"No, he never told!"
"He's a good fellow, yes-yes, one of the best of fellows. He does not want to bring disgrace ... oh, dear ... on his old mother's head!... Daan, Daan ... O my God!... Daan, don't you ever tell: don't ever tell!"
"No, I sha'n't tell. I have spoken to you and to Harold, because I discuss everything with him: business matters and ... and everything. He's often helped me.... He helped me in India, in a nasty affair which I had out there ... in my time ... yes ... O Lord ... in my time! I've always discussed everything with Harold. I spoke to you because I knew that you knew...."
"Well-well-well, yes-yes-yes.... But Daan, Dercksz, don't speak to any one else!"
"No, no, I sha'n't speak to any one else."
"Not to Stefanie, not to Anton, not to Ottilie ..."
"Their child!..."
"Yes-yes, her child and his. Hush-hush, Daan, these are such old things, they're all past!"
"If only they were! But they are not past ... as long as Mamma ... and Takma ... are still alive!"
"Yes-yes, yes-yes, you're right: as long as they're alive, those things are not past.... But, oh, they are so old, he and she! It won't last much longer. They're passing, they're passing, those things ... slowly, but they're passing.... Yes-yes, it's so very long ago.... And people no longer trouble about any of us.... In the old days, yes, in the old days they, people, used to talk ... about Mamma and Takma and the children, about Anton, about you ... and that scandal in India ... about Ottilie: they talked a great deal about Ottilie.... That's all past now ... it's passing.... We are old ... yes-yes ... we are old...."