Next morning, Steyn had an interview with the solicitor; and, when he came home, he said to his wife:
"Adèle has a legacy of thirty thousand guilders; Elly and you get something over a hundred thousand each."
Mamma Ottilie sobbed:
"The dear good man!" she stammered through her sobs. "The dear good man!"
"Only we thought, Ottilie, the solicitor and I thought, that it would be best, for Mamma's sake to speak of the inheritance as little as possible."
"Does the old gentleman acknowledge me as his daughter?"
"There is no question of acknowledging. He leaves you the half of his property; you and Elly share and share alike, after deducting Adèle's legacy. Only we thought, the solicitor and I, that, for Mamma's sake, it would be better not to talk about it to any one who needn't know."
"Yes," said Ottilie, "very well."
"You can be silent when you choose, you know."
She looked at him: