“Oh, I see; Otto is to act the bogey man again,” he said good-humouredly.
“No, no bogey man; but really I shall go crazy if you don’t come to my assistance. Did you ever see such uncontrollable creatures as those children of mine, Betsy? Are you coming, Otto?”
Betsy laughed.
“You had better just go and assert your authority as uncle, Mr. van Erlevoort,” said Madame Verstraeten.
Otto accompanied Mathilde, first to Freddie.
“Come, Freddie, Nico must go to bed. Come, Nico, quick; to-morrow you may ride again on auntie’s back. Down, Hector!”
“You have nothing to do with my back, do you hear?” said Freddie; “do you hear, little grandpapa? Come, Niek, little grandpapa says we must leave off.”
Nico obeyed, pouting, as he asked for his trumpet. Otto went into the hall, where he checked the two eldest in their mad race.
“Come, Tine and Jo; mamma wants you to go to bed now. Don’t be disobedient now, or you will make mamma cross.”
“What a lot we’ve got this year, uncle!” cried Ernestine, out of breath.