greatfancy
to
her
.
In
those
first
bad
days
after
the
Captain
's
leaving
the
army
,
the
Polkingtons
had
lived
,
or
perhaps
more
accurately
,
drifted
about
,
a
good
deal
abroad
.
It
was
then
that
Julia
picked
up
her
only
accomplishment
,
a
working
knowledge
of
several
languages
.
She
had
also
acquired
one
other
thing
,
perhaps
not
an
accomplishment
,
a
rather
unusual
knowledge
of
divers
men
and
divers
ways
.
It
may
have
been
that
these
qualities
made
her
more
attractive
to
the
old
Dutchman
than
the
purely
English
game-expert
daughters
of
the
house
.
Or
it
may
have
been
her
admirable
cooking
;
the
cook
was
ill
during
the
greater
part
of
her
visit
,
and
her
offer
to
help
was
gladly
ac
cepted
and
duly
appreciated
.
Something
,
at
all
events
,
pleased
the
old
man
,
so
that
before
he
left
he
asked
her
,
half
in
fun
,
if
she
would
come
and
live
with
his
wife
.
This
lady
,
it
seemed
,
had
bad
health
,
and
no
daughters
;
she
always
had
a
companion
of
some
sort
,
and
was
never
satisfied
with
the
one
she
had
.
In
Holland
,
as
in
England
,
it
seemed
posts
were
not
easy
to
fill
satisfactorily
,
for
those
often
in
want
of
employment
were
also
constitutionally
inefficient
.
At
the
time
Julia
had
laughingly
refused
the
offer
,
now
she
recalled
it
,
and
thought
seriously
about
it
.
It
would
not
be
very
nice
,
a
mixture
of
upper
servant
and
lady
help
;
the
Van
Heigens
were
bulb
growers
,
old-fashioned
people
,
the
lady
a
thorough
huisvrouw
,
nothing
more
probably
.
Still
that
did
not
matter
;
such
things
need
not
be
considered
if
the
end
could
be
attained
that
way
.
But
unfortunately
it
did
not
look
very
likely
;
the
Van
Heigens
would
pay
less
to
a
companion
than
English
people
would
,
not
enough
to
buy
clothes
;
there
was
practically
nothing
to
be
made
out
of
it
.
Julia
was
obliged
to
admit
the
fact
to
herself
,
and
reluctantly
to
dismiss
the
Dutchman
and
his
offer
from
her
thoughts
.
But
curiously
enough
,
they
were
brought
to
her
mind
again
before
long
;
not
later
,
indeed
,
than
that
evening
,
when
she
went
to
a
dance
at
a
neighbour
's
house
.
At
this
dance
she
met
a
Mr.
Alexander
Cross
.
He
was
not
a
native
of
Marbridge
,
not
at
all
like
any
of
them
;
it
is
quite
possible
that
they
would
have
rather
looked
down
upon
him
;
Julia
recognised
that
he
barely
came
up
to
her
mother
's
standard
of
a
gentleman
.
He
seemed
to
be
a
keen
business
man
of
the
energetic
new
sort
;
he
also
seemed
to
deal
in
most
things
,
flowers
among
them
.
He
told
Julia
something
about
that
part
of
his
business
,
for
he
and
it
interested
her
so
much
that
she
asked
him
lead
ing
questions
.
He
explained
how
the
beautiful
orchid
he
wore
in
his
coat
had
decreased
in
value
lately
.
A
few
years
ago
,
when
there
had
been
but
one
specimen
with
just
that
marking
in
all
the
world
,
the
plant
had
sold
for
£
900
;
now
that
it
had
been
multiplied
it
was
worth
only
£
25
,
nothing
practically
.
"
It
was
a
novelty
then
,
"
he
explained
;
"
some
novelties
are
worth
a
great
deal
.
There
's
one
I
know
of
now
I
could
do
some
good
business
with
if
I
could
get
hold
of
it
.
But
I
ca
n't
;
the
old
fool
that
's
got
it
wo
n't
sell
it
for
any
price
,
and
he
ca
n't
half
work
it
himself
.
It
's
a
blue
daffodil
—
Narcissus
Triandrus
Azureum
he
calls
it
;
or
rather
,
to
give
it
its
full
title
,
Narcissus
Triandrus
Azureum
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
;
so
called
,
I
believe
,
in
honour
of
his
wife
,
or
his
mother
.
"
Julia
wondered
if
the
Van
Heigen
who
owned
the
precious
flower
was
the
old
Dutchman
of
her
acquaintance
.
"
Is
he
a
bulb
grower
?
"
she
asked
,
though
without
giving
any
reason
for
her
question
.
"
Yes
,
"
Cross
answered
,
"
a
Dutch
bulb
grower
;
that
's
why
he
wo
n't
make
the
profit
he
might
;
he
comes
of
generations
of
growers
,
and
they
venerate
their
bulbs
.
He
has
cranky
notions
of
how
things
ought
to
be
done
,
and
no
other
way
will
do
for
him
.
"
"
How
did
he
get
a
blue
daffodil
?
Do
you
think
it
is
real
?
It
seems
very
unusual
.
"
"
It
is
unusual
;
that
's
where
the
value
comes
in
;
but
it
's
real
fast
enough
,
though
I
do
n't
believe
he
grew
the
first
,
as
he
says
,
in
his
own
garden
.
It
's
my
opinion
that
one
of
his
collectors
sent
him
the
first
bulb
;
he
has
collectors
all
over
the
world
,
you
know
,
looking
for
new
things
.
"
"
What
is
he
going
to
do
with
it
?
"
Julia
asked
.
"
He
is
multiplying
it
at
present
;
at
first
he
had
only
one
,
now
,
of
course
,
he
has
a
few
more
;
when
he
has
got
enough
he
will
hybridise
.
You
do
n't
know
what
that
is
.
Cross-breed
with
it
;
use
the
blue
with
the
old
yellow
daffodil
as
parents
to
new
varieties
.
That
's
ticklish
work
;
growers
ca
n't
afford
to
do
it
till
they
have
a
fair
number
of
the
new
sort
;
but
,
of
course
,
they
occasionally
get
something
good
that
way
.
"
Julia
listened
,
much
interested
,
though
,
to
tell
the
truth
,
the
money
value
of
the
thing
fascinated
her
more
than
anything
else
.
"
Will
he
never
sell
any
of
his
blue
bulbs
?
"
she
asked
.
"
Oh
,
yes
,
in
time
,
"
Cross
answered
;
"
but
not
while
they
are
worth
anything
much
to
the
growers
.
"
"
What
are
they
worth
?
I
mean
,
what
would
it
be
worth
if
there
was
only
one
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
;
I
dare
say
I
could
get
£
400
for
the
single
bulb
.
"
"
But
if
there
were
more
they
would
not
be
worth
so
much
?
If
there
were
five
,
what
would
they
be
worth
?
"
"
Pretty
well
as
much
,
very
likely
£
300
for
one
bulb
.
Van
Heigen
would
give
a
written
guarantee
with
it
not
to
sell
another
bulb
to
another
grower
.
"
"
But
he
could
keep
the
others
himself
?
"
Julia
asked
.
"
That
would
be
eating
his
cake
and
having
it
too
.
Tell
me
,
"
she
said
,
feeling
she
was
imitating
the
Patriarch
when
he
was
pleading
for
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
,
"
if
there
were
ten
bulbs
,
what
could
you
get
for
one
.
"
Cross
was
amused
by
her
interest
.
"
A
hundred
pounds
,
I
dare
say
,
"
he
said
;
"
but
I
shall
never
have
the
chance
.
The
trade
will
never
touch
those
blue
daffodils
while
they
are
worth
having
.
