Thus matters remained until Dr. Holsma's carriage drove up before Juffrouw Pieterse's door that afternoon and Kaatje alighted with her message. After the recent fright Walter had given her, she was glad enough to escape from such close proximity to the young lunatic. For thus she regarded him.
"There he is; there he is!" cried the whole family in a breath, and as loud as they could. "Did you ever! Really, he's sitting there in Dr. Holsma's carriage."
This flattering observation banished everything else from their thoughts, and made Kaatje's task an easy one. It was now a simple matter for her to allay their fears. They were no longer concerned to know where Walter had been. It was enough that he was now in Dr. Holsma's carriage.
"Ate breakfast at the doctor's? Girl, you don't say so! And--and--why isn't the coachman wearing his furs?"
Kaatje was dumbfounded and could only stammer some reference to the season. In fact, the manner in which her message was being received strengthened her worst suspicions of Walter's sanity. It seemed to her that the entire family was a little "off."
"And he really ate breakfast at the doctor's? Do you understand, Trudie? Ate breakfast at Dr. Holsma's!"
"Yes, he ate breakfast with us. To be sure he did. The doctor himself said so."
"At Dr. Holsma's, and ate breakfast there?"
"And did he use the good manners I've taught him?"
"And is he now in the carriage with the doctor?"
"Listen, my dear," continued the proud mother, "I am going to tell you something; but you need not repeat it to anybody else. Don't you know, that's an unusual child!"
"Yes," sighed Kaatje, thoroughly convinced, "I know it."
"You know it, don't you? And do you know why? I'm going to tell you. He's an unusual child, because--Pietro, move away a little, and you, too, Mina. Trudie, you can stay where you are, but pay attention to your knitting!--he's an unusual child, don't you know, because, before he was born, you understand----"
"Yes, my dear, I dreamed of a butterfly; and it was dragging off an elephant! You understand now?"
"Oh, yes, Juffrouw. I understand exactly."
"Don't you see? That's the reason. Give the doctor my politest regards, and thank him for me. If he's only well-behaved--I mean Walter. And the coachman wears such a fur cap only in the winter?"