"Well, Aunt-ie," said Cateau, taking offence, "they're not al-ways so mor-al in the Ea-east!"
"But there's not so much talk in Java as here," said Auntie, angrily.
"Oh, I daresay they do some talk-ing there too!"
"But not so spitefully!" said Auntie, very angrily and finding her Dutch words with great difficulty. "Not ... not so cruelly, so cruelly."
"They ought never to have come and lived here," Uncle Ruyvenaer repeated.
And he fussed off to Van Saetzema, whose eyes were still filled with terror at the possible duel.
"Look, Mamma," said Toetie, winking towards Auntie Tine and Auntie Rine, who were sitting side by side in a corner of the big drawing-room, each with her knitting in her lap. "Those two are quite happy! They don't bother about all these matters! They don't know anything."
"In Holland...." said Auntie, crossly.
"But in the Ea-east!" ... Cateau at once broke in, spitefully.
The rubber was spoilt, for Auntie, in her present state of irritation, could no longer see the cards in her hand. The old Indian lady felt that there was hostility to Constance among the relations; and, with the kindliness of a nature used to the little Indian scandals, she thought it exaggerated. Moreover, Cateau's Dutch arrogance in speaking of "the East" had put her quite out of temper; and she flung her cards on the table and said: