one of the universities, later.

"What photographs are those?"

"Friends of ours, in Brussels."

"Had you many friends there?"

"Not so many, latterly."

Suddenly Constance' eyes met Adolphine's. And Constance did not see
Adolphine's hateful hostility: Constance saw only her sister, four years
younger than herself, but worn out by a tiresome, difficult life, a life
full of money-bothers, full of trouble with spoilt, disagreeable
children, receiving no assistance from her husband, Van Saetzema, who
was chief clerk at the Ministry of Justice; Constance saw her sister,
thin, yellow, eaten up with worry and bitterness, in her almost shabby
and yet pretentious clothes. And, notwithstanding her raging headache,
she was filled with pity, because Adolphine was her sister. She rose and
went to Adolphine:

"Phine," she said, frankly, "don't be angry if I am not very talkative,
but I have such a headache. And I really do think it nice of you to look
me up. Come often. Let us see a lot of each other. I only came to the
Hague because of you all. I wanted you so badly. I have dragged through
so many dreary years. I have no one in my life, except my boy. And he is
still so young; and I tell him too much as it is. I have been very
unhappy, Adolphine, Phine. Be nice to me, be a little fond of your
Constance. She did not always behave as she should, she did not always
behave as she should. But forgive her, forgive her the past," she
whispered, more softly, so that Addie should not hear. "Forgive her that
past which is always there, which has never become the past for good and
all. Forgive her ... and love her a little!"

She burst into nervous sobs and, impulsively, knelt down by her sister
and laid her head on her breast and felt how poor and thin Adolphine was
in her arms. A damp smell of rain was steaming from her muddy dress.

"Dear Constance!" said Adolphine, really touched. "Certainly, I care for
you. And that past was so long ago: we have all of us forgotten about
it."

But Constance sobbed and sobbed.

"Mamma!" said Addie.

She drew him to her also, held her sister and her boy in a close
embrace.

"Come, Constance...."

"Mamma, don't cry.... You always have such a headache, Mummy, after
crying like that."

She controlled herself, stood up; and Adolphine found a few kind words.
Adolphine was certainly touched, but she was cross about that bolero
and, besides, she found Addie better-looking, more taking, almost,