something in the way she does her hair, in those rings of hers--I don't
know--something not quite respectable...."

"Yes, something foreign," said Karel, feebly, by way of an excuse.

"I think," said Cateau, "Con-stance has something about her that's not
quite prop-er...."

"Oh," said Adolphine, "but propriety isn't her strong point!"

"Never was," grinned Karel, in his turn.

"If she had only stayed in Brussels!" snapped Adolphine.

"Ah!" said Cateau, opening big owl's eyes. "Do _you_ think so _too_?"

"Yes. And you?"

"So do _we_, re-ally," drawled Cateau, more cheerfully, forgetting the
brougham waiting in the wet.

"Yes," said Adolphine, with conviction. "What are we to do with a sister
like that?"

"Whom you can't let any one meet," growled Karel under his breath.

"Oh, dear!" whined Cateau to Adolphine. "Do _you_ think so _too_?"

"And," said Adolphine, "mark my words, you'll see, she's full of
pretensions. You know the sort of thing," with an envious wave of the
hand. "Society ... pushing herself ... perhaps even going to Court."

"_No!_" drawled Cateau. "Sure-ly for _that_, even Constance would have
too much _tact_."

"I'm not so sure!" growled Karel.

Unlike Bertha and Constance, Adolphine had not been presented at Court,
because, after Constance' marriage Papa and Mamma van Lowe, feeling old
and tired, had taken to living more quietly. She could never forgive
them for it.

"_No!_" droned Cateau. "But then you are such a regular, good, _Dutch_
wife and mo-ther, Adolph-ine. That's what I al-ways say to Ka-rel."

Adolphine looked flattered.

"Yes, but," said Karel, by way of excuse, "you mustn't look to Constance
for what she has never been. She went straight to Rome after her first
marriage."

"Those Court circles are always fast," Adolphine declared.

"And then, in _Rome_," cried Cateau, clasping her fat hands, "_such_
things hap-pen!"

Adolphine rose: her visit was paid. She had a great deal more to talk
about, among others the way in which Bertha had, so to speak, forced her
daughter Emilie into her engagement with Van Raven; but it was growing
late: she took her leave. Karel and Cateau went straight to the
brougham:

"Oh, de-ar!" said Cateau, in a startled voice. "How wet the carriage has
got!"

They drove to pay their visits. First, they drove to the Ruyvenaers:
Karel rang; fortunately, Uncle and Aunt were out. Cards for Uncle and
Aunt. Next--Cateau consulted her list--to Mrs