began by telling you: Miss Velders, the creature who keeps the rooms where Ernst lives . . . came and made a frightful scene . . . and upset Mamma awfully . . . and Mamma sent for me. Why me? Why always me? What can I do? I'm not a man! Why not Karel? Why not you? . . . Oh dear no: Mamma of course sent for me! . . . Off I went to Mamma's, found Mamma quite ill, that horrible creature there. . . . Then I went off with Miss Velders . . . first to Karel's . . . but Karel was absolutely indifferent . . . a selfish pig, a selfish pig: that's what Karel is. . . . Miss Velders had to go home. . . . Then I went off to Ernst . . . and, when I had seen him, I came on to you. . . . Gerrit, you're a man . . . you know about things, you know what to do; I'm a woman . . . and I do not know what's to be done!"
Her voice was now a wail and she burst into tears.
"But, Sissy, I don't yet know what's happened!" said Gerrit, quietly.
"Why, Ernst, I'm telling you . . . Ernst, I'm telling you . . ."
"What about him?"
"He's mad!"
"He's mad?"
"Yes, he's mad! . . . He wanted to go out into the street last night: he's mad! . . ."
