don't know where Papa is. Papa has an appointment, I
believe, at the Witte Club, where he was to meet some old friends; but
you can't go to the Witte!"

"Isn't Papa coming back to dinner at the hotel?"

"I believe Papa intended to stay and dine at the Witte. But I really
don't know. I'm not in the habit of controlling Papa's movements."

He looked at her thoughtfully:

"I must absolutely see Papa before seven o'clock, Mamma."

"But why before seven o'clock? Is there anything you want? Won't I do?
Don't I count at all?"

"Yes," he said, "when you're not so cross. The owner of the house in the
Kerkhoflaan, near the Woods, is coming to call before seven."

"How do you know?"

"I went to him this morning, on my way to Uncle Gerrit's."

"Well?"

"And I told him Papa would probably take the house and asked him to come
to the hotel, at seven o'clock, and bring a draft of the lease with
him."

He suddenly became very uncomfortable, because his grandmother and his
uncle sat staring at him.

"But, Addie," said Granny van Lowe, not quite understanding, "how did
you come to do that? Did Papa tell you to go?"

"No, Granny, Papa said nothing about it, but it's a very nice house
indeed; and, if Papa and Mamma could only agree, I wouldn't interfere;
but, as it is, I really must. Otherwise the furniture will be here from
Brussels and Papa and Mamma still looking for a house, each in a
different part of the town."

He talked fluently, but he was very uncomfortable and his face was as
red as fire, for it was plain that Granny did not yet understand; and
Uncle Paul sat shaking with laughter and trying to pull him between his
knees; and this was no moment for romping.

"Oh, don't, Uncle Paul, please!..."

But Paul laughed and shook him by the shoulders; and Grandmamma frowned;
and yet it was really very simple; and Mamma thought so too, for she
said, calmly:

"Oh, you went to that house, did you?... The one near the Woods.... How
many rooms did we say there were?"

"There are the two rooms opening into each other on the ground-floor,"
said Addie, standing, with a serious face, between Paul's knees.
"Upstairs, you can have the big bedroom and Papa the smaller one, with a
little room next to it as a smoking-room; and then I should like that
turret-room, with the bow-window, you know...."

"Yes; but, Addie, the house in the Emmastraat has bigger rooms."

"It is farther from Granny and two hundred guilders dearer; so p