When
the
old
man
does
begin
to
sell
them
—
when
they
are
worth
very
little
to
the
growers
—
he
will
sell
to
collectors
,
cranky
old
connoisseurs
,
from
choice
.
That
's
what
I
mean
when
I
say
he
does
n't
understand
business
as
business
;
he
would
rather
sell
his
precious
blue
daffodils
where
they
were
what
he
calls
'
appreciated
.
'
He
would
sooner
they
went
for
a
moderate
price
to
people
who
would
worship
them
,
than
make
an
enormous
profit
out
of
them
.
"
"
But
the
connoisseurs
could
sell
them
,
"
Julia
objected
.
"
If
I
were
a
connoisseur
and
bought
one
when
they
were
for
sale
,
I
could
sell
it
to
you
if
I
liked
.
"
"
Yes
,
but
you
would
n't
,
"
Cross
said
;
"
if
you
were
a
connoisseur
you
would
not
dream
of
parting
with
your
bulb
.
You
would
n't
have
the
slightest
wish
to
make
a
hundred
per
cent
.
on
your
purchase
,
or
two
or
three
hundred
either
.
Also
I
should
n't
buy
.
"
"
Why
not
?
"
"
I
could
n't
afford
to
have
my
name
mixed
up
with
the
business
.
"
Julia
looked
at
him
critically
.
"
You
could
afford
that
the
business
should
be
done
without
your
name
?
"
she
suggested
.
He
laughed
.
"
I
could
introduce
the
seller
,
did
such
an
impossible
person
exist
,
to
some
one
who
could
buy
.
"
It
was
Julia
's
turn
to
laugh
,
that
soundless
laugh
of
hers
which
gave
the
feeling
of
a
joke
only
half
shared
.
"
For
a
consideration
,
of
course
,
"
she
said
.
"
Something
would
naturally
stick
to
my
fingers
,
"
Cross
answered
,
amused
rather
than
offended
.
He
was
a
good
deal
amused
by
his
partner
,
finding
her
more
interesting
than
most
of
the
girls
he
met
that
evening
;
afterwards
he
forgot
her
,
for
two
days
later
he
left
the
place
,
and
thought
no
more
either
about
Miss
Polkington
or
the
talk
he
had
had
with
her
.
As
for
her
,
it
was
not
clear
what
she
thought
,
but
the
next
day
she
wrote
to
London
for
a
second-hand
Dutch
dictionary
,
and
then
went
to
call
at
the
house
with
the
largest
library
that
she
knew
.
When
she
came
away
from
there
she
carried
with
her
a
book
she
had
borrowed
,
a
Dutch
version
of
Gil
Blas
,
which
she
remembered
to
have
once
seen
tucked
away
in
a
corner
.
Shortly
afterwards
,
as
soon
as
the
dictionary
came
,
she
set
to
reading
the
edifying
work
,
and
found
it
easier
than
she
expected
.
What
one
learns
from
necessity
in
childhood
stays
in
the
memory
,
and
a
good
knowledge
of
German
and
a
smallish
one
of
Dutch
will
carry
one
through
greater
difficulties
than
Gil
Blas
.
Before
her
mother
and
sisters
came
back
to
Marbridge
,
Julia
had
written
to
the
old
Dutchman
.
When
Mrs.
Polkington
heard
Julia
wanted
to
go
to
Holland
and
live
in
a
Dutch
family
she
was
surprised
.
This
news
was
not
given
to
her
till
the
spring
had
fairly
set
in
,
for
it
was
not
till
then
that
Julia
had
been
able
to
get
everything
arranged
.
It
is
no
use
telling
people
your
plans
unless
you
are
quite
sure
of
carrying
them
out
,
and
you
are
never
sure
of
that
long
before
starting
;
at
least
,
that
was
Julia
's
opinion
.
It
was
also
her
opinion
that
it
was
quite
unnecessary
to
tell
all
details
.
She
said
she
was
tired
of
being
at
Marbridge
,
and
wanted
a
complete
change
;
also
that
when
there
were
three
grown-up
sisters
at
home
it
seemed
rather
desirable
that
one
should
go
away
,
for
a
time
at
least
.
When
Violet
suggested
that
it
was
odd
to
have
chosen
Holland
in
preference
to
France
or
Germany
,
she
replied
truthfully
that
the
one
was
possible
to
her
,
the
others
were
not
.
Mrs.
Polkington
,
who
quite
approved
of
the
plan
,
saw
no
objection
to
Holland
,
adding
as
a
recommendation
,
"
It
is
so
much
more
original
to
go
there
.
"
She
did
not
fail
to
remark
on
the
originality
when
she
embroidered
Julia
's
going
to
her
friends
and
acquaintances
.
Captain
Polkington
was
the
only
member
of
the
family
who
regretted
this
going
.
He
had
always
regarded
Julia
as
something
between
an
ally
and
a
tolerant
go-between
;
and
since
she
had
wrung
from
him
the
confession
of
his
difficulties
,
and
helped
in
the
arrangement
of
them
,
his
feeling
for
her
had
leaned
more
and
more
towards
the
former
.
He
had
even
come
to
feel
a
certain
protectiveness
in
her
presence
,
which
made
him
really
sorry
she
was
going
.
Johnny
Gillat
was
sorrier
still
.
Johnny
had
gone
back
to
dismal
lodgings
in
town
now
;
he
only
heard
of
the
plan
by
letter
,
and
the
Captain
's
letters
were
very
prolix
,
and
not
informing
.
Mr.
Gillat
's
own
letters
were
even
worse
,
for
if
they
lacked
the
prolixity
,
they
lacked
the
little
information
also
.
On
receipt
of
the
Captain
's
information
he
merely
wrote
to
ask
when
Julia
was
going
,
and
what
time
she
would
be
in
London
,
as
he
would
like
to
give
himself
the
pleasure
of
meeting
her
train
.
He
did
give
himself
that
pleasure
;
he
was
at
the
station
half
an
hour
and
ten
minutes
before
the
train
,
so
as
to
be
sure
of
being
in
time
.
He
was
on
the
platform
when
the
train
came
in
;
Julia
saw
him
,
a
rather
ridiculous
figure
,
his
shabby
coat
tremendously
brushed
and
tightly
buttoned
,
a
gay
tie
displayed
to
the
uttermost
to
hide
a
ragged
shirt
front
,
his
round
,
pink
face
,
with
its
little
grizzled
moustache
,
wearing
a
look
of
melancholy
which
made
it
appear
more
than
ordinarily
foolish
.
He
was
standing
where
the
part
of
the
train
which
came
from
Marbridge
could
not
possibly
stop
,
much
in
the
way
of
porters
and
trucks
;
Julia
had
to
find
him
and
find
her
luggage
too
,
but
he
seemed
to
think
he
was
of
much
service
.
Julia
's
hard
young
heart
smote
her
when
he
gave
twopence
to
her
porter
.
"
Johnny
,
"
she
said
,
as
he
took
her
ticket
on
the
District
Railway
,
"
I
am
going
to
pay
for
my
ticket
.
"
It
was
only
threepence
,
but
there
are
people
who
have
to
consider
the
threepences
;
if
Julia
was
one
,
she
knew
that
Mr.
Gillat
was
another
,
and
she
had
allowed
for
this
threepence
,
and
he
probably
had
not
.
He
demurred
,
but
she
insisted
.
"
Then
I
wo
n't
let
you
come
with
me
;
"
and
he
gave
way
.
They
were
alone
in
a
compartment
,
and
he
shouted
above
the
rattle
of
the
train
something
about
her
being
missed
at
Marbridge
.
