Mathilde laced in the satin bodice, and Madame van Erlevoort smiled in admiration at her airy Undine. But what was that shuffling sound behind her? Looking round, she caught sight of Johan and Lientje, both numbed with cold, and in their nightgowns.
“No; this is really too bad. ’Tis enough to drive one mad,” cried Mathilde, and she left Frédérique standing with her bodice half-laced, and rushed away to the young rascals. “How can you be so naughty, all of you, and worry ma so! To-morrow you will all be ill. Come, up-stairs at once!”
She spoke with much annoyance, and the children half began to cry; but Madame van Erlevoort came to the rescue.
“Never mind, Mathilde, let them stop a little while.”
“In my bed—get in, quick!” cried Frédérique, laughing her hardest; “but don’t you touch my tulle; hands off there!” and she drew back in fear from the outstretched hands of the little Vandals, who were burning to tumble the filmy gauze, and pull at the long bows.
Mathilde could see well enough for herself that Freddie’s bed was the best place for the children, and so for the thousandth time she gave in, as with a sigh she set about lacing up Freddie’s corsage. Johan and Lientje quickly crawled alongside Tine under the quilt, and with eyes asparkle with life and fun, they all three sat staring at the blue fairy.
“Are you going to put something over all this, auntie?” asked Johan, “or will you keep as you are, naked like that?”
“Go on, you stupid boy!” cried Tine indignantly, and she gave him a push, so that he tumbled over Lientje, and in a few moments Frédérique’s bed was a chaos of woollen blankets, fair curls, pillows, and bare pink legs and arms, all tumbling and wriggling about to the accompaniment of loud screams and yells.
Madame van Erlevoort and Frédérique nearly cried with laughing at the scene, to the great confusion of Mathilde, who, do what she would, could not manage to get the laces tied, and Madame van Erlevoort called Otto and Etienne, who in evening dress and overcoats [[60]]were coming down-stairs, to go in and have a look at the scene.
“Get in here with us, Uncle Eetje; come along, do!” screamed Johan; but Etienne declined the honour; he was much too pretty now to romp about like that.