"What about?"
"There's some trouble about Ottelientje's boeboer."
"I'll go up," said Bertha, worn-out though she was.
The maid, holding up Emilie's train, followed her into the bedroom; Marianne and Constance remained behind alone. Constance saw that Marianne was crying.
"What is it, dear?"
"Oh, Auntie!"
"What is it?"
"Is life worth all this bother and fuss? Getting married, moving your things, dancing, giving dinners and parties, ordering dresses that don't fit and cost hundreds, being ill, having babies, eating boeboer: Auntie, is it really all worth while?"
"Why, Marianne, I might be listening to Paul!"
"Oh, no, I'm not so eloquent as Paul! But I'm suffocating with it all, I'm stifling and I'm terribly, terribly, terribly unhappy!"