"
Oh
,
no
,
"
she
said
,
"
mother
and
the
girls
think
it
is
a
good
thing
I
am
going
.
"
"
Your
father
and
I
will
miss
you
,
"
Johnny
told
her
.
"
You
?
"
"
Yes
;
I
'll
miss
you
very
much
—
we
both
shall
;
we
shall
sit
down-stairs
,
each
side
of
the
fire-place
,
and
think
how
you
used
to
come
there
sometimes
.
And
when
I
wait
in
the
dining-room
when
your
father
's
not
at
home
,
I
'll
remember
how
you
used
to
come
down
there
and
chat
.
We
had
many
a
chat
,
did
n't
we
?
—
you
and
me
,
and
Bouquet
burning
between
us
—
there
was
nobody
could
trim
Bouquet
like
you
.
But
perhaps
you
'll
be
back
before
winter
comes
round
again
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
when
I
shall
be
back
,
"
was
all
Julia
could
find
to
say
.
The
idea
of
being
missed
like
this
was
new
and
strange
to
her
;
the
Polkingtons
'
feelings
were
so
much
guided
by
what
was
advisable
,
or
expedient
,
that
there
was
not
usually
much
room
for
simple
emotions
.
She
felt
somehow
grateful
to
Johnny
for
caring
a
little
that
she
was
going
,
though
at
the
same
time
she
was
unpleasantly
convinced
that
she
did
not
deserve
it
.
"
It
wo
n't
be
at
all
the
same
at
No.
27
,
"
Mr.
Gillat
was
saying
.
"
Your
mother
—
she
's
a
wonderful
woman
,
a
wonderful
woman
,
and
Miss
Violet
's
a
fine
girl
,
so
's
the
other
,
handsome
both
of
them
;
but
they
're
in
the
drawing-room
,
you
know
,
and
you
—
you
used
to
come
down-stairs
.
"
It
did
not
sound
very
explicit
,
but
Julia
understood
what
he
meant
.
Just
then
the
train
stopped
at
a
station
,
and
other
passengers
got
in
,
so
they
had
little
more
talk
.
In
time
they
reached
Mark
Lane
,
from
whence
it
is
no
great
walk
to
the
Tower
Stairs
.
There
is
a
cheap
way
of
going
to
Holland
from
there
for
those
who
do
not
mind
spending
twenty-four
hours
on
the
journey
;
Julia
did
not
mind
.
When
she
and
Johnny
Gillat
arrived
at
the
Tower
Stairs
they
saw
the
steamer
lying
in
the
river
,
a
small
Dutch
boat
,
still
taking
in
cargo
from
loaded
lighters
alongside
.
A
waterman
put
them
on
board
,
or
,
rather
,
took
them
to
the
nearest
waiting
lighter
,
from
whence
they
scrambled
on
board
,
Mr.
Gillat
very
unhandily
.
A
Dutch
steward
received
them
,
and
taking
Johnny
for
a
father
come
to
see
his
daughter
off
,
assured
them
in
bad
English
that
she
would
be
quite
safe
,
and
well
taken
care
of
.
"
She
shall
haf
one
cabin
to
herself
,
a
bed
clean
.
Yes
,
yes
;
there
is
no
passenger
but
one
,
a
Holland
gentleman
;
he
will
not
speak
with
the
miss
,
he
is
friend
of
captain
.
"
Johnny
nodded
a
great
many
times
,
though
he
did
not
quite
follow
what
was
said
.
Then
Julia
told
him
he
had
better
go
,
and
not
keep
the
waterman
any
longer
.
He
agreed
,
and
began
fumbling
in
his
pocket
,
from
whence
he
pulled
out
one
of
his
badly-tied
parcels
.
"
A
keepsake
,
"
he
said
,
putting
it
into
her
hand
;
then
,
without
waiting
to
say
good-bye
,
he
scrambled
over
the
side
in
such
a
hurry
that
he
as
nearly
as
possible
fell
into
the
river
.
Julia
ran
to
the
side
in
some
anxiety
;
some
one
shouted
,
"
Look
out
,
"
and
some
one
else
,
"
Hold
up
,
"
and
a
third
something
less
complimentary
.
Then
a
man
laid
hold
of
Mr.
Gillat
's
legs
and
guided
him
safely
on
to
the
bobbing
lighter
.
There
he
turned
and
waved
his
hat
to
Julia
before
he
got
into
the
waiting
boat
.
"
Good-bye
,
"
he
called
.
"
Good-bye
,
"
she
answered
.
"
Oh
,
do
be
careful
!
"
He
was
not
careful
,
but
the
waterman
had
him
now
,
and
took
him
ashore
.
She
watched
him
,
his
round
face
was
suffused
with
smiles
;
he
waved
his
hat
once
more
just
as
he
reached
the
stairs
.
He
slipped
once
getting
up
them
,
but
he
was
up
now
,
and
turned
to
wave
once
before
he
started
down
the
street
.
It
was
not
till
then
that
Julia
became
aware
of
a
small
sound
close
at
hand
;
there
was
a
good
deal
of
noise
going
on
,
shouting
,
the
rattling
of
cranes
,
and
the
thud
of
shifting
bales
,
with
now
and
then
the
hoot
of
a
steamer
and
the
escape
of
steam
,
and
under
all
,
the
restless
lapping
of
the
water
.
But
through
it
all
she
now
heard
a
much
smaller
sound
quite
close
,
a
regular
tick
,
tick
.
She
glanced
at
the
parcel
she
had
forgotten
,
then
in
an
instant
,
as
a
sudden
idea
occurred
to
her
,
she
had
the
paper
off
.
Yes
,
it
was
.
It
was
Johnny
's
great
old-fashioned
gold
watch
,
with
the
fetter
chain
dangling
at
the
end
.
She
stood
quite
still
with
the
thing
in
her
hand
,
her
mouth
set
straight
,
and
her
eyes
growing
glitteringly
bright
.
The
round
gilded
face
stared
up
at
her
,
reminding
her
in
some
grotesque
way
of
Johnny
;
poor
,
generous
,
honest
,
foolish
old
Johnny
!
She
looked
away
quickly
,
a
sudden
desire
not
to
go
with
this
moon-faced
companion
took
possession
of
her
—
a
desire
not
to
go
at
all
,
a
horrible
new-born
doubt
about
it
.
But
feelings
for
abstract
right
and
wrong
,
like
personal
likes
and
dislikes
,
do
not
grow
strongly
where
ex
pediency
and
advisability
and
advantage
have
to
rule
;
she
was
only
going
to
do
what
she
must
in
Holland
;
the
debt
must
be
paid
,
honour
demanded
no
less
;
the
blue
daffodil
was
the
only
hope
of
paying
it
.
She
was
not
going
to
steal
a
bulb
exactly
;
she
was
going
to
get
it
somehow
,
as
a
gift
,
perhaps
,
opportunity
must
show
how
;
and
when
it
was
hers
,
she
could
do
with
it
as
she
pleased
,
there
was
no
wrong
in
that
.
She
must
go
;
she
must
do
it
;
the
thing
was
so
necessary
as
to
be
unavoidable
,
and
not
open
to
question
.
She
looked
down
,
and
her
eye
fell
on
the
watch
again
;
it
stared
up
at
her
in
the
same
vacant
way
as
Johnny
had
done
that
day
when
he
wanted
to
sell
it
and
his
other
things
to
help
them
out
of
their
justly
earned
,
sordid
difficulties
.
With
shame
she
had
prevented
that
,
feeling
the
cause
unworthy
of
the
sacrifice
.
But
this
sacrifice
,
for
a
still
more
unworthy
cause
,
she
was
too
late
to
prevent
.
Johnny
had
gone
.
She
looked
earnestly
to
see
if
he
was
among
those
who
loitered
about
the
stairs
,
or
those
in
the
more
distant
street
.
But
she
could
not
see
him
,
he
was
gone
clean
from
sight
;
there
was
only
the
busy
,
unfamiliar
life
of
the
river
around
;
yellow
,
sunlit
water
;
the
crowded
craft
,
and
the
great
stately
wonder
of
the
Tower
Bridge
silently
raising
and
parting
its
solid
roadway
to
let
some
boat
go
,
as
she
would
soon
go
down
to
the
sea
.
CHAPTER
IV
THE
OWNER
OF
THE
BLUE
DAFFODIL
Vrouw
Snieder
,
the
notary
's
wife
,
sat
by
her
window
at
work
on
a
long
strip
of
red
crochet
lace
.
From
her
place
she
could
see
all
who
came
up
the
street
,
and
,
there
being
a
piece
of
looking-glass
set
outside
,
at
right
angles
to
the
pane
,
also
most
who
came
down
it
.
This
,
though
doubtless
very
informing
,
did
not
help
the
progress
of
the
lace
;
but
that
was
of
no
consequence
,
Mevrouw
always
had
some
red
lace
in
making
,
and
it
might
as
well
be
one
piece
as
another
.
With
her
,
were
her
two
daughters
,
Denah
and
Anna
,
though
Anna
had
no
business
there
,
being
supposed
just
then
to
be
preparing
vegetables
for
dinner
.
She
had
only
come
into
the
room
to
fetch
keys
,
but
a
remark
from
her
mother
brought
her
to
the
window
.
"
There
goes
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
's
English
miss
,
"
the
old
lady
said
,
and
both
her
daughters
looked
at
once
.
"
She
has
been
marketing
,
I
see
;
she
seems
a
good
housewife
.
"
"
She
walks
in
the
road
,
"
Denah
observed
critically
;
"
It
is
so
conspicuous
,
I
could
not
do
it
;
besides
,
one
might
be
run
over
.
"
"
The
English
always
walk
in
the
road
,
"
her
sister
answered
;
"
they
think
everything
will
get
out
of
their
way
,
and
they
do
not
at
all
mind
being
conspicuous
.
"
"
The
English
miss
should
mind
,
"
Denah
said
,
"
for
she
is
not
pretty
;
no
one
looks
at
her
to
admire
;
besides
she
is
poor
and
has
to
work
hard
.
"
"
Yes
,
yes
,
"
her
mother
agreed
placidly
;
"
she
is
a
fine
worker
.
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
is
full
of
her
praises
;
such
a
cook
—
she
has
twenty
new
dishes
,
and
everything
is
done
quickly
,
one
cannot
tell
how
;
it
is
like
having
a
magician
in
the
house
,
so
she
says
.
Ah
,
there
is
Herr
Van
de
Greutz
's
Marthe
going
into
the
apothecary
's
.
I
wonder
now
—
"
But
her
daughters
were
not
interested
in
Marthe
;
the
English
girl
at
the
Van
Heigens
'
interested
them
a
great
deal
more
.
They
continued
to
talk
about
her
a
great
deal
afterwards
,
Denah
going
back
with
her
sister
to
the
kitchen
and
the
vegetables
,
so
as
to
be
able
to
do
so
undisturbed
.
"
I
will
help
you
with
these
,
"
she
said
;
"
then
we
can
go
out
.
"
She
sat
down
and
took
up
a
knife
.
"
It
is
strange
how
much
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
thinks
of
that
girl
,
"
she
said
.
"
She
has
been
there
but
one
month
and
already
there
is
no
one
like
her
.
She
does
not
keep
her
in
her
place
very
well
;
were
she
a
daughter
more
could
not
be
said
.
I
wonder
how
Mijnheer
likes
it
.
"
"
It
was
Mijnheer
who
engaged
her
,
"
Anna
said
.
"
It
is
not
likely
that
he
regrets
.
I
hear
that
she
has
written
some
English
letters
for
him
since
one
of
the
clerks
has
been
ill.
My
father
says
she
can
cook
like
a
Frenchwoman
,
and
that
is
something
.
As
for
Joost
,
it
is
surely
of
little
importance
to
him
,
he
is
too
quiet
to
say
anything
to
her
;
she
talks
little
;
she
must
be
shy
.
"
Denah
had
nothing
to
say
to
this
,
although
,
seeing
in
which
person
her
own
interest
in
the
Van
Heigens
lay
,
she
possibly
found
some
comfort
in
the
assurance
.
After
a
little
she
remarked
,
"
That
girl
has
no
accomplishments
;
she
is
as
old-fashioned
as
our
Aunt
Barje
,
a
huisvrouw
,
no
more
.
It
is
strange
,
for
the
English
women
make
fun
of
us
for
this
,
and
pretend
that
they
are
educated
and
advanced
above
us
;
she
is
not
,
she
can
do
nothing
but
speak
a
few
languages
;
she
cannot
sing
nor
play
,
she
has
read
no
science
,
she
cannot
draw
,
nor
model
in
wax
,
nor
make
paper
flowers
,
nor
do
bead
work
;
she
could
not
even
crochet
till
I
showed
her
how
.
I
wonder
if
she
has
made
any
progress
with
the
pattern
I
gave
her
.
Shall
we
go
and
see
by
and
by
?
I
might
set
her
right
if
she
is
in
a
difficulty
,
and
we
could
at
the
same
time
inquire
after
Mevrouw
's
throat
;
she
had
a
weakness
,
I
noticed
,
on
Tuesday
.
"
Anna
agreed
;
she
was
a
most
obliging
sister
,
and
a
while
later
they
set
out
together
for
the
Van
Heigens
'
house
.
They
did
not
walk
in
the
wide
,
clean
road
,
but
were
careful
to
keep
to
the
path
,
pausing
a
moment
to
consult
before
starting
for
the
other
side
when
it
was
necessary
to
cross
over
.
The
Van
Heigens
'
house
stood
on
the
outskirts
of
the
town
,
a
long
way
back
from
the
road
.
The
bulb
garden
lay
all
round
it
,
though
immediately
in
front
was
a
lawn
so
soft
and
green
that
no
one
ever
walked
on
it
.
The
house
was
of
wood
,
painted
white
,
and
had
a
high-pitched
roof
of
strange
,
dark-coloured
tiles
;
a
canal
lay
on
two
sides
,
which
ought
to
have
made
it
damp
,
but
did
not
.
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
was
pleased
to
see
the
girls
,
and
received
them
with
an
effusiveness
which
might
have
suggested
that
a
longer
time
than
four
days
had
elapsed
since
they
last
met
.
She
kissed
them
on
both
cheeks
,
and
led
them
in
by
the
hand
;
she
asked
particularly
how
they
were
,
and
how
their
mother
was
,
and
how
their
father
was
,
and
if
they
were
not
very
tired
with
their
walk
,
and
would
they
not
have
lemonade
—
yes
,
they
must
have
lemonade
.
"
Julia
,
Julia
,
"
she
called
,
"
bring
lemonade
,
bring
glasses
and
the
lemonade
.
"
Julia
came
from
a
little
room
which
led
off
the
sitting-room
,
carrying
the
things
required
on
a
papier-maché
tray
.
She
wore
a
large
,
blue-print
apron
,
for
she
had
been
shelling
shrimps
when
she
was
called
,
and
though
she
stayed
to
wash
her
hands
,
she
did
not
think
it
necessary
to
remove
her
apron
.
