"That's Adolphine's voice!" said Constance.
"And Carolientje's," said Paul....
"Oh, then I won't stay!" they heard Adolphine say, loudly, shrilly.
Constance rose from her chair. She thought it a bore that Adolphine should call just in this evening, but she was bent upon never allowing Adolphine to see that she was unwelcome:
"Excuse me, Mr. van Vreeswijck, for a moment. I hear my sister...."
She went out into the passage:
"How are you, Adolphine?"
"How are you, Constance?" said Adolphine.
She knew that Constance was giving a little dinner that evening and she had come prying on purpose, though she pretended to know nothing:
"I just looked in," she said, "as I was passing with Carolientje; I saw a light in your windows and thought you must be at home. But your servant says that you're having a dinner-party!" said Adolphine, tartly and reproachfully, as though Constance had no right to give a dinner.