Gradually her voice became more musical and the smile formed about her lips; but the light in her eyes was still hard as steel, as though she were threatening Van Oudijck with her anger if he refused to believe her. "Come," she said, very gently, very kindly, patting Addie's head softly with her trembling fingers. "Get up ... Addie ... and go ... to ... papa." He rose, mechanically. "Léonie, what were you doing here?" asked Van Oudijck, hoarsely. "Here? I was with Mrs. van Does." "And he?" pointing to Addie. "He?... He happened to be calling.... Mrs. van Does had to go out.... Then he asked leave to speak to me.... And then he asked me ... for Doddie's hand...." They were again all three silent. "And you, Otto?" she now asked, more harshly. "What brought you here?" He looked at her sharply. "Is there anything you want to buy of Mrs. van Does?" she asked. "Theo told me you were here...." "Theo was right...." "Léonie...." She rose and, with her eyes hard as steel, she intimated to him that he must believe her, that she insisted on his believing her: "In any case, Otto," she said; and her manner was once more gently kind, "do not leave Addie any longer in his uncertainty. And you, Addie, don't be afraid ... and ask papa for Doddie's hand.... I have nothing to say where Doddie is concerned ... as I have often told you." They now all three stood facing one another, in the narrow middle gallery; breathing with difficulty, oppressed by their accumulated emotions. Then Addie said: "Resident, I ask you ... for your daughter's hand." A dog-cart pulled up at the front of the house. "That's Mrs. van Does," said Léonie, hurriedly. "Otto, say something before she comes...." "I consent," said Van Oudijck, gloomily. He made off at the back before Mrs. van Does had entered and did not see the hand which Addie held out to him. Mrs. van Does came in trembling, following by a babu carrying her bundle, her merchandise. She saw Léonie and Addie standing stiff and hypnotized: "That was the residèn's chariot!" stammered the Indian lady, pale in the face. "Was it the residèn?" "Yes," said Léonie, calmly. "Oh dear! And what happened?" "Nothing," said Léonie, laughing. "Nothing?" "Or rather, something did happen." "What?" "Addie and Doddie are ..." "What?" "Engaged!" And she shrieked the words with a shrill outburst of uncontrollable mirth at the comedy of life and took Mrs. van Does, who stood with the eyes starting out of her head, and spun her round and kicked the bundle out of the babu's hands, so that a parcel of embroidered bedspreads and table-slips fell to the ground and a little jam-pot full of glittering crystals rolled away and broke. "Oh dear!... My brilliants!" One more kick of frolicsome wantonness; and the table-slips flew to left and right and the diamonds lay glittering scattered among the legs of the tables and chairs. Addie, his eyes still filled with terror, crawled about on his hands and feet, raking them together.