She
had
observed
it
to
be
the
custom
hereabouts
to
wear
an
apron
of
some
sort
all
day
long
,
and
she
did
not
differentiate
between
the
grades
of
aprons
as
Denah
and
Anna
did
.
She
set
down
the
tray
and
shook
hands
ceremoniously
with
the
sisters
and
made
all
the
proper
inquiries
in
the
properest
way
;
she
had
also
observed
that
to
be
the
custom
of
the
place
.
Then
she
poured
out
the
lemonade
and
handed
it
round
,
and
was
afterwards
sent
to
fetch
a
glass
for
herself
and
a
little
round
tray
to
set
it
on
—
every
one
had
a
little
tray
for
fear
of
spoiling
the
crimson
plush
table-cover
.
Julia
cannot
be
said
to
have
been
anxious
for
lemonade
;
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
's
growing
affection
for
her
often
found
expression
in
drinks
at
odd
times
,
a
good
deal
more
often
than
she
appreciated
.
On
this
occasion
,
since
she
was
doing
the
pouring
out
herself
,
she
was
able
to
get
off
with
half
a
glass
.
They
all
sat
round
the
table
and
talked
;
Julia
talked
a
great
deal
the
least
,
but
that
did
not
matter
,
the
others
had
so
much
to
say
.
She
listened
,
admiring
the
way
in
which
one
little
incident
—
a
dog
running
on
the
tram
line
and
being
called
off
just
in
time
by
its
owner
—
served
them
for
a
quarter
of
an
hour
.
What
economy
of
ideas
it
was
,
and
how
little
strain
to
make
conversation
!
Then
came
Mevrouw
's
throat
,
the
little
hoarseness
Denah
had
noticed
on
Tuesday
.
It
was
nothing
,
the
good
lady
declared
,
she
had
not
felt
it
.
Oh
,
if
they
insisted
on
noticing
it
,
she
would
own
to
a
weakness
but
no
more
than
was
usual
to
her
when
the
dust
was
about
,
and
truly
the
dust
was
terrible
now
,
she
could
not
remember
when
it
had
been
so
bad
so
early
in
June
.
And
so
on
,
and
so
on
,
until
they
somehow
came
round
to
crochet
lace
,
when
Julia
was
obliged
to
confess
that
she
had
not
made
much
progress
with
the
pattern
.
She
exhibited
a
very
small
piece
with
several
mistakes
in
it
.
"
Why
,
"
cried
Denah
,
"
I
have
done
already
almost
half
a
metre
of
the
piece
I
began
at
the
same
time
.
Is
it
difficult
for
you
?
"
Julia
said
it
was
,
and
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
added
by
way
of
apology
for
her
,
that
she
had
been
busy
making
a
cool
morning
dress
.
"
For
yourself
?
"
Anna
asked
.
"
Do
you
make
your
dresses
?
"
"
This
is
for
Mevrouw
,
"
Julia
answered
;
"
but
I
can
make
my
own
.
"
The
Polkingtons
had
had
to
,
and
also
to
put
an
immense
amount
of
thought
and
work
into
it
,
because
they
were
bound
to
get
a
fine
effect
for
a
small
expense
,
and
that
is
not
possible
without
a
large
outlay
of
time
and
consideration
.
Julia
did
not
explain
this
to
the
present
company
,
it
would
have
been
rather
incomprehensible
to
them
.
Anna
was
at
once
fired
with
a
desire
to
make
herself
a
cool
morning
dress
,
and
asked
a
dozen
questions
as
to
how
,
while
Denah
's
busy
fingers
undid
the
faulty
crochet
work
,
and
her
tongue
explained
the
mistakes
.
Mevrouw
did
not
listen
much
to
either
,
but
noticing
the
glasses
were
empty
,
pressed
the
visitors
in
vain
to
have
more
lemonade
.
They
refused
,
and
finding
them
quite
obdurate
she
toddled
into
the
little
room
where
Julia
had
been
doing
the
shrimps
,
to
come
back
again
,
bearing
a
large
bladder-covered
bottle
of
peach-brandy
.
The
girls
declined
this
very
firmly
,
but
Julia
was
sent
for
more
glasses
,
and
soon
they
were
all
sipping
the
rich
flavoured
liqueur
without
protestation
.
It
was
over
this
that
they
planned
an
expedition
to
the
wood
.
No
one
knew
quite
who
suggested
it
;
when
people
all
talk
at
once
it
is
not
easy
to
say
who
originates
an
idea
;
anyhow
,
it
was
agreed
that
the
weather
was
so
dry
and
the
trees
so
lovely
and
Mevrouw
so
seldom
went
out
.
She
really
felt
—
did
she
not
?
—
that
she
would
enjoy
making
a
small
excursion
,
she
was
so
wonderfully
well
—
for
her
.
What
did
Anna
think
her
mother
would
say
?
Perhaps
they
might
join
together
for
a
drive
?
Anna
thought
her
mother
would
be
delighted
;
indeed
,
she
often
spoke
of
the
charms
of
a
country
excursion
;
Denah
was
called
upon
to
corroborate
,
and
did
so
volubly
.
Where
should
they
go
?
Half-a-dozen
different
places
were
suggested
;
why
not
go
here
,
or
there
,
or
to
the
wood
?
Yes
,
the
wood
,
that
would
be
lovely
.
They
could
take
their
tea
out
;
if
they
were
well
wrapped
up
,
of
course
,
protected
from
the
damp
and
the
wind
,
might
it
not
be
possible
?
So
by
degrees
the
plan
was
brought
to
the
first
stage
.
Denah
and
Anna
were
to
talk
it
over
with
their
mother
,
and
if
she
thought
favourably
of
it
,
then
"
we
must
see
.
"
By
that
time
Denah
had
set
the
crochet
work
quite
straight
,
and
with
kisses
and
hand-shakings
the
visitors
departed
.
Julia
went
back
to
the
little
room
where
first
she
washed
the
glasses
that
had
been
used
,
afterwards
she
finished
the
shrimps
and
washed
them
and
put
them
ready
for
supper
in
a
china
dish
like
a
large
soap
dish
on
three
feet
.
When
that
was
done
,
it
was
necessary
to
lay
the
table
for
dinner
and
superintend
the
getting
of
that
meal
.
The
Van
Heigens
dined
at
four
.
It
had
taken
Julia
all
the
month
she
had
been
with
them
to
in
any
way
get
used
to
that
time
.
Mijnheer
and
the
only
son
,
Joost
,
came
in
from
the
office
for
two
hours
then
.
The
office
joined
the
house
and
the
great
dim
orderly
bulb
barns
joined
the
office
,
so
the
father
and
son
had
not
far
to
come
in
whichever
place
they
might
be
.
Julia
and
Mevrouw
fetched
the
food
from
the
kitchen
and
cleared
the
table
,
as
well
as
getting
their
own
meal
;
but
that
was
nothing
when
you
were
used
to
it
,
any
more
than
was
the
curious
butter
and
nutmeg
sauce
that
always
seemed
to
play
a
part
at
dinner
.
Mijnheer
had
a
good
deal
to
say
to
Julia
,
principally
about
his
business
.
The
letters
she
had
written
for
him
during
the
illness
of
the
clerk
who
usually
did
his
English
correspondence
,
had
given
her
some
little
insight
into
it
.
This
she
had
profited
by
,
being
in
the
first
instance
really
interested
,
and
,
in
the
second
,
not
slow
to
see
that
the
old
man
,
far
from
resenting
it
,
had
been
pleased
.
He
talked
a
good
deal
about
his
affairs
now
,
giving
her
little
bits
of
information
and
explaining
rather
proudly
his
method
of
doing
business
,
and
his
father
's
and
his
grandfather
's
before
him
.
