Constance was happy. She began to realize more and more that she now had
what she had missed for years: her family; she held it a privilege
dearer every day that she was back in her own country, in Holland. It
was as though she became more and more penetrated with the consciousness
that she had found all her near ones again, that they had one and all
forgiven her the past; and sometimes she imagined that it was not really
twenty years since she went away: those twenty years seemed to shrink.
In her brothers and sisters she recognized by degrees all the
peculiarities of former days, just as though they had grown no older;
and Mamma had remained exactly the same. Nor could she but admire
secretly the almost childlike simplicity of Van der Welcke, who moved
about calmly in the midst of her relations, though they were all utter
strangers to him and though he; of course, could have no family-feeling
for any of them. He was most intimate with Paul and oftenest in his
company. Constance would have liked to see more of Bertha, but it was
true, they lived at some distance from each other; and yet they found
each other again, as sisters, in that conversation shortly after
Emilie's marriage. Constance indeed was surprised that an open-hearted
talk such as this was not more often renewed between Bertha and herself;
but, in any case, they now felt as sisters. As for Karel and Cateau, no,
they remained distant and strangers, were hardly more intimate with her
than if they had been remote acquaintances; but Gerrit had conceived a
sort of passion for Constance; and, inasmuch as she had shown so much
tolerance towards Adolphine, the latter really seemed a little more
gently disposed to her, for Adolphine remembering all Constance'
admiration and praise of Floortje's trousseau, had been heard to say:
"She's not so bad, Constance; Constance can be rather nice when she
pleases."
It was summer now; and Constance felt happy. Bertha and her children
went to Switzerland, where Van Naghel was to join them in August, and
Adolphine went for a month to the Rhine, but Mamma remained at the
Hague; and Constance was delighted to see her mother every day. They
often drove out together; and they would leave the carriage in the
Scheveningen "Woods" or in the Hague "Wood" and walk along the paths.
And Mamma always talked about the children, or the grandchildren, or the
two great-grandchildren: the children of Otto and Frances, who had gone
to Switzerland with the others. As Bertha was not at the Hague that
summer, the old woman had transferred her partiality to Gerrit's
children, thinking them nice because they were so young. And so she and
Constance often went to Gerrit's and found him in the little
morning-room, ready to go out, in uniform, rattling his sword, clinking
his spurs; fair-haired and heavy and strong in his tight uniform and
varnished riding-boots, while two small girls and two small boys, all
fair-haired, flaxen-haired, with soft, pink cheeks, climbed over him
where he sprawled in his big easy-chair: Gerdy and Adeletje and Alex and
little Guy; while the eldest, Marietje, eight years old, lifted the
little baby heavily in her arms, and a bigger baby crawled among the
legs of the table and chairs in search of a broken doll. In the midst of
this fair-haired medley--all the children delicately built like dolls,
with their flaxen curls and their soft, pink blushes--Gerrit was like a
giant, looked still taller and stronger; his uniform filled the room as
he moved; romping with his children, he seemed able, with one movement,
to send them all--Guy and Alex and Adeletje and Gerdy, who hung on to
his arms and hands--tumbling over the floor, to the terror of
Grandmamma, who thought him too rough; but Adeline was always very calm,
herself also fair, softly-smiling, she too, with her delicate little
fair face, her figure already assuming the rather matronly proportions
of a little wife who has many children and who, although young, has lost
all coquetry in regard to slenderness. She was simple and gentle, just a
small, fair little woman, for ever bearing children to her great, heavy
husband, as a duty of which she did not think much, because Gerrit
wished it: a nature of smiling resignation, always pleasant and calm,
never excited or upset because of her turbulent little brood and always
calmly performing her motherly little duties. She was expecting her
eighth in November; and there seemed to be always room in the small
house for more and more turbulent, fair-haired children. Then Mamma van
Lowe, who had come with Constance after lunch, would ask:
"Well, who's coming for a drive with Granny?..."
And usually it was so arranged that, besides Adeline herself, some four
fair-haired little ones were taken into the landau: three of the
children were crowded inside and Alex went on the box, entrusted to the
special care of the coachman. Then Mamma van Lowe's face beamed with
joy, while a long drive was taken through Voorburg, Wassenaar or
Voorschoten, and the children were regaled on milk, if the opportunity
offered. Or else they merely drove to Scheveningen; and Mrs. van Lowe
made quite a stir at Berenbak's, every one staring at the carriage out
of which, besides the three ladies, came the three little children,
while Alex scrambled down from the box. The waiter would put two tables
together; and ices and pastry were ordered. And, whereas, at the Van
Naghels' house, the old woman enjoyed above all the veneer of state
which distinguished their life, the life that reminded her of her own
great days, she enjoyed herself in a different way amid that little
brood of Adeline's, enjoyed all that fair-haired, merry, natural
youthfulness, where there were no pretensions whatever to state: she was
no longer the worldly grandmamma, interested in official dinners and
receptions and the Russian minister, but the radiant grandmamma, who
rejoiced at having so many dear little grandchildren, all so young. It
was pleasant, she would say to Constance, that Gerrit had married rather
late--he was thirty-five when he married--because through that, she
said, she had so many young grandchildren. And it was nice, she said,
that they were Van Lowes, the only little Van Lowes, three little sons
to keep the name alive, for Karel had no children; and Ernst and Paul
were sure never to marry, she thought. And, though she did not care much
for the name and reckoned all grandchildren as profit, as so much to the
good, she nevertheless felt most for the little Van Lowes, for the three
little boys especially, for the heirs of the name which she had married.
