“Didn’t I tell you so? Nothing good will ever come to this Walter. A boy that begins with the Bible will end with something else. Yes, Master Pennewip, I’m not surprised—I shouldn’t be surprised at anything he did. I’ve seen it coming for a long time. But what shouldn’t one expect from a family——”
As quick as a flash Juffrouw Pieterse saw here her opportunity to recover her lost advantage. Stoffel had said it was in the book; but a teacher must know whatever is in a book. Therefore——
“Master Pennewip,” she cried, “Is it true that Juffrouw Laps is a sucking animal?”
I am convinced that Pennewip brought this question under a special category for “peculiar overflowings of the heart,” seeing that it followed upon his unfinished accusation against Walter. He looked over his glasses and slowly described with his eye a circle, peopled with women holding their breath, heads and necks stretched out and mouths wide open. The attitude of Juffrouw Laps was threatening above everything else, and said quite distinctly: Answer or die! Am I a sucking animal?
“With whom have I the honor to speak?” he asked, probably not considering that this question made the matter still more mysterious, giving the impression that Laps’s animal quality depended upon her name, age, place of residence, family relations, etc.
“I am Juffrouw Laps,” she said, “and live down stairs in the front part of the house.”
“Ah—so! Yes, indeed you belong to the class of sucking animals.”
A ten-fold sigh was heaved; and Juffrouw Pieterse was again triumphant. In politics and the citizen populace complete equilibrium is impossible. The parties or powers are in continual motion, first one in the ascendency, then the other.
Juffrouw Laps, who had not been able to accomplish anything with pride, now attempted good humor.
“But Master Pennewip,” she said sweetly, “how can you say such a thing? My father was in the grain business and——”