166
DR. ADRIAAN
with a great display of emotion and loads of tears. And that has lasted for years too. . . . Yes, the years pass. I simply couldn't bear it any longer, especially with those sluts of servants whom my landlady started engaging lately. I yearned for cleanliness and . . . for my family. It's a sign that I'm growing very old, Constance. My dotage is always marked by that idyllic longing. . . . That's why I take so much pleasure in immersing myself amid you all in family-affection. It's a great thing that none of you quarrel; even you and your husband don't quarrel any more. It's become the golden age."
