"Thank you, my children!" No, the ironmaster certainly had no
manners; for as he profited by his rights as an uncle and took her
in his arms, he noticed that she managed to look at Maurits while
he was kissing her, and he swore, really swore quite fiercely.
Downie was not accustomed to find any one disagreeable, but it
certainly would be no easy task to please Uncle Theodore.

"To-morrow," says uncle, "there will be a big dinner here, and a
ball, but to-day you young people must rest after your journey. Now
we will eat our supper, and then we will go to bed."

They are escorted into a drawing-room, and there they are left
alone. The ironmaster rushes out like a wind which is afraid of
being shut in. Five minutes later he is rolling down the avenue in
his big carriage, and the coachman is driving so that the horses
seem to be lying along the ground. After another five minutes uncle
is there again, and now an old lady is sitting beside him in the
carriage.

And in he comes, with a kind, talkative old lady on his arm. And
she takes Anne-Marie and embraces her, but Maurits she greets more
stiffly. No one can take any liberties with Maurits.

However, Anne-Marie is very glad that this pleasant old lady has
come. She and the ironmaster have such a merry way of joking with
one another.

But when they have said good-night and Anne-Marie has come into her
little room, something too tiresome and provoking happens.

Uncle and Maurits are walking in the garden, and she knows that
Maurits is unfolding his plans for the future. Uncle does not seem
to be saying anything at all; he is only walking and striking the
blades of grass with his stick. But Maurits will persuade him fast
enough that the best thing for him to do is to give Maurits a
position as manager of one of his steel-works, if he does not care
to give him the works outright. Maurits has grown so practical
since he has been in love. He often says: "Is it not best for me,
who am to be a great landowner, to make myself familiar with it
all? What is the use of taking my bar examinations?"

They are walking directly under the window and nothing prevents
them from seeing that she is sitting there; but as they do not mind
it, no one can ask that she shall not hear what they are saying. It
is really just as much her affair as it is Maurits's.

Then Uncle Theodore suddenly stops and he looks angry. He looks
quite furious, she thinks, and she almost calls to Maurits to ta