"And I'll just leave Van Saetzema's card, shall I, Constance, here, by Karel's, for Van der Welcke? Then he'll get it when he arrives...."
She put down the card and, suddenly unable to restrain herself, went, as though in passing, to the bolero, looked at it and said, in a voice that bore no resemblance to the envious thoughts that still smouldered in her heart:
"But, Constance!... Do you still wear those short little jackets?"
"Oh, they've been the fashion so long!" answered Constance, still thinking of the visiting-cards.
"Well, I don't know: they'd be too short for me, at my age, I think!"
Seeing that she was younger than Constance, the remark was not only unkind, but dishonest; and Adolphine, now satisfied, went away.
Constance stared at the two visiting-cards and suddenly burst out sobbing again.
Addie took her in his arms. He was already nearly as tall as she was:
"Mamma," he said, gently, with his resolute lad's voice, "don't cry so; and go and lie down a little. You have to go to Grandmamma's to-night; and you'll be too tired if you don't rest first."
And he helped her to take off some of her things and settled her pillows for her.