It was Thimo who helped him downstairs and into his waiting car, and by the time he had returned, Esmeralda had cleared the desk, shut the windows, straightened the magazines and shaken up the cushions.

"Do you know who that was?" asked Thimo, sauntering back.

She gave him the briefest of glances.

"Mijnheer Smid," she said stolidly, aware that he wasn't anything of the sort.

"That's what was in the appointment book."

Mr. Bamstra leaned against the desk, sadly muddling up the papers she had just tidied.

"Admirably discreet. He's Graaf..." he mentioned a name which she remembered reading about from time to time, 'and that was his daughter. "

"Poor soul," said Esmeralda, and meant it.

"She was utterly downtrodden."

"Well, she will get a few weeks' rest while her father's in hospital."

Mr. Bamstra stood up, and she made haste to straighten the papers once more.

"He rather took to you--says you have a fine pair of eyes." He grinned suddenly.

"Now do hurry up and change, for I promised Mama that I would bring you back for tea."

Her eyes sparkled with annoyance at the arrogance of this remark.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that, Esmeralda--please."

"Very well, but it's Sat.u.r.day."

He said with mock humility: "We have tea on Sat.u.r.days too."

"Well, of course you do," she snapped, 'and that isn't what I meant. "

He didn't reply but smiled down at her so that she found herself smiling back, quite forgetting that she had been vexed at his arbitrary manner.

"You see, Esmeralda, you're a nice girl and my mother likes you--she really enjoys your company--and would it not help to pa.s.s the day?

They are long, are they not? " His voice was suddenly very understanding.

She nodded.

"Only because I'm impatient now that I know that the plaster's due off," she explained.

"Only I wouldn't like you to think that I'm having tea with your mother just to pa.s.s the time--I like her very much."

"So do I--I'll be in the car."

Jonkvrouw Bamstra was sitting in her drawing room, waiting for them.

"How wretched for you both having to work on a Sat.u.r.day afternoon," she exclaimed.

"I hope you're not tired, Esmeralda?" She smiled a little.

"It's no good me asking Thimo that, for he never is, you know." She started to pour the tea and Thimo handed the fragile cups and saucers and then sat down beside her.

"Did you see Ella?" she asked her son, and when he nodded, "You'll dine with her, of course." She glanced at Esmeralda.

"Will you take pity on my loneliness, my dear, and spend your evening with me?"

Esmeralda was struggling with a strange feeling of annoyance because Thimo was going to spend his evening with Ella, that paragon of young women; it was beside the point that he had every right to do so if he chose and it was none of her business, anyway, but the horrid thought that he had contrived the whole thing so that his mother would have company while he made merry with his Ella crossed her mind even while she contrived to accept the invitation with every appearance of pleasure.

But even though she smiled at her hostess she wouldn't look at him--indeed, she managed to avoid meeting his eye or speaking to him directly for the remainder of his stay, which wasn't long, anyway.

When he wished her goodbye as he took his leave she gave him a look like green ice and wished him goodbye on her part in such a cold manner that he raised an eyebrow and murmured: "I'm not sure what I've done, but I beg pardon for it this very minute."

She raised her own brows then.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," she a.s.sured him untruthfully, and was justly rewarded by his cheerful "Little liar."

Left alone, the two ladies looked at each other and it was Jonkvrouw Bamstra who broke the silence.

"How annoying that Thimo should have to dine with Ella--he had absolutely no wish to do so, but after all, she is his sister, and in need of advice and support."

"Sister?" repeated Esmeralda.

"Well, he might have...1 thought--that is, although he didn't actually say--that Ella was the girl he was going to marry."

Her companion had picked up some embroidery and was examining it carefully.

"No, my dear," she said, and Esmeralda, her ears p.r.i.c.ked to hear about Thimo's matrimonial plans, choked with disappointment, when that was all she said about him for the old lady went on: "Ella is my youngest daughter--about your age, I should imagine. She is married to a man with business interests in Curacao and he is over there now, dealing with some matter to do with these. Ella is expecting a baby very shortly and remained at their home in den Haag, and although she is a dear girl and a good wife, she has no head for even the simplest business matters, so that Thimo spends a good deal of his leisure with her, paying bills and arranging for the plumber and suchlike mundane things. It is fortunate that Huib, her husband, returns in a few days."

