Part 23 (1/2)
”Yes, since the father became governor-general, they have always acted like megalomaniacs.”
”The old lady is a regular peac.o.c.k.”
”And Bertha, with her smart acquaintances!”
”And then that Mrs. van der Welcke: she's got a nice past to look back upon! And she behaves as though she were the Queen!”
”They're quite an ordinary family, the Van Lowes.”
”Yes, they're n.o.bodies: the grandfather was a grocer.”
”No!”
”Yes, I a.s.sure you!”
”And that mad Ernst, who's always studying the family-papers to discover if they are not of n.o.ble descent!”
”Oh, he's mad, if you like!”
”In fact, they're all a little bit mad.”
”Yes, there's a strain of it in all of them.”
”A strain? Something more than a strain _I_ call it. And it's continued in the Van Naghels.”
”Adolphine's the best of the lot.”
”She's a megalomaniac, though, for all that.”
”I say, this Mrs. van der Welcke: what has she come here for?”
”Well, she thinks the whole thing has blown over. It was fifteen years ago, you see. And she's married to Van der Welcke.”
”Not according to Dutch law.”
”No, but she can get married again.”
”Yes, but they are not, they are _not_ married according to Dutch law.”
”Well, in that case, _I_ don't look upon them as married at all!”
”Not according to Dutch....”
”No, but....”
”Yes....”
”No....”