“All the luggage is right,” he said, and sprang into the carriage. “Well, Elly dear, I am glad to see you again.”
The footman closed the door and the carriage rolled away. Paul said nothing more, neither did Eline or Henk. By the light of [[252]]every gas-lamp they passed, Paul saw Eline lying back in the cushions motionless, her hands covering her face, her bosom heaving with sobs, and they remained silent.
It was past ten when the carriage drew up in front of the house in the Laan van Meerdervoort. The footman rang the bell, the door was opened, they stepped out. In the hall stood Madame van Raat, trembling with emotion, and Eline rushed towards her and flung her arms round her neck.
“Dear, dear little madam! dear little mother!” she sobbed, “you will have me stay with you, won’t you?”
The old lady wept like a child, and took Eline’s arm and led her into the dining-room; the table was laid, and supper was waiting.
“Oh, what a dear old darling you are!” cried Eline. “I am so glad, so glad that I may come and stay with you.” She clasped the weeping old lady in her arms, and Madame van Raat made her sit down on the sofa, and sat down beside her with her arm round her waist. What a time it was since she had seen Eline, and how was she looking now? All right? “Oh yes, yes, I am quite well,” cried Eline, and kissed her again and again.
But the old lady undid Eline’s veil, and helped her to remove her hat and her cloak. And oh, very soon she saw—that emaciated frame, those hollow cheeks, those dull eyes.
“My child,” she cried, unable to contain herself, “my child, oh, how changed you are, how bad you look!”
Eline embraced her passionately, and hid her glowing little head in the old lady’s bosom.
“Oh, you must not take any notice of that, I am a little tired of travelling—perhaps I look a little pale, eh? Really you shall see, when I’ve been with you a little time again, I shall look as fresh as a daisy.” She smiled at the old lady through her tears, and kissed her repeatedly, now her cheeks, then her old shrivelled hand.