"Would you like me to go?" asked Addie.
"Really, Constance," Adolphine resumed, in a superior tone of mock moderation, "you needn't get into such a fluster. If there should be anything wrong ... we're there ... and Karel ... and Dorine and Paul. You can leave Ernst to us quite safely. It's just as though we didn't count!"
"It's not that, Adolphine ... but...."
"But what?"
"You don't trouble about him ... and I feel remorseful that I myself, lately.... But I am very busy ... and...."
"Busy?" echoed Adolphine, in amazement. "Here, at Driebergen?"
The atmosphere of the room was filled with a sudden tremor of nerves becoming too highly strung; the girls looked anxiously at Aunt Constance. She felt, she realized that she was losing control of herself and made an effort to keep calm. But her eyes and lips trembled. She saw, however, the concern overcasting the features of all of them—except Mathilde—and she now mastered herself entirely, though the tremor remained, very deep down within her.
"Yes," she replied, in a gentler voice, "we are really rather busy here ... all sorts of things, you know. Of course, Adolphine, it is comforting to feel that you are all there ... at the Hague ... in case anything should happen to Ernst."
The tension was relaxed, the luncheon ended quietly; only Adolphine said:
"Is this home-made jelly?... Why do you have it made so sweet, Constance?"