Joost
,
as
usual
,
said
little
or
nothing
;
he
must
have
been
five
or
six
and
twenty
,
but
he
had
hardly
ever
left
the
parental
roof
,
and
was
usually
so
hard
at
work
that
he
had
little
time
or
inclination
for
frivolity
.
He
had
earnest
child-like
blue
eyes
that
Julia
did
not
care
to
look
at
,
any
more
than
she
did
the
round
yellow
face
of
Mr.
Gillat
's
watch
.
This
was
rather
a
pity
as
she
could
not
always
avoid
it
,
and
certainly
he
looked
at
her
a
good
deal
,
in
fact
whenever
he
thought
he
was
not
observed
.
Of
course
he
always
was
observed
,
by
her
at
least
;
that
was
a
foregone
conclusion
;
the
observation
gave
her
some
uneasiness
.
After
dinner
the
father
and
son
went
to
sit
on
the
veranda
,
and
Mevrouw
helped
Julia
take
the
dishes
into
the
white
marble
kitchen
and
the
glasses
into
the
little
off-room
.
Later
,
Julia
came
to
sit
on
the
veranda
,
too
—
it
was
somewhat
stuffy
being
all
closed
in
with
glass
windows
.
There
they
drank
pale
tea
,
the
pot
kept
simmering
on
a
spirit-stove
,
and
read
the
foreign
papers
which
had
just
come
.
Mevrouw
did
not
read
,
she
made
tea
and
did
crochet
work
,
a
strip
like
Vrouw
Snieder
's
,
only
yellow
instead
of
red
.
Julia
,
it
is
to
be
feared
,
did
not
try
to
master
the
pattern
so
kindly
set
right
by
Denah
;
she
could
not
resist
the
breath
from
the
outside
world
which
the
papers
brought
.
At
six
o'clock
Mijnheer
and
his
son
went
back
to
the
office
,
and
Julia
,
having
washed
the
tea-cups
,
joined
Mevrouw
in
the
sitting-room
.
It
was
never
very
light
in
that
room
,
for
the
walls
were
covered
with
a
crimson
flock
paper
and
the
woodwork
was
black
;
while
the
windows
,
which
looked
on
the
canal
,
were
always
shaded
till
dark
.
They
sat
here
at
work
on
the
morning
gown
,
till
supper
time
.
Mijnheer
sometimes
came
in
an
hour
before
supper
,
as
early
as
half-past
eight
;
Joost
had
usually
too
much
to
do
to
come
in
before
half-past
nine
.
After
supper
,
when
the
things
were
cleared
away
,
they
had
prayers
;
Mijnheer
read
a
chapter
from
the
Bible
,
and
they
sat
round
the
table
and
listened
,
and
afterwards
he
said
,
"
Now
we
will
pray
,
"
and
they
sat
a
while
in
silence
.
Julia
sat
,
too
,
her
keen
,
observing
eyes
cast
down
and
a
curious
stillness
about
her
.
After
that
every
one
went
to
bed
;
Julia
and
the
maidservant
had
two
little
rooms
right
up
in
the
eaves
of
the
house
;
the
family
slept
on
the
floor
below
.
Julia
was
glad
of
this
,
though
it
was
possible
to
imagine
her
room
would
be
very
hot
in
summer
and
very
cold
in
winter
.
But
she
was
glad
to
be
well
above
the
sleeping
house
,
and
to
be
able
to
look
from
her
window
across
the
wide
country
,
over
the
dark
bulb
gardens
—
laid
out
like
a
Chinese
puzzle
with
their
eight-foot
hedges
—
to
the
lights
of
the
town
on
the
one
hand
,
and
,
better
still
,
to
the
dim
curve
of
the
Dunes
on
the
other
.
It
is
to
be
feared
she
sometimes
spent
a
longer
time
at
her
window
than
was
wise
,
seeing
the
early
hour
at
which
she
had
to
rise
;
but
no
one
was
troubled
by
it
,
for
she
was
careful
to
take
off
her
shoes
first
thing
;
the
rooms
were
unceiled
,
and
it
was
necessary
to
tread
lightly
if
one
would
not
disturb
people
below
.
On
the
day
after
that
of
Anna
and
Denah
's
visit
,
Herr
Van
Heigen
offered
to
show
Julia
the
bulb
barns
.
It
was
a
Saturday
,
and
so
after
dinner
,
the
workmen
having
all
gone
home
,
there
was
no
one
about
and
she
could
ascend
the
steep
barn
ladders
without
any
suffering
in
her
modesty
.
At
least
that
was
what
Mijnheer
thought
;
Julia
,
her
modesty
being
of
a
very
serviceable
order
,
may
have
given
the
matter
less
consideration
,
but
she
accepted
the
offer
.
The
barns
were
very
large
and
high
,
many
of
them
three
storeys
and
each
storey
lofty
.
The
light
inside
was
dim
,
a
sort
of
dun
colour
,
and
the
air
very
dry
and
full
of
a
strange
,
not
unpleasant
smell
.
Everything
was
as
clean
as
clean
could
be
;
no
litter
,
no
dirt
,
the
floor
nicely
swept
,
the
shelves
that
ran
all
round
and
rose
,
tier
upon
tier
,
in
an
enormous
stand
that
occupied
the
whole
centre
of
the
place
,
all
perfectly
orderly
.
On
the
shelves
the
bulbs
lay
,
every
one
smooth
and
clean
and
dry
,
sorted
according
to
kind
and
quality
;
Mijnheer
knew
them
all
;
he
could
,
like
a
book-lover
with
his
books
,
put
his
hand
upon
any
that
he
wished
in
the
dark
.
It
seemed
to
Julia
that
there
were
hundreds
upon
hundreds
of
different
sorts
.
Not
only
hyacinths
and
tulips
and
such
well-known
ones
in
endless
sizes
and
varieties
,
but
little
roots
with
six
and
seven
syllable
names
she
had
never
heard
before
,
and
big
roots
,
too
,
and
strange
cornery
roots
,
a
never-ending
quantity
.
Mijnheer
told
her
they
were
not
yet
all
in
;
many
were
in
the
ground
and
had
still
to
be
lifted
.
This
she
knew
,
for
she
had
seen
the
dead
tops
of
some
in
the
little
enclosed
squares
where
they
grew
;
from
her
bedroom
window
,
too
,
she
saw
others
still
in
bloom
—
a
patch
,
the
size
of
a
tennis-lawn
squared
,
of
scarlet
ranunculous
,
little
blood-red
rosettes
,
sheltered
by
a
high
close-clipped
hedge
.
And
another
patch
of
iris
hispanica
,
fairy
flowers
of
palest
gold
and
lavender
,
quivering
at
the
top
of
their
grey-green
stalks
like
tropical
dragon-flies
hovering
over
a
field
of
growing
oats
.
These
it
seemed
,
and
many
others
,
would
be
brought
in
by
and
by
,
then
the
great
barns
would
be
really
full
.
Mijnheer
took
up
a
root
here
and
there
,
telling
her
something
of
the
history
of
each
;
explaining
how
the
narcissus
increased
and
the
tulips
grew
;
showing
her
hyacinth
bulbs
cut
in
half-breadthways
with
all
the
separate
severed
layers
distended
by
reason
of
the
growing
and
swelling
of
the
seeds
between
.
"
Each
little
seed
will
be
a
bulb
by
and
by
,
"
he
said
,
"
but
not
yet
.
When
we
cut
the
root
first
,
we
set
it
in
the
ground
and
these
begin
to
grow
and
become
in
time
as
you
see
them
now
.
Afterwards
they
grow
bigger
and
bigger
till
their
parent
can
no
longer
contain
them
.
