"Frederik!" he called. "Come here."
The young people stood, one at each side of his chair, awaiting the next move, more than a little astonished at the unwonted haste and eagerness in his tone.
"Katje," went on Grimm, almost feverishly, as he pointed again at the blank line beneath his birth announcement, "I want to see you married and happy."
"I am happy, Uncle," she protested, "and——"
"And I want to see you happily married," he said.
"I—I don't know," she faltered. "I——"
"But I know for you, little girl," he insisted, tapping the open page. "And under my name here, I want to see written: 'Married:—Kathrien and Frederik.' You will do as I wish, dear? It would make me so happy!"
"Why, Oom Peter," she faltered in distress, "of course there isn't anything I wouldn't do—gladly—to make you happy. But——"
"Kitty," urged Frederik, "you know I love you! You know——"
"Yes, yes, yes. Certainly she does," snapped Grimm, fretted at the interruption. "Everybody knows that."