timid as when she climbed those stairs ten months ago, when she first came back among them all. She did not wish to seem arrogant, but also she did not wish to be too humble. She entered with a smile:
"Mamma!" she cried, gaily, kissing her mother.
Mrs. van Lowe was surprised:
"My child!" she exclaimed, trembling. "My child! Are you back? Are you back again? What a long time you've been abroad!"
"I’ve enjoyed myself immensely. How d'ye do, Bertha? How d'ye do, Adolphine?"
She did not shake hands, but just nodded to them, almost cordially, because of her mother, who looked anxiously at her three daughters. Bertha and Adolphine nodded back. Carelessly and easily, she took the lead in the conversation and talked about Nice. She tried to talk naturally, without bragging; but in spite of herself there was a note of triumph in her voice:
"Yes, I felt I wanted to go abroad a bit . . . Not nice of me to run away without saying good-bye, was it, Mamma dear? Well, you see, Constance sometimes behaves differently from other people . . . I had a very pleasant time at Nice: full season, lovely weather."
"Weren’t you lonely?"
"No, for on the very first day I met some of our Rome friends at the hotel . . ."
She felt that Bertha started, blinked her eyes,
