“What troubles you?” asked the old gentleman.
“Oh! it is about de Woude,” whispered Madame Verstraeten hesitatingly, so as not to be understood by Marie. “Lili wants me to ask him for the party, but——”
“Well, why not? I don’t dislike de Woude, although he is rather foppish. He can be jolly enough with the girls——”
“But, Charles, really we must not encourage that. When I see him I am always as polite as possible to him, but there’s no occasion for us to encourage him, is there? of what use can that be? Lili is almost a child yet, and gets her head full of fancies; but what—what can come of this now?”
“But why must you all at once think they want to marry? For the present it is only a question of inviting him.”
“Yes, yes, I know; but you never see them when they are together, as I do. I wish you would come to Scheveningen once or twice.”
“No, thanks; I’m much obliged to you.”
“Then you would see for yourself. You can’t get him away from our table. He is discreet enough not always to accept when I ask him to come and have an ice; but he stays till we go, and scarcely says a word to any of his acquaintances. With Marie he’ll just take a little walk, pour acquit de conscience, and after that ’tis Lili here, and Lili everywhere. So you understand I don’t see much good in it.”
“Do you think then that Lili——?”
“Of course, without question! Everybody talks about it too, and they know it; but they don’t care, bless you! I don’t know—I really don’t—what will come of it all,” said the old lady, and once more that hesitating shadow stole over her face. [[177]]