Eline Vere by Louis Couperus

Author:Louis Couperus [Couperus, Louis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Classics
ISBN: 9780982624661
Google: vI5IO2vwFoEC
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 16557638
Publisher: Archipelago
Published: 1889-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

XXIII

Otto had already gone out when Willem, the manservant, brought the letter into the dining room. Only Frédérique and her mother were present. Mathilda had gone for a walk with the children, and Etienne was still in bed.

‘What’s that?’ asked Madame van Erlevoort.

Frédérique took the letter.

‘It’s for Otto, Mama. You can leave it on the sideboard, Willem – or, no, wait, let me take another look,’ she said, inspecting the address. ‘Eline’s handwriting, I do believe. Such a thick envelope, too. Strange.’

‘Is it from Eline?’ asked Madame.

‘I think so.’

She returned the envelope to Willem, who placed it in a Japanese charger on the sideboard, after which he left. Mother and daughter exchanged looks. Each could sense the disquiet in the other, yet each kept silent. Madame van Erlevoort returned to her housekeeping accounts and Frédérique took up the brightly coloured tapestry she was working on.

Some time went by, and the clock struck ten. Rika, the maid, came in to clear the breakfast table, leaving one setting for Etienne, when the doorbell rang. Madame van Erlevoort barely noticed, for there were tradesmen ringing at the door every morning, but to Frédérique the bell sounded ominous.

Willem came in.

‘Mr van Raat has arrived, and would like to speak to you. What shall I tell him, Ma’am?’

‘Master Paul?’ said Frédérique.

‘Beg pardon, Miss, it is Mr van Raat from Nassauplein.’

‘Show him in!’

Madame van Erlevoort, generally so serene, was concerned. Like her daughters, she had noted how dejected and retiring Otto had become lately, and how Eline seemed to avoid visiting their house.

Henk entered. His dull greeting and uncharacteristically worried expression spoke volumes. Madame waved Henk to a chair, eying him with anxious expectation.

‘Why Van Raat! What is it? What brought you here?’ she asked hurriedly.

‘I thought it right to call on you, dear lady. Eline has written to Otto.’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘Ah. And has he read the letter?’

‘The letter? No, not yet. Willem brought it in a moment ago. Good heavens, Van Raat, you don’t mean to say that Eline has . . .?’

Henk looked away, groping for words. He had composed a whole speech in his mind on the way there, but found he could not recall a single word under the apprehensive gaze of Frédérique and her mother. When they begged him to speak he gave a helpless gesture and blurted:

‘Well, yes, I’m afraid she has. She wants to break off the engagement. She has written him a long letter. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.’

Madame van Erlevoort sat with hunched shoulders, speechless and trembling; Frédérique had turned deathly pale.

‘And Eline herself is very upset, quite heartbroken in fact. She didn’t get any sleep last night, either. We heard her cry for hours.’

In broken, laboured sentences, he related the events of the previous night. He had not come to try and intercept the letter before Otto had a chance to read it, since Eline had been adamant that it would not change anything, he had come because he felt impelled to do something, to express his sympathy at least, to share in their grief.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.