"
"
Does
it
take
long
for
them
to
grow
full
size
?
"
Julia
asked
.
"
It
takes
five
years
to
grow
the
finest
hyacinth
bulbs
,
"
Mijnheer
answered
,
"
but
inferior
ones
are
more
quick
.
And
when
the
bulb
is
grown
,
there
is
one
bloom
—
fine
,
magnificent
,
a
truss
of
flowers
—
after
that
it
deteriorates
,
it
is
,
one
may
say
,
over
.
Ah
,
but
it
is
magnificent
while
it
is
there
!
There
is
no
flower
like
the
hyacinth
;
had
I
my
way
,
I
would
grow
nothing
else
,
but
people
will
not
have
them
now
.
They
must
have
novelties
.
'
Give
us
narcissus
,
'
they
say
;
'
they
are
so
graceful
'
—
I
do
not
see
the
grace
—
'
Or
iris
'
—
well
,
some
are
fine
,
I
allow
,
but
they
do
not
last
in
bloom
as
do
hyacinths
.
The
mourn
iris
of
Persia
is
very
beautiful
;
we
have
not
one
flowering
yet
,
but
we
shall
have
by
and
by
.
I
will
show
you
then
;
you
will
think
it
very
handsome
.
When
it
blooms
I
go
to
it
in
the
morning
and
dust
the
sand
from
the
petals
.
I
feel
that
I
can
reverence
that
flower
;
it
is
most
beautiful
.
"
"
Is
it
very
scarce
?
"
Julia
asked
.
"
Somewhat
,
"
Mijnheer
answered
;
"
but
we
have
things
that
are
more
so
,
we
have
many
novelties
so
called
.
Ah
,
but
we
have
one
novelty
that
is
a
true
one
,
it
is
a
wonder
,
it
has
no
price
,
it
is
priceless
!
"
He
drew
a
deep
breath
of
almost
awed
pride
.
"
It
is
the
greatest
rarity
that
has
ever
been
reared
in
Holland
,
a
miracle
,
in
fact
—
a
blue
daffodil
!
"
Julia
refrained
from
mentioning
that
she
had
heard
of
the
rarity
before
;
she
leaned
against
the
centre
stand
and
listened
while
the
old
man
grew
eloquent
,
with
the
eloquence
of
the
connoisseur
,
not
the
tradesman
,
over
his
treasure
.
There
was
no
need
for
her
to
say
much
,
only
to
put
a
question
here
and
there
,
or
make
a
sympathetic
comment
;
with
little
or
no
effort
she
learned
a
good
deal
about
the
wonderful
bulb
.
It
seemed
that
it
really
had
been
grown
in
the
Van
Heigens
'
gardens
,
and
not
imported
from
Asia
,
as
Mr.
Cross
thought
.
There
were
six
roots
by
this
time
;
not
so
many
as
had
been
hoped
and
expected
,
it
did
not
increase
well
,
and
was
evidently
going
to
be
difficult
to
grow
.
"
Would
you
like
to
know
the
name
which
it
will
immortalise
?
"
the
old
man
asked
at
last
.
"
It
is
called
Narcissus
Triandrus
Azurem
Vrouw
Van
Heigen
.
"
"
You
named
it
in
honour
of
Mevrouw
,
I
suppose
?
"
Julia
said
.
"
I
did
not
;
Joost
did
.
"
"
Mijnheer
Joost
?
"
she
repeated
.
"
Yes
,
"
the
father
answered
.
"
It
is
his
,
not
mine
;
to
him
belongs
the
honour
.
It
is
he
who
has
produced
this
marvel
.
How
?
That
is
a
secret
;
perhaps
even
I
could
not
tell
you
if
I
would
;
Nature
is
wonderful
in
her
ways
;
we
can
only
help
her
,
we
cannot
create
.
Yes
,
yes
,
it
is
Joost
who
has
done
this
.
He
seemed
to
you
a
retiring
youth
?
Yet
he
is
the
most
envied
and
most
honoured
man
of
our
profession
.
I
would
sooner
—
there
are
many
men
in
Holland
who
would
sooner
—
have
produced
this
flower
than
have
a
thousand
pounds
.
And
he
is
my
son
—
you
may
well
believe
that
I
am
proud
.
"
And
Mijnheer
beamed
with
satisfaction
in
his
son
and
his
blue
daffodil
.
But
Julia
leaned
against
the
stand
in
the
dry
twilight
,
saying
nothing
.
Money
,
it
appeared
,
was
not
then
the
measure
of
all
things
;
neither
intrinsically
,
as
with
Mr.
Alexander
Cross
,
nor
for
what
it
represented
in
comfort
and
position
,
as
with
her
own
family
,
did
it
rank
with
these
bulb
growers
.
They
,
these
people
whom
her
mother
would
have
called
market
gardeners
,
tradespeople
,
it
seemed
,
loved
and
reverenced
their
work
;
they
thought
about
it
and
for
it
,
were
proud
of
it
and
valued
distinction
in
it
,
and
nothing
else
.
The
blue
daffodil
was
no
valuable
commercial
asset
,
it
was
an
honour
and
glory
,
an
unparalleled
floral
distinction
—
no
wonder
Cross
could
not
buy
or
exploit
it
.
In
a
jump
Julia
comprehended
the
situation
more
fully
than
that
astute
business
man
ever
could
;
but
at
the
same
time
she
felt
a
little
bitter
amusement
—
it
was
this
,
this
treasured
wonder
,
that
she
thought
to
obtain
.
The
next
day
,
Sunday
,
Julia
went
to
church
with
Mijnheer
and
Joost
;
Mevrouw
did
not
find
herself
well
enough
for
church
,
but
she
insisted
that
Julia
should
not
stay
at
home
on
her
account
.
Accordingly
the
girl
accompanied
father
and
son
to
the
Groote
Kerk
and
listened
to
the
rather
dull
service
there
.
For
the
most
part
she
sat
with
her
eyes
demurely
cast
down
,
though
once
or
twice
she
looked
round
the
old
barn-like
place
,
and
wondered
if
there
were
any
frescoes
under
the
whitewash
of
the
walls
and
whence
came
the
faint
,
all
pervading
smell
,
like
a
phantom
of
incense
long
forgotten
.
When
service
was
over
and
they
came
out
into
the
sunny
street
,
Mijnheer
announced
that
he
was
going
to
see
a
friend
.
Julia
,
of
course
,
must
hurry
home
to
set
the
table
for
the
mid-day
coffee
drinking
,
and
afterwards
prepare
for
dinner
.
Joost
was
going
back
,
likewise
,
and
to
her
it
was
so
natural
a
thing
they
should
go
together
that
she
never
thought
about
it
.
It
did
not
,
however
,
seem
so
to
him
,
and
after
walking
a
few
paces
in
embarrassment
,
he
said
—
"
You
would
perhaps
prefer
I
did
not
walk
with
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
no
,
"
she
answered
,
in
some
surprise
;
"
I
shall
be
pleased
,
if
you
are
going
the
same
way
,
that
is
.
"
He
fidgeted
,
becoming
more
embarrassed
.
"
You
are
sure
you
do
not
mind
?
"
he
said
.
"
It
is
a
little
conspicuous
for
you
.
"
Then
she
understood
,
and
looked
up
with
twinkling
eyes
.
"
I
am
afraid
I
am
conspicuous
,
anyhow
,
"
she
said
.
This
was
true
enough
,
for
her
clothes
,
fitting
like
an
Englishwoman
's
,
and
put
on
like
a
Frenchwoman
's
(
the
Polkingtons
all
knew
how
to
dress
)
,
were
unlike
any
others
in
sight
.
