Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty-Five

"My dear!" sighed old Anna. "We can't keep this secret from Madam to the end!" Complaining, she raised her arm to let the cat go back to the kitchen, because the aisle was already full: Ina Delberg came with her daughter Lily Van Wely, two prams, one by Pushed by the young mother, the other looked after by a nanny.She and the nanny managed to push the stroller into the living room, where Ana lit a fire to welcome the family.Lily and the nanny were busy looking after the children. Yi Na and old Anna talked about the old man's death. Anna said that the wife didn't know anything about it, but it couldn't be like this all the time...

"Oh my god, what lovely children, two little babies!" Anna clasped her hands. "How happy the lady is to see Miss Lily's two treasures! By the way, I'll tell the old lady to go." "Lily," Ina said, "you and Steve go up first, and Nita and I will come later." Lily took the baby out of the pram.The child was babbling, and the young mother with flaxen hair, with a motherly smile on her face, took the child upstairs.Anna held the door, and the old lady was looking out.She was sitting in a high chair with a pillow behind her, looking like a king.The midday sun of early winter shone in through the shutters and red curtains, and through the plush draperies, revealing a weakness she had never felt before.There was an expectant smile on her face, her skin was like textured porcelain, but blurred by the jet-black wig and lace cap, it was not alive.The wide black skirt hung down softly by her side, wrapping her in light and shadow mottled folds.Lily came in with the baby in her arms, and the old lady raised her gloved hands from her lap.She raised them tremblingly, with fingers like tiny sticks, in a stiff caressing and welcoming gesture.Although her voice is hoarse, it still retains a round East Indian accent:

"That's a good idea, boy, that's a good idea to bring the little one at last. . . it's so good... so good. . . let me see him, oh, what a sweet little darling!" In order for the great-grandmother to have a good look at the child, Lily knelt on the chair cushion and lifted the child.The great-grandmother's wrinkled, fragile face looked mysterious and strange in the crimson twilight, which made the child a little frightened and flinched into her mother's arms, but the young mother was already able to calm the child without crying , just stare. "Grandma, this is your great-great-grandson." Lily said.

"Yes, yes." The old lady said, her hands were still trembling in the air, hesitating whether to touch him. "I'm Great-Grandma... Yes, baby, I'm your Great-Grandma." "Nita is downstairs, I brought her too." "Yes, your little girl! Is she here too?" "Yes, would you like to see her now?" "Okay, I want to see them both...I want to see both of them." The little boy quieted down, staring at the wrinkled face curiously and earnestly, sometimes thinking, sometimes surprised, but he didn't cry or make a fuss, even though the skinny hands stroked his face to tease him, Lily It also keeps him quiet.Ina came upstairs with Nita in her arms: Nita was wrapped in a snow-white swaddle, with a pair of blue-green eyes on her flushed little face, and she was chewing something in her wet mouth.The little boy turned his head, and Lily was afraid that he would cry, so she handed him over to the nanny standing by the door.Luckily, he didn't cry until he got to the landing, his little head was bewildered by the first time he'd seen someone so old.But this little pink face in a white swaddling baby has small blue-green eyes and a contented little mouth, which is more obedient than Steve.She was willing to stay on the grandma's lap for a while, while Lily looked after her and helped support the baby with her hands underneath.

"I'm so happy to see my great-great-grandson, my dear," said the old lady. "Steve is a good boy, and Nita is so caring, a caring and good child..." It's time to say goodbye, and take back little Nita, who is pink and puffy in the white swaddle. The young mother smiled and said that the child had to go home.Ina sat down. "I am so happy to see these two newborn babies," repeated the old lady. "Yina, I've been very sad lately. I haven't seen a tacoma in almost ten days." "Who said, grandma, it wasn't that long." "How many days has he been ill?"

"Six or seven days." "I think it's been almost ten days, and Dr. LeLoves seldom comes here... You see, the chair by the window has been unoccupied for almost a week. I think it's been ten days... It's really cold, isn't it? I can't feel it here at all. Oh, even if the weather gets better, it will be a long time, and Mr. Tacoma won't come this winter again!" The old lady didn't really cry, but her hoarse voice was full of tears.Although there is nothing more to talk about, Yi Na doesn't want to leave.She brought the children here, hoping to find out some news.She still doesn't know, and knows nothing, there's too much news to know.First of all, the earth-shattering event that happened sixty years ago.Grandma must know, but she didn't have the courage to ask her about those things, which probably related to things that happened a long time ago.If something really happened, mentioning it again might irritate the old lady. What if she fell ill or died suddenly... This is not allowed!Ina hopes that someone will come and talk to her in the living room downstairs in the afternoon, because she still wants to figure out a lot of things: how much Ellie will get, and whether Aunt Ottilie will get a share... These questions are in her mind Circling, a mess, she couldn't figure it out at all, she had to figure it out this afternoon... So she sat there quietly, the old lady just didn't like to be alone, and the two of them could chat for a while from time to time. In other words, she would be happy.However, no one else came in for a long time, Yi Na got up to say goodbye, went downstairs and chatted with Anna, still not ready to leave.She sat down in the living room and said:

