"I, Mr. Takma?"
"Yes."
"You notice everything."
"I could hear at once by your voice that you were not in good spirits."
"Well, perhaps I am worried.... Here we are."
She rang at old Mrs. Dercksz': old Anna, inside, came hurrying at a great rate to open the door.
"I'll just take breath, Anna," said the old gentleman, "just take breath ... keep on my coat, I think ... and take breath for a moment ... in the morning-room."
"It's getting coldish," said old Anna. "We shall start fires soon in the morning-room. The mistress never comes downstairs, but there's often some one waiting; and Dr. Roelofsz is a very chilly gentleman...."
"Don't start fires too soon, don't start fires too soon," said the old man, querulously. "Fires play the dickens with us old people...."
He sat down, wearily, in the morning-room, with his two hands on the ivory knob of his stick. Anna left them to themselves.