3
Anna had played execrably, to Suzette’s despair: she could not even remember the winning trumps!
Dolf called out to his wife:
“Amélie, do come in for a rubber; that is, if Quaerts doesn’t want to. You can’t give your daughter many points, but still you’re not quite so bad!”
“I would rather stay and talk to Mrs. van Even,” said Quaerts.
“Go and play without minding me, if you prefer, Mr. Quaerts,” said Cecile, in the cold voice which she adopted towards people whom she disliked.
Amélie dragged herself away with an unhappy face. She did not play a brilliant game either; and Suzette always lost her temper when she made mistakes.
“I have so long been hoping to make your acquaintance, mevrouw, that I should not like to miss this opportunity,” Quaerts replied.
She looked at him: it troubled her that she could not understand him. She knew him to be something of a Lothario. There were stories in which the name of a married woman was coupled with his. Did he wish to try his blandishments on her? She had no particular hankering for this sort of pastime; she had never cared for flirtations.
“Why?” she asked, calmly, immediately regretting the word; for her question sounded like coquetry and she intended anything but that.