was better to talk about indifferent things....

But this was not only one of Constance' handsome, but also one of her
amiable evenings. As a hostess, in however small a way, she came into
her own and was like another woman, much more gentle, without any
bitterness and ready to accept the fact that a rock had to be doubled
now and again. Her smile gave to her cheeks a roundness that made her
look younger. What a pity, thought Paul, that she was not always just
like that, so full of tact, always the hostess in her own house, hostess
to her husband too:

"How strange women are," he thought. "If I were dining here alone with
them, in the ordinary course of things, and if these same rocks had
occurred in the conversation, Constance would have lost her temper three
times by now and Van der Welcke would have caught it finely. And now
that there's a guest, now that we are in our dinner-jackets and
Constance in an evening-frock, now that there are grapes and flowers on
the table and a more elaborate _menu_ than usual, now she does not lose
her temper and won't lose her temper, however many rocks we may have to
steer past. I believe that, even if we began to talk about infidelity
and divorce, about marriages with old men and love-affairs with young
ones, she would remain quite calm, smiling prettily with those little
dimples at the corners of her mouth, as though nothing could apply to
her... What strange creatures women are, full of little reserves of
force that make them very powerful in life!... And, presently, when Van
Vreeswijck is gone, she will rave at Van der Welcke if he so much as
blows his nose; and all her little reserve-forces will have vanished;
and she will be left without the smallest self-control.... Still, in any
case, she is most charming; and I have had a capital dinner and am
feeling very pleasant...."

The bell rang and, through the open door leading to the hall, Constance
and Paul heard voices at the front-door:

"That's Adolphine's voice!" said Constance.

"And Carolientje's," said Paul....

"Oh, then I won't stay!" they heard Adolphine say, loudly, shrilly.

Constance rose from her chair. She thought it a bore that Adolphine
should call just in this evening, but she was bent upon never allowing
Adolphine to see that she was unwelcome:

"Excuse me, Mr. van Vreeswijck, for a moment. I hear my sister...."

She went out into the passage:

"How are you, Adolphine?"

"How are you, Constance?" said