Her
face
,
too
,
dark
and
thin
and
keenly
alert
,
was
unlike
,
and
her
light
,
easy
walk
;
and
if
this
was
not
enough
it
must
be
added
that
she
was
now
walking
in
the
road
because
the
pavement
was
so
crowded
.
Joost
stepped
off
the
path
to
make
room
for
her
and
she
saw
by
his
face
that
his
mind
was
not
at
ease
.
"
Pray
,
Mijnheer
,
"
she
said
,
in
her
softest
tones
,
and
her
voice
had
many
tones
as
her
companion
had
not
failed
to
notice
,
though
he
was
not
aware
that
the
softest
was
also
usually
the
most
mischievous
,
"
will
you
not
walk
the
other
side
of
the
way
?
Then
you
will
not
be
conspicuous
at
all
.
"
"
I
do
not
mind
it
,
"
he
said
,
blushing
,
and
Julia
decided
that
his
father
's
description
of
him
as
a
retiring
youth
was
really
short
of
the
mark
.
They
walked
along
together
down
the
quiet
,
bright
streets
;
there
were
many
people
about
,
but
nobody
in
a
hurry
,
and
all
in
Sunday
clothes
,
bent
on
visiting
or
decorous
pleasure-making
.
Everywhere
was
sunny
and
everything
looked
as
if
it
had
had
its
face
washed
;
week
days
in
the
town
always
looked
to
Julia
like
Sundays
,
and
Sundays
,
this
Sunday
in
particular
,
looked
like
Easter
.
In
time
they
came
to
the
trees
that
bordered
the
canal
;
there
were
old
Spanish
houses
here
,
a
beautiful
purplish
red
in
colour
,
and
with
carving
above
the
doors
.
Julia
looked
up
at
her
favourite
doorpiece
—
a
galleon
in
full
sail
,
a
veritable
picture
in
relief
,
unspoiled
by
three
hundred
years
of
wind
and
weather
.
"
I
think
this
is
the
most
beautiful
town
I
was
ever
in
,
"
she
said
.
Her
companion
looked
surprised
.
"
Do
you
like
it
?
"
he
asked
.
"
It
must
be
quite
unlike
what
you
are
used
to
,
all
of
it
must
be
.
"
"
It
is
,
"
she
answered
,
"
all
of
it
,
as
you
say
—
the
place
,
the
ways
,
the
people
.
"
"
And
you
like
it
?
You
do
not
think
it
—
you
do
not
think
us
what
you
call
slow
,
stupid
?
"
She
was
a
little
surprised
,
it
had
never
occurred
to
her
that
he
,
any
more
than
the
others
,
would
think
about
her
point
of
view
.
"
No
,
"
she
answered
,
"
I
admire
it
all
very
much
,
it
is
sincere
,
no
one
appears
other
than
he
is
,
or
aims
at
being
or
seeming
more
.
Your
house
is
the
same
back
and
front
,
and
you
,
none
of
you
have
a
wrong
side
,
the
whole
life
is
solid
right
through
.
"
Joost
did
not
quite
understand
;
had
she
not
guessed
that
to
be
likely
she
would
hardly
have
spoken
so
frankly
.
"
I
fear
I
do
not
understand
you
,
"
he
said
;
"
it
is
difficult
when
we
do
not
know
each
other
's
language
perfectly
.
"
"
We
know
it
very
well
,
"
Julia
answered
;
"
as
well
as
possible
.
If
we
were
born
in
the
same
place
,
in
the
same
house
,
we
should
not
understand
it
better
.
"
He
still
looked
puzzled
;
he
was
half
afraid
she
was
laughing
at
him
.
"
You
think
I
am
stupid
?
"
he
said
,
gravely
.
She
denied
it
,
and
they
walked
on
a
little
in
silence
.
They
were
in
the
quieter
part
of
the
town
now
and
could
talk
undisturbed
;
after
a
little
he
spoke
again
,
musingly
.
"
Often
I
wonder
what
you
think
of
,
you
have
such
great
,
shining
eyes
,
they
eat
up
everything
;
they
see
everything
and
through
everything
,
I
think
.
They
sweep
round
the
room
,
or
the
persons
or
the
place
,
and
gather
all
—
may
I
say
it
?
—
like
some
fine
net
—
to
me
it
seems
they
draw
all
things
into
your
brain
,
and
there
you
weave
them
and
weave
them
into
thoughts
.
"
Julia
swallowed
a
little
exclamation
,
and
by
an
effort
contrived
not
to
appear
as
surprised
as
she
was
by
this
too
discerning
remark
.
She
was
so
young
that
she
did
not
before
know
that
children
and
child-like
folk
sometimes
divine
by
instinct
the
same
conclusions
that
very
clever
people
arrive
at
by
much
reasoning
and
observation
.
She
felt
decidedly
uncomfortable
at
this
explanation
of
Joost
's
frequent
contemplations
of
herself
.
"
You
seem
to
think
me
very
clever
,
"
she
said
.
"
Of
course
,
"
he
answered
simply
,
"
you
are
clever
.
"
"
No
,
I
am
not
,
"
she
returned
;
"
ask
your
mother
;
ask
Denah
Snieder
;
they
do
not
think
me
clever
.
What
can
I
do
,
except
cook
?
Oh
,
yes
,
and
speak
a
few
foreign
language
as
you
can
yourself
?
I
cannot
paint
,
or
draw
,
or
sing
;
I
do
not
understand
music
;
why
,
when
you
play
Bach
,
I
wish
to
go
out
of
the
room
.
"
"
That
is
true
,
"
he
admitted
;
"
I
have
felt
it
.
"
Julia
bit
her
lip
;
she
had
never
before
expressed
her
opinion
of
Bach
,
and
she
did
not
feel
in
the
least
gratified
that
he
had
found
it
out
for
himself
.
"
It
is
absurd
to
call
me
clever
,
"
she
said
.
"
I
have
little
learning
and
no
accomplishments
.
I
cannot
even
get
on
with
the
crochet
work
Denah
showed
me
,
and
I
do
not
know
how
to
make
flowers
of
paper
.
"
"
But
why
should
one
make
flowers
of
paper
?
"
he
asked
,
in
his
serious
way
.
"
They
are
not
at
all
beautiful
.
"
"
Denah
makes
them
beautifully
,
"
she
answered
.
The
argument
did
not
seem
to
carry
weight
,
but
Julia
advanced
no
other
;
she
thought
silence
the
wisest
course
.
They
had
almost
reached
home
now
;
a
little
before
they
came
to
the
gate
,
Joost
opened
the
subject
of
herself
again
.
"
I
think
sometimes
you
must
make
fun
of
us
;
do
you
not
sometimes
in
your
heart
laugh
just
a
little
bit
?
"
"
I
laugh
at
everything
sometimes
,
"
she
said
;
"
myself
most
of
all
.
Do
you
never
laugh
at
yourself
?
I
expect
not
;
you
are
very
serious
.
I
will
tell
you
what
it
is
like
:
a
little
goblin
comes
out
of
your
head
and
stands
in
front
of
you
;
the
goblin
is
you
,
a
sort
of
you
;
the
other
part
,
the
part
people
know
,
sits
opposite
,
and
the
goblin
laughs
at
it
because
it
sees
how
ridiculous
the
other
is
,
how
grotesque
and
how
futile
.
My
goblin
came
out
into
my
room
last
night
and
laughed
and
laughed
;
you
would
almost
have
heard
him
if
you
had
been
there
.
"
They
had
reached
the
gate
now
,
and
as
Joost
held
it
open
for
her
to
pass
through
,
she
