Ecstasy Read Online Free PDF

talk with him about Emerson.
    “It is very fine indeed,” was all she said, in a most uninterested voice, to close the conversation. “May I give you some tea?”
    “No, thank you, Mevrouw; I never take tea at this time.”
    “Do you look upon it with so much scorn?” she asked, jestingly.
    He was about to answer, when there was a ring at the bell, and she cried:
    “Ah, here they are!”
    Amélie entered, with Suzette and Anna. They were a little surprised to see Quaerts. He said he had wanted to call on Mrs Van Even. The conversation became general. Suzette was very merry, full of a dance fair, at which she was going to assist, in a Spanish costume.
    “And you, Anna?”
    “Oh, no, Auntie,” said Anna, shrinking together with fright. “Imagine me at a fancy fair? I should never sell anybody anything.”
    “It is a gift,” said Amélie, with a far-away look.
    Quaerts rose: he bowed with a single word to Cecile, when the door opened. Jules came in with books under his arm, on his road home from school.
    “How do you do, Auntie? Hallo, Taco, are you going away just as I arrive?”
    “You drive me away,” said Quaerts, laughing.
    “Ah, Taco, do stay a little longer!” begged Jules, enraptured to see him, in despair that he had chosen this moment to leave.
    “Jules, Jules!” cried Amélie, thinking it was the proper thing to do.
    Jules pressed Quaerts, took his two hands, forced him, like the spoilt child that he was. Quaerts laughed the more. Jules in his excitement knocked some books from the table.
    “Jules, be quiet!” cried Amélie.
    Quaerts picked up the books, while Jules persisted in his bad behaviour. As Quaerts replaced the last book he hesitated; he held it in his hand, he looked at the gold lettering: “Emerson …”
    Cecile watched him.
    “If he thinks I am going to lend it to him he is mistaken,” she thought.
    But Quaerts asked nothing: he had released himself from Jules and said goodbye. With a quip at Jules he left.

VII
    “Is this the first time he has been to see you?” asked Amélie.
    “Yes,” replied Cecile. “A superfluous politeness, was it not?”
    “Taco Quaerts is always very correct in matters of etiquette,” said Anna, defending him.
    “But this visit was hardly a matter of etiquette,” Cecile said, laughing merrily. “Taco Quaerts seems to be quite infallible in your eyes.”
    “He waltzes delightfully!” cried Suzette. “The other day at the Eekhof’s dance …”
    Suzette chattered on; there was no restraining Suzette that afternoon; she seemed to hear already the rattling of her castanets.
    Jules had a fit of crossness coming on, but he stood still at a window, with the boys.
    “You don’t much care about Quaerts, do you, Auntie?” asked Anna.
    “I do not find him very sympathetic,” said Cecile. “You know, I am easily influenced by my first impressions. I can’t help it, but I do not like those very healthy, strong people, who look so sturdy and manly, as if they walked straight through life, clearing away everything that stands in their way. It may be a morbid antipathy in me, but I can’t help it that I always dislike asuper-abundance of robustness. These strong people look upon others who are not so strong as themselves much as the Spartans used to look upon their deformed children.”
    Jules could restrain himself no longer.
    “If you think that Taco is no better than a Spartan you know nothing at all about him,” he said fiercely.
    Cecile looked at him, but before Amélie could interpose he continued:
    “Taco is the only person with whom I can talk about music, and who understands every word I say. And I don’t believe I could talk with a Spartan.”
    “Jules, how rude you are!” cried Suzette.
    “I don’t care!” he exclaimed furiously, rising suddenly, and stamping his foot. “I don’t care! I won’t hear Taco abused, and Aunt Cecile knows it, and only does it to tease me. I think it is very mean to tease a child, very mean