They went to the nursery, as it had been called for years, and sat down to table.
“I’m not hungry now,” said Emilie.
“I don’t want anything either,” said Henri. “I’m calmer now ... and I’m going downstairs.”
They held him back again. And the time dragged on. Ottelientje and Huig were put to bed; Karel went to do his home-work; Marietje hung round her elder sisters, inquisitively. And they listened, with the doors open, to the sounds below.
“They’ve finished dinner....”
“Yes, I can hear them in the drawing-room....”
Marianne suddenly came running upstairs, appeared in the doorway, looking very white and sweet:
“I couldn’t bear it any longer!” she exclaimed. “The dinner’s over. I escaped for a moment. Emilie! Sissy!”
“He’s here!” said Emilie. “Eduard: he’s waiting downstairs. He wants to take me home with him. You must all help me. He struck me!”
“My sissy, my sissy!” cried Marianne, excitedly, wringing her arms and her hands, kissing Emilie. “Is he downstairs? I’ll tell Papa. I daren’t stay any longer. Oh, those tiresome people down there! It’s nearly nine. They’ll be gone in an hour. Now I must go.”