"Look, mother! You can't see a trace of it now!"
This little conquest dispelled all the clouds that had darkened his life.
There are plenty of people who would gladly fall into a barrel of lemonade if they only understood the salutary effects of cleaning a coat.
The poor unfortunate who has never washed his own clothes does not know what life is.
I will ask her pardon, thought Walter; and he pictured it all to himself, wondering whether it would do for him to fall at her feet at Holsma's, in the presence of the one who had delivered the message. Finally, however, he quieted himself with the thought that Femke would probably not be at the doctor's very long. He hoped to be able then to settle the matter quietly, when only the two concerned were present. This was not courageous, to be sure; but his punishment was already on the way.
The events of an eventful Friday were at an end, as it seemed; and Walter prepared to climb into the narrow bedstead, which he shared with his brother Laurens. He was now in a tranquil frame of mind. He didn't even have any desire to romp with Laurens, who, without laying claim to geometrical knowledge, usually managed to find the diagonal of the bed.
It was Walter's intention to think over recent events again. He wished to busy himself with others; he was tired of himself--at least he thought so for a moment.
There was a prince, who distributed money among the people. Oh, if I were only a prince!
That wasn't a bad thought. Under the same circumstances, most people would have thought: Oh, if I could only have got some of the money!
The countess-palatine from--where from? Well it makes no difference. She was in the museum and the papers said she was gracious, very gracious.
I would do it too, thought Walter, if I were a countess-palatine. What sort of a profession is that?
The king had given audiences--and a dinner--and had said--well, the usual things. But for Walter it was new and interesting. The welfare of the city seemed to lie heavily on his majesty's heart. It lay heavily on Walter's heart, too; but that did not prevent Walter from admiring this peculiarity of the king. In Africa he would do the same thing.
He threw off his left stocking so violently that it curled around the leg of the chair like a dying earthworm.