And so, while winter was the time which she enjoyed at the Van Naghels',
she devoted her summer at the Hague to Gerrit and Adeline. She helped
Adeline, who had to be very careful with a moderate income and such a
large troop of little ones, and regularly, in the summer, the old lady
dressed the fair-haired little children, gave them all something, saw
that they had pretty clothes to go about in.
And Constance also delighted in this simple household, especially since
Gerrit had conceived a sort of passion for her. Gerrit and Paul were her
brothers now; and Dorine sulked a bit. She did not get on with
Constance, she could not tell why. Constance had spoken so very nicely
to her that first evening; and Dorine had helped Mamma, with all her
heart, to prepare a cordial welcome for Constance among the brothers and
sisters. But their natures were not made to harmonize; and Dorine was
now muttering that Constance must always have men about her, that she
got on best with Gerrit and Paul, who both paid court to her after a
fashion. Her brothers had never paid court to her, Dorine, after any
fashion. Yes, pretty women were always at an advantage, even with their
own brothers. All she, Dorine, was good for was to trot about and run
errands for the brothers and sisters. And yet it was very strange, but,
since Bertha and Adolphine had been out of town and Dorine went oftener
to Adeline's, she would ask of her own accord, "Adelientje, I'm going
into town this afternoon: is there anything I can do for you?" and, when
Adeline answered, "It's very sweet of you, Dorine, but really, there's
nothing I want," Dorine would reply, "Well, just think again: I have to
go into town, you see;" and then, if Adeline said, "Well, Dorine, if
you're going in any case, would you look in at Schröder's for some
pinafores for Adeletje and at Möller and Thijs' for shoes: they all want
shoes," Dorine would go off at a trot and hurry, with her wide-legged,
shuffling gait, to Schröder's and to Möller and Thijs', muttering to
herself:
"When it's not Bertha or Adolphine, it's Adeline who manages to make use
of me!"
"I think Gerrit a most companionable brother," said Constance, one
evening, while Paul sat taking tea with her.
"Yes, he's a good sort, but he's queer."
"But why queer, Paul? You're always saying that and I have never taken
any notice of it. Why is Gerrit queerer than Ernst or yourself?"
"Well, Ernst isn't normal either and I ... only just."
"But Gerrit, surely, is normal!"
"Perhaps. Perhaps he is. But sometimes I fancy he's not."
"But what does he do, what is there about him that's strange?" asked
Constance, indignantly, like a true Van Lowe, defending her brother as
soon as that brother was attacked.
"Gerrit has been married nine years. Formerly, he was a very lugubrious
gentleman."
"Gerrit lugubrious!" Constance laughed heartily. "My dear Paul, your
knowledge of human nature is deserting you. Gerrit, a healthy fellow,
strong as a horse, an excellent officer, a jolly brother, a first-rate
father with all his fair-haired little children: Gerrit lugubrious!
Where do you get that idea from? Oh, Paul, sometimes, from sheer love of
paradox, you say such very improbable things!"
"You did not know Gerrit as he was, Constance."
"I knew him as a boy of fourteen, when we used to play in the river at
Buitenzorg. Gerrit is still always flying into ecstasies about that time
and my little bare feet! Then I knew Gerrit as a cadet and as a young
subaltern, twenty years ago; and he was always pleasant and gay."
"And I remember Gerrit, ten years ago, lugubrious and melancholy."
"Oh, every one has an occasional mood! Perhaps he had an unhappy
love-affair: why not Gerrit as well as another?"
"I may be wrong, of course."
"When I see Gerrit, in his big chair, with all those children climbing
over his legs and chest, he looks to me the very personification of
happiness. Oh, Paul, and I too, I too feel happy: I can't tell you,
Paul, how happy I am to be back here in the Hague! And now, now you do
all care for me a little again: even Adolphine was very nice lately,
before she went away; and I am happy, I am so happy!"
"You have a very gentle, noble, pastoral nature, with a strong atavistic
tendency!" said Paul, teasing her. "Look, here are your husband and your
boy back with their bicycles, just like two brothers, an elder and a
younger brother. They make a good pair. Now, if you're so happy, don't
be jealous and try and remain as pastoral all the evening as you are at
this moment ... even if your husband should enter the room
presently!..."