On this occasion,
since she was doing the pouring out herself, she was able to get off
with half a glass.
They all sat round the table and talked; Julia talked a great deal the
least, but that did not matter, the others had so much to say. She
listened, admiring the way in which one little incident--a dog running
on the tram line and being called off just in time by its
owner--served them for a quarter of an hour. What economy of ideas it
was, and how little strain to make conversation! Then came Mevrouw's
throat, the little hoarseness Denah had noticed on Tuesday. It was
nothing, the good lady declared, she had not felt it. Oh, if they
insisted on noticing it, she would own to a weakness but no more than
was usual to her when the dust was about, and truly the dust was
terrible now, she could not remember when it had been so bad so early
in June. And so on, and so on, until they somehow came round to
crochet lace, when Julia was obliged to confess that she had not made
much progress with the pattern. She exhibited a very small piece with
several mistakes in it.
"Why," cried Denah, "I have done already almost half a metre of the
piece I began at the same time. Is it difficult for you?"
Julia said it was, and Vrouw Van Heigen added by way of apology for
her, that she had been busy making a cool morning dress.
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