“No buts, Juffrouw Pieterse. I ask of you—or I ask you,—for it is quite allowable, Juffrouw Pieterse, in this case, to omit the preposition,—I ask you if you have any complaints to make—I mean, of course, well-founded complaints—of the instruction given by me in reading, writing——”
“Goodness, no, Dominie!—I have no complaints; but——”
“Is that so? No complaints? Well, then, I declare to you—— Where is your son Wouter?”
“Wouter? Why—oh! he went out, so he did! Hasn’t he come in yet, Trui? Wouter is out for a walk, Dominie, with the little Hallemans—very nicely-behaved children, Dominie,—and they live——”
“Eh! what?—with the Hallemans, is he?—the Hallemans who go to the French school? oh! indeed—yes! So it’s from the Hallemans he learns such things—it must be——... loose morals ... utter depravity ... the French school...! Well, in short, Juffrouw Pieterse,—I say that your son——”
“Eh?”
“I tell you that your son Wouter——”
“Well—what has Wouter been doing now?” asked Juffrouw Laps, rejoiced, pious person that she was, at the new misdeed she was to hear of.
Just as Pennewip was about to open the indictment, there was another ring at the bell,—and the unfortunate delinquent entered the room.
“Juffrouw Pieterse,” Pennewip began, “my school is known as a good school even so far off as Kattenburg[[13]]—do you hear that, and understand it?”