Adolphine.

She knew that Constance was giving a little dinner that evening and she
had come prying on purpose, though she pretended to know nothing:

"I just looked in," she said, "as I was passing with Carolientje; I saw
a light in your windows and thought you must be at home. But your
servant says that you're having a dinner-party!" said Adolphine, tartly
and reproachfully, as though Constance had no right to give a dinner.

"Not a dinner-party. Van Vreeswijck and Paul are dining with us."

"Van Vreeswijck? Oh!" said Adolphine.

"The one at Court?"

"He's a chamberlain of the Regent's," said Constance, simply.

"Oh!"

"He's an old friend of Van der Welcke's," said Constance, almost in
self-excuse.

"Oh! Well, then I won't disturb you...."

The dining-room door was open. Adolphine peeped in and saw the three men
talking over their dessert. She saw the candles, the flowers, the
dinner-jackets of the men; she noticed Constance' dress....

"Do come in, Adolphine," said Constance, mastering herself and in her
gentlest voice.

"No, thanks. If you're having a dinner-party, I won't come in, at
dessert.... Oof! How hot it is in here, Constance: do you still keep on
fires? It's suffocating in your house; and so dark, with those candles.
How pale you look! Aren't you feeling well?"

"Pale? No, I'm feeling very well indeed."

"Oh, I thought you must be tired or ill, you look so awfully pale!
You're not looking well. Perhaps you've put on too much powder. Or is it
your dress that makes you look pale? Is that one of your Brussels
dresses? I don't think it improves you! Your grey cashmere suits you
much better."

"Yes, Adolphine, but that's a walking-dress."

"Oh, of course, you can't wear that at a dinner, at a dinner-party.
Still, I prefer that walking-dress."

"Won't you come in for a moment?"

"No, I'm only in walking-dress, you see, Constance dear. And Carolientje
too. And then I don't want to disturb you, at your men's dinner-party."

"I'm sorry, Adolphine, that you should have called just this night, if
you won't come in. Come in to tea some other evening soon, will you?"

"Well, you see, I don't often come this way: you live so far from
everywhere, in this depressing Kerkhoflaan. At least, I always think it
depressing. What induced you to come and live here, tell me, between two
graveyards? It's not healthy to live in, you know, because of the
miasma...."

"Oh, we never notice anything!"

"Ah,