Huigje did not know what a dinner-party was:
“What’s dinner-party?” he asked his little sister Ottelientje.
“Things to eat,” said Ottelientje, importantly.
“Things to eat?”
“Yes, nice things ... ices.”
“Shall we have dinner-party, Mamma, and ices?” whined Huigje.
“Allah,[1] baboe,[2] keep the sinjo[3] with you!... But, baboe, do me up first.”
Otto, who now had a billet at the Foreign Office, came in, followed by Louise.
“Oh, aren’t you dressing, Louise?” said Frances.
“No, I’m not going down,” she answered. “I shall have my meal with the children and with Marietje and Karel, in the nursery.”