm sent the two cards
over. He just glanced down at them, at those two pieces of paste-board
formalism, let them lie on the carpet and went on reading....

CHAPTER VII

That evening, Constance played bridge, though her head was still very
bad. At Mamma van Lowe's request, she had brought Addie with her; and he
had joined his boy- and girl-cousins in their round games. Constance was
playing with Bertha, Gerrit and Uncle Ruyvenaer.

"Constance," said Bertha, "you mustn't think me unkind for only coming
once to see you--and when you were out too--but I am so busy. I have
sent you your invitation to-day for the wedding-functions. You'll come,
of course, won't you?"

Bertha was the eldest daughter, Mrs. van Naghel van Voorde; her husband
was secretary for the colonies; in their house, Constan