“Hush,” said he, “here she comes!”
“Good morning, Anna, my darling. You have slept soundly, I daresay, after your night’s dissipation. How she did enjoy herself! How the little corvette ran from the slips! Why! you did not miss a single dance!”
Anna, to use her father’s favourite phraseology, was thoroughly taken aback. Her father then, had heard nothing at all about it—absolutely nothing! After her adventure in the garden, she quite anticipated stern faces in the morning, and was prepared for a good scolding. That, indeed, was partly the reason why she had lingered so much longer than usual in her room. And now, lo and behold! her father greeted her more kindly and more cheerfully than ever before. Perhaps mamma had had no time to make the serious communication. No, that was hardly possible, her parents had been for a considerable time together in the pandoppo, she knew that from Dalima. And yet—well—she replied to her father’s hearty greeting with an equally hearty kiss, and was just turning to her mother when van Gulpendam said:
“That’s right—now I have had my breakfast, I have had my morning kiss—now I must be off to work, there is plenty of it waiting for me. I must leave you ladies alone.”
“Anna,” continued he, more seriously, “listen attentively to what your mother will have to say to you. Remember you must take all that she will tell you as if it came from me. Good-bye, Anna, good-bye, Laurentia.”
And off he was, through the inner, into the front gallery, where he met his private secretary who had been, for some time, waiting for him. He shook hands, offered him a cigar, took one himself, and proceeded with great care to light it at the match which his oppasser respectfully offered him. When it was well lighted, he handed the taper to his subordinate, who addressed himself as carefully and as systematically as his chief to the important function of lighting his cigar.
This done, the two officials walked for awhile up and down the roomy gallery, discussing the morning’s news, and making arrangements for the day’s work which lay before them.
Meanwhile, nonna Anna had exchanged her customary morning greeting with her mother, and had sat down by her side at the breakfast table, while baboe Dalima offered her the cup of coffee which she had poured out at the little side-table.
“It is nice, miss Anna,” said she, with a pleasant smile to her youthful mistress.
Anna gave her a friendly little nod, took up the cup, and slowly sipped the fragrant decoction, now and then passing the tip of her tongue over her rosy lips as if unwilling to lose the least drop. When the little cup was empty, she handed it back to the baboe, with the words: