"Hush!" said Van der Welcke. "Hush, my boy! Say nothing to Mamma, let Mamma see nothing, for it would cause her so much pain, unnecessarily; and you do believe me now, don't you? You do believe me now, when I assure you that I couldn't possibly, Addie, couldn't possibly be so fond of you else?"
Yes, he now believed his father's word, which he felt to be the truth; he believed, but still, still there was something. But he did not want to ask anything more now: Papa himself was too much upset; and they had to go out, to Grandmamma's, because it was Sunday evening.
"Addie!"
"Go down now, Addie: Mamma's calling you."
He went out on the landing:
"Yes, Mamma, what time is it?"
"It's time to dress."
"Yes, I'll get dressed at once, Mamma."
He became a little man again, while his eyes were still screwed up and red with crying.
He once more embraced his father very tightly: