Part 33 (1/2)
But this was not only one of Constance' handsome, but also one of her amiable evenings. As a hostess, in however small a way, she came into her own and was like another woman, much more gentle, without any bitterness and ready to accept the fact that a rock had to be doubled now and again. Her smile gave to her cheeks a roundness that made her look younger. What a pity, thought Paul, that she was not always just like that, so full of tact, always the hostess in her own house, hostess to her husband too:
”How strange women are,” he thought. ”If I were dining here alone with them, in the ordinary course of things, and if these same rocks had occurred in the conversation, Constance would have lost her temper three times by now and Van der Welcke would have caught it finely. And now that there's a guest, now that we are in our dinner-jackets and Constance in an evening-frock, now that there are grapes and flowers on the table and a more elaborate _menu_ than usual, now she does not lose her temper and won't lose her temper, however many rocks we may have to steer past. I believe that, even if we began to talk about infidelity and divorce, about marriages with old men and love-affairs with young ones, she would remain quite calm, smiling prettily with those little dimples at the corners of her mouth, as though nothing could apply to her... What strange creatures women are, full of little reserves of force that make them very powerful in life!... And, presently, when Van Vreeswijck is gone, she will rave at Van der Welcke if he so much as blows his nose; and all her little reserve-forces will have vanished; and she will be left without the smallest self-control.... Still, in any case, she is most charming; and I have had a capital dinner and am feeling very pleasant....”
The bell rang and, through the open door leading to the hall, Constance and Paul heard voices at the front-door:
”That's Adolphine's voice!” said Constance.
”And Carolientje's,” said Paul....
”Oh, then I won't stay!” they heard Adolphine say, loudly, shrilly.
Constance rose from her chair. She thought it a bore that Adolphine should call just in this evening, but she was bent upon never allowing Adolphine to see that she was unwelcome:
”Excuse me, Mr. van Vreeswijck, for a moment. I hear my sister....”
She went out into the pa.s.sage:
”How are you, Adolphine?”
”How are you, Constance?” said Adolphine.
She knew that Constance was giving a little dinner that evening and she had come prying on purpose, though she pretended to know nothing:
”I just looked in,” she said, ”as I was pa.s.sing with Carolientje; I saw a light in your windows and thought you must be at home. But your servant says that you're having a dinner-party!” said Adolphine, tartly and reproachfully, as though Constance had no right to give a dinner.
”Not a dinner-party. Van Vreeswijck and Paul are dining with us.”
”Van Vreeswijck? Oh!” said Adolphine.
”The one at Court?”
”He's a chamberlain of the Regent's,” said Constance, simply.
”Oh!”
”He's an old friend of Van der Welcke's,” said Constance, almost in self-excuse.
”Oh! Well, then I won't disturb you....”
The dining-room door was open. Adolphine peeped in and saw the three men talking over their dessert. She saw the candles, the flowers, the dinner-jackets of the men; she noticed Constance' dress....
”Do come in, Adolphine,” said Constance, mastering herself and in her gentlest voice.
”No, thanks. If you're having a dinner-party, I won't come in, at dessert.... Oof! How hot it is in here, Constance: do you still keep on fires? It's suffocating in your house; and so dark, with those candles.
How pale you look! Aren't you feeling well?”
”Pale? No, I'm feeling very well indeed.”
”Oh, I thought you must be tired or ill, you look so awfully pale!