“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.... Give me some ... eau-de-Cologne.... Oh, Louise, everything suddenly went black!...”
“You felt giddy, I expect. Did you take your drops to-day?”
“Yes, but they’re no good, those drops. I’m much better now, Louise. Are you angry with me?...”
“No.”
“For saying Otto was in love with you?”
“Oh, nonsense, Frances!”
“Yes, he is in love with you. You’re mad, you two: brother and sister; I never heard of such a thing.... I’m better, Louise. Will you help me downstairs? And will you ... will you have your dinner with the children? That’s sweet of you.... You see, the foreign secretary’s coming and that’s why Papa wants Otto and me to be at the dinner. Otherwise I don’t care about that sort of thing.... I’m much better now, Louise.... Come, take me downstairs.”
She stood up and Louise helped her down the stairs, tenderly.
The maids were running upstairs, downstairs and along the passages; footmen were waiting in the hall; the house was one blaze of light. In the drawing-room, Bertha, already dressed, was speaking to Willem, the butler; the doors were open, showing the long table glittering through its flowers.