The Later Life

Van Vreeswijck asked Van der Wel

n't k

auw

auw

Bra

r! What, L

x. I hadn't see

urse. And wha

question to answer. Shal

ic? In w

thing and then another. He's giving le

u spoken

asked a

see him. Does he b

don't t

ad. An interesting chap, though.

n't k

is he s

, in the

. Let's go and

elcke left a card for his old co

and Van der Welcke b

from Brauws," he sai

t seen hi

offended abo

Brauws isn'

the family, he was unduly sensitive, thinking th

d, let him!" he said, angrily. "He

an der Welcke was smoking in his li

xclaimed Va

rushed

d chap!" he shoute

et man, looking up with a sm

I com

p. Upon my word,

; the two men grippe

said Brauws

Welcke

knames. My dear chap, w

den, made him sit d

that's all. Just look at the fellow! You could pass for your own son. How old are you? You're thirty-eight ... getti

r Leiden memories came up; they reminded each other of a score of incidents, speaking a

you been doing

ch to tell you all

othing. You kn

ut what do you do? You're in a

low! Nothing, I just

at his old college-friend, almo

ow that I look at you again, I see something here and

ans," sighed V

a great swell," said Br

r swell

t y

I. Do y

etim

ou a mo

N

have a motor. But I can't affor

ared with

u start savin

d chap,

g? While you were living in Brussels, I

ossi

, I

e neve

t into town. If

hat a

r is that, when you were on t

d fellow, you'

e also that year. But you were at Monte Car

d dates: Bra

was horrib

ed. However, we've f

ther now, eh? Let's go cycling togeth

ed with lau

evil!" h

"What's there happy about me? I sometimes

that he was referr

Van der Welcke, show

. What's he

lomatic service. I say,

ther sit he

t as placid

s lau

he said. "Inwardly, I'

been abr

es

do y

rhaps nothing. I

ha

words. Perhaps later, when we

hap that you always were

ethi

omething!' You were always

rse lies i

if you go on like that.

self now, about Rom

fe, more or less briefly, through the blu

said. "W

shing his sentences, or of

done to you?" asked V

s lau

th talking about. There have been many women

Welcke r

pensively. "Someti

re you i

Welcke, starting. "No,

rly

nly fai

e," said Brauw

wasn't thinking of myself.... And, n

s lau

tures, not only here,

hink of that? Do you do it to make money? Don't you find it a bore

Brauws. "I'm lec

ining in wide-eyed young amazement through the

e, si

at me," cried

Welcke too. They laughed

as little as you have done? In all these years! You are just as

een nothing serious in my life

e told his friend about Constance, abo

ws s

l didn't matter!" cried

ything matter

ur old

rate.... Perhaps later.... L

shed Peace in a few ready-made sentences: there woul

only

one day, to meet Vreeswi

le disappea

r fellow, h

y n

he man for

Only Vreeswijck. My wif

ll be putting y

if she's at home and

m no ladies' man. I'm nothing of a drawi

y haven't

I really don't know what to sa

s full of an

to refuse to come and din

'll be a dinner of t

re to get them from.

Well, yes, p

d deprecatingly,

id, "let's go

ent to introduce him to his wife, Brauws hurried him down the stai