"Anna, you sit too." The old servant respectfully sat down beside the chair, and chatted with her about the old gentleman: "Miss Ellie is rich now," Ina said. "Do you know how much the old man left behind?" Anna didn't know, but blinked and said that Mrs. Ottilie must have got some too.At this time the doorbell rang, and Stephanie Dradd walked over, looking a little disturbed: "Mother doesn't know yet?" After Anna returned to the kitchen, she leaned over and whispered. "I don't know," Ina replied, "Grandma doesn't know about it, but the chair where the Tacoma used to sit is empty, and she feels a little disappointed."

"No one is with her?" "No, there is only one escort." "I have big news," Stephanie said.Yi Na pricked up her ears, she was shocked, "What? Auntie?" "I actually received a letter from Therese..." "From Aunt Therese in Paris?" "Yes, Aunt Vanderstaff. She's coming to The Hague. She wrote that while she was saying her prayers—we all know those Catholic prayers—she felt something urging her to come to The Hague to see her mother." They haven't seen each other for many years, and she has been to The Hague for many years, which is really outrageous... What is she coming for now? Is she going to surprise her elderly mother with her Catholic teachings!"

This is great news. Ina's noble eyes, which were originally listless, suddenly lit up. "What? Therese is coming?" That was big news. "Does she know the ins and outs?" Ina asked. "about what?" "Well, that's what we were talking about the other day: the thing that Dad hid for sixty years...and Uncle Dan..." Aunt Stephanie waved her hand in dissatisfaction: "I don't know if Therese has any news. But Ina, I know that I want to keep my soul pure and stay away from any sins and immoral things that may have happened in the past. At this moment, it is not easy to keep my soul .No, dear, no, I don't want to hear any more about it."

She closed her round, bird-like eyes and shook her ever-moving bird-like head until the old lady's toque slid down obliquely over her thinning hair. .Nearly tripping over the cat before going upstairs, she staggered to find her mother. Ina was still hesitant.She went to the kitchen. Anna said, "Is that you, ma'am? Would you like to stay longer?" "Yes . . . Miss Ottilie may be coming. I want to talk to her." Anna also felt that it was very likely that Miss Ottilie would come over today.But when the front doorbell rang, it was not she who she saw through the window, and she cried:

