"Yes. Well, that's all right, then."
"I'm glad to have had a talk with you. But now I must talk not about myself but about something else."
"Of course. You can never talk for more than two seconds about yourself. However, you're right, I know now; and you had already followed my advice ... of your own accord. What else did you want to talk about?"
"Daddy, I've been to Amsterdam."
"For Alex. Well, is that settled ... about the Merchants' School?"
"Yes, he can go up for his examination. But afterwards...."
"Well?"
"I went to Haarlem. Near Haarlem."
"What took you there?"
"Someone sent for me."