“A motor-car! Like Ottocar!”

And Van der Welcke burst out laughing:

“He at least had one!” he bellowed, amidst his laughter.

“Father, you’re mad!”

“Yes, to-day ... because of that dream, those wonderful sands.... Oh, how I wish I were Ottocar!... My boy, my boy, I’m so terribly bored sometimes!”

“And just after you’ve had a jolly bicycle-ride!”

“All on my own ... with my head full of all sorts of wretched thoughts!...”

“Well, to-morrow, Wednesday afternoon, we’ll go together.”

“Do you mean it? A long ride? To-morrow? To-morrow?”

“Yes, certainly, a long ride.”