Esmeralda had listened to this enlightening speech with interest. It was satisfactory to have had her curiosity a.s.suaged, it was also satisfactory, though she wasn't sure why, to discover that Ella was Thimo's sister--but then, in that case, who was the girl? She told herself that it didn't really matter, and when her hostess invited her to tell her about her home, plunged into a description of it, a topic which lasted until they went in to dinner, and after that meal, when they had had coffee and Esmeralda declared that she should go home, she was told gently that Thimo had said that he would be back in good time to take her and that on no account was she to go back to Mevrouw Twist's alone.

"Oh, but there's no need," cried Esmeralda.

"It's so close by and I know the way very well."

"Yes, my dear," said her hostess, 'but all the same, I think it would be wise to do as Thimo says. " She spoke with such firmness that Esmeralda agreed reluctantly and didn't mention it again, not even when Mr. Bamstra strolled in an hour later; making her goodbyes and thanking her hostess with perfect composure and nice manners. But the moment they were out of the house, she declared crossly: " I could have gone back quite easily alone. You're treating me like a child--I never heard such nonsense! "

She was forced to break off this heated speech while he opened the car door and helped her in, but the moment he had settled himself beside her, she began again: "And another thing..."

"Oh, dear," his voice was very bland, "I have made you cross, haven't I? I'm sorry. Of course you're capable of going back on your own, but imagine my feelings if you should slip and damage that foot."

She looked at him blankly.

"I hadn't thought of that. Am I to go home once the plaster's off?"

He was idling the Bristol along Rapenburg as they talked.

"Heavens, no--two weeks more, I think, with physio each day. You can go on working for me if you like, though I suggest that you stay in your room at the hospital--you could have a midday meal with Mevrouw Twist.

You could go home the very next day," he went on noncommittally, 'but you do want to go back ready for anything, don't you, Esmeralda?"

She turned away from her contemplation of the smooth water of the ca.n.a.l and the lovely old buildings bordering it.

"Yes, oh, yes. But wouldn't it save you a great deal of trouble if I were to go home and have my physio there?"

"My dear girl," he sounded quite shocked, 'but I shall wish to see your foot each day. " His tone implied that she had been foolish to suggest such a thing, and she said meekly: " Yes, of course, Thimo," and held her tongue until he drew up outside Mevrouw Twist's house.

He didn't get out of the car at once, but turned to look at her and say: "Thank you for spending the evening with Mama." He spoke formally, and her "Not at all," was equally formal before she went on impetuously: "I didn't know that Ella was your sister."

Mr. Bamstra's eyebrows lifted.

"Well," he declared slowly, 'so that was why. "

"Why what?" she demanded.

"Er--you were a little put out, were you not, and I wondered why--now I know." His smile was as bland as his voice.

He got out of the car then, looking pleased with himself, and thumped the bra.s.s knocker, and when Mevrouw Twist opened the door, bade both ladies a quiet good night before driving away, leaving Esmeralda to wonder what exactly she had said or done to make him look so positively smug.

CHAPTER NINE.

esmeralda found that the days pa.s.sed very slowly, and they seemed even slower by reason of Mr. Bamstra's manner towards her. He was friendly enough, but remote, and he showed no disposition to pa.s.s the time of day with her. His hullos and goodbyes were brisk and matter-of- fact, and watching him going about his business at his consulting rooms, the epitome of elegant self-a.s.surance, she found herself wondering if this was the same man who had come soft-footed to comfort her in hospital and give her good advice, arranged for her mother's visit, too, and taken the trouble to take her to stay with his friends. She might have allowed it to worry her if she had had the time, but although the days were slow-moving, they were filled too.

Loveday came down to Leiden, for one thing, and took her out to lunch, and she spent another free morning with Ciska, being shown the tiny flat at the top of an old house where Ciska and her fiance hoped to live when they married later on in the year, and the evenings were taken up by long, laborious conversations with Mevrouw Twist, who liked a bit of company at the end of the day, even if she did have to say everything twice and explain almost every other word. Esmeralda's mother telephoned too, long, chatty conversations full of plans for Esmeralda's future, not always practical but always encouraging.

Halfway through the week she received an invitation to have tea with Jonkvrouw Bamstra, but she didn't see Thimo there, for it was on an afternoon when he had a theatre list at the hospital--indeed, she hardly saw him at all and then briefly in the consulting rooms, when their conversation consisted almost entirely of matters connected with his patients. She was glad when Sat.u.r.day came at last so that she might pack her things and go to the shops to buy a present for Mevrouw Twist, whose birthday it was--a set of cups and saucers, each one a different colour. It was a pity that she couldn't buy her a complete tea-set, with plates and a teapot, but no one, at least, not many people, drank more than a cup of tea in the afternoon, and that from what Esmeralda considered to be very small cups. However, the old lady was delighted with her present; Esmeralda spent a good deal of her evening sitting with her, drinking weak tea without milk and carrying on a halting but cosy gossip in her hesitant Dutch.

Mindful of her instructions to be at Monique's office by two o'clock on Sunday, Esmeralda ordered a taxi in good time, finished her packing, accompanied Mevrouw Twist to the austere little Herformde Kerk at the end of the street, and then went back to eat their light midday meal. They were washing up together in the kitchen when she heard the thump of the knocker.

"Taxi," she said briefly to her companion, adding to herself, 'and half an hour early, too, he'll just have to wait. "

She was rehearsing what she hoped was the right thing to say as she opened the door, and afraid of forgetting what it was, burst at once into speech.

"Dag, Mynheer ter vroeg ik..." She stopped, because it wasn't the taxi-driver but Thimo, nattily dressed in slacks and a cotton sweater of great elegance.

He beamed down at her.

"Hullo or should I say " Dag, Juffrouw? " and if I'm early it's because I've always believed that the early bird catches the worm not that I have ever thought of you as a worm."

She frowned at him.

"Don't be silly. It's very kind of you to call, but if you've come to take me to hospital, I've already ordered a taxi he'll be here in another ten minutes or so."

He was smiling, but something about his expression made her add hastily: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, but I don't want to disturb your leisure, you see."

His eyes were very bright and he seemed on the point of saying something, but whatever it was, he changed his mind, remarking in a cool, friendly voice: "I'm on my way to Adam and Loveday; it's no trouble to drop you off at the hospital as I pa.s.s. "

"The taxi?" asked Esmeralda, and stood aside, a little late in the day, to allow him to enter the house.

"I'll telephone and cancel it--what was the number?"

She had written it down and Mevrouw Twist, her hair tidied just so, her ap.r.o.n removed, bustled from the kitchen to offer help and advice, there was nothing for Esmeralda to do but go upstairs, shut her case, pick up her overnight bag, and come down again, leaving Mr. Bamstra to fetch her luggage and take it out to the car while she bade Mevrouw Twist goodbye. It was a pity that he chose to stand by while she worried her way through her version of a Dutch farewell. He made no sound, but she was very well aware that he was secretly amused at her efforts. She taxed him with it once she was in the car and he was preparing to drive away. Waving and smiling to the old lady, she remarked severely: "If you hadn't been standing there, making me nervous, I should have managed much better--my Dutch may amuse you, but what else could I have done, pray?"

The car slid slowly down the narrow street and into Rapenburg.

"My dear Esmeralda, why are the English always so self-conscious about speaking any language other than their own? I wasn't amused for the reason you suppose. You manage very well, and your accent is charming; Loveday must have worked you pretty hard while you were staying with her. "

"Oh, she did, but you see, she's English too." An obscure remark which Mr.

Bamstra didn't bother to answer, instead he asked: "Full of plans, are you?

I shall want you in hospital until Tuesday, just to make sure that everything is as it should be--you will go to Physio each day at half past one, and I shall expect to see results, so mind you work hard at your exercises." He glanced sideways at her.

"Have you told anyone?"

"You mean Leslie, don't you?" she said at once.

"No, I don't intend to, though I should so like him to see me with two feet.."

"Just to make sure?" His voice was very steady.

"Naturally. I daresay he would be bowled over. You're bound to meet him some time, you know." He turned in at the hospital main gates and stopped before its entrance.

"He's still at Trent's, isn't he--and probably he and that beautiful girl of his have parted for ever."

Esmeralda said slowly: "As a matter of fact, that letter--the one I had from Pat, you remember--she seemed to think that they had split up for good."

"Did she, indeed?" asked Mr. Bamstra, looking thoughtful.

Esmeralda had been worrying a little about returning to hospital, but there had been no need; Monique was delighted to see her, so was Syja, and when Octavius came hurrying along, warned that his chief was in the hospital, he was glad to see her too. They all examined her foot, a.s.sured her that by that time tomorrow she would be dancing on it, and joked a little about her expertise at getting around on her plaster, before Monique led her away to the room she had had previously, so smartly that beyond a quick thanks and goodbye, she had no time to say anything at all to Thimo, but Monique had barely left her when he was at the door.

"Any messages?" he wanted to know.

The sight of him blotted out her sudden feeling of loneliness.