"No, Mr. Dahn is here." Dan Dirks poked his parrot-like head nervously through the parlor door, and seeing Ina he said: "There's bad news!" "Bad news!" Ina screamed, pricking up her ears to listen again. "What's the matter? Uncle?" "Dr. Relofs is dead." "No!" "It's true!" Uncle Dahn said to Ina, who stared at him in horror, while Anna stood by, the cat in her petticoat. "Dr. LeLoves had a stroke...they told me right away because my apartment was the closest...he was so saddened to die in Tacoma." "It's unfortunate," Ina said. "How are you going to tell grandma about this? This must be another big shock. She doesn't even know the news of the tacoma's death!" "Yeah, how do I tell her about this... I have already notified your father, hoping that he will come as soon as possible; then we will discuss in detail what can be done, maybe others will come today..." "My God, my God, my God!" Anna sighed again and again. She looked at the stove, the fire was small, and she thought that there might be many people in this room today.She loosened the cinders in the pine stove, and the fire grew hotter behind the mica panes. "Ouch!" Ina cried. "Grandma won't live long either... Uncle, do you know that Aunt Therese is coming to The Hague? Stephanie has a letter from her, hoping she can make it in time to see her grandmother! My God, this winter is terrible! Daddy too Depressed... Uncle, tell me why Dad has been depressed since you came back to Holland?" she asked. Anna was already back in the kitchen, sighing and tripping over the cat. "My dear, since I went back to Holland?" "Yes, Uncle. What made you come back to Holland, that's what made Dad so miserable." "I don't know, honey, I don't know..." "No, you know, I'm not asking out of nosy, I'm concerned about Dad. If he's in trouble, I want to help him out... business?" "No. Honey, it's not about business..." "So, what is it?" "It's nothing, honey, nothing happened." "No, Uncle Dan, there must be something." "Then why don't you ask your father?" "Dad, he doesn't want to mention this." "Then how can I say it?" Dan Dex said aloud, and Yi Na's blurted answer set him off guard. "Ina, how can I say that? Maybe something happened...like the business thing you said...but everything will be fine. Really, Ina, don't be nervous, everything is fine. " To put it off, he put on an air of resentment, pretending to be annoyed that she was so curious about business matters, and scratched the back of his head. Ina's eyes showed an elegant and tired look: "Uncle, other people's interests have nothing to do with me... Because I love my father, I just want to know the reason of this matter." "You're your father's good daughter, we all know... Ha, here he is, and it's him who rang the bell!" He opened the door and let Harold Deckers in before Anna had time to do so. "You mean Dr. Röloves is dead?" Harold asked. After Ina leaves to pick up Lily's kids to meet their great-great-grandmother, he gets a note from Dahn. "Yes, he's gone," Dan said.Harold Deckers slumped in his chair, his face contorted in pain. "Dad, are you sick?" Ina called. "It's all right, darling, it's just that the pain is a little worse than usual... all right, all right...Dr. Roloves died?" He saw that rainy night, full of death: he saw himself, then 13 years old, three men carrying a dead body, and his mother shouted: "No, God, don't throw it in the river!" The next day, Dr. LeLoves announced his father's death by drowning as coroner. "Did Relofs really die?" he asked again. "Does mom know?" "Not yet," Dan Dirks replied. "Harold, you'd better go and tell her." "Me?" said Harold Deckers in surprise. "Me? I can't... the news will kill mom... I can't..." He stared ahead, and he saw the past... It gradually passed by, like a ghost hidden in the mist, it moved forward slowly, and gradually gathered; the leaves were rubbing, and the ghost threatened to show up from behind the quiet bushes to stop that thing Let the past go forward... because, if the mother dies, that matter will be buried forever in the endless abyss... "I can't kill Mom!" Harold Deckers said again, his martyr's face contorted with pain. His hands convulsed and clasped tightly. "Someone still has to tell her." Yi Na murmured to Anna who was standing behind her, who had been distracted and talking to herself. Then the doorbell rang, and she went to answer it.The visitor is Anton, who visits Mom every week, and this week's visit is on today. "Does mom have any guests?" "Aunt Stephanie," Ina replied. Looking at her panicked expression, he hurriedly asked, "what's the matter?" "Dr. Rolfes is gone." "died?" Dan Dirks explained the situation to him in a few words. "We're all going to die in the end, but it's going to hurt Mom!" he murmured. "Uncle, we are discussing who is more appropriate to tell Mom the news, are you willing to go?" Ina said. "I'm not going!" said Anton Dirks angrily. Well, let them settle their affairs by themselves, he doesn't want to get involved in these trivial matters that have nothing to do with him.What does this have to do with him!He visits his mother once a week and has done his duty as a child.As for the others, it has nothing to do with him!In fact, Stephanie had approached him many times recently, intending to persuade him to leave his fortune to his godson, little Nita.This annoyed him so much that he had no intention of it, he would rather throw the money down the gutter.Harold and Dan had been doing business together in the East Indies, so they were on good terms, and they had nothing to do with him: they were strangers to him.He couldn't stand Ina, especially since Delborough had helped him get rid of the little laundry girl.He didn't care about any of them at all.What he likes most is smoking a pipe at home and reading, or secretly imagining the pleasurable and exciting sex scenes that happened in the distant past, but these are things that are unknown.He sat alone in the smoky room, which was his secret garden, reveling in unspeakable pleasure.Ever since he was old, he had indulged in behavior, such as having an affair with the laundry girl.He liked to keep silent in a smoky room, detailing his erotic gardens, which he had never shown to anyone and who would not come here to find him.He giggled at the secret pleasure that, as he grew older, became more and more addicted to his imagination.But he just repeated the previous sentence: "No, I don't want to go...it's too sad...Is there anyone else upstairs besides Stephanie? Anna, I'll go upstairs too..." He goes to the stairs... Does Uncle Anton know anything, Yi Na is very curious.He was always so dark and reserved that he was sure to keep his mouth shut.Should she ask?At this time, her father was still enduring the physical pain, and sat on a chair to discuss with Uncle Dan, who would tell the old lady the news of Le Loves' death.Anna has returned to the kitchen.Ina hurried after her uncle in the corridor, whispering: "Tell me, Uncle. What's the matter?" "What happened? When?" Anton asked. "Sixty years ago...when you were a little boy of 15...that happened..." He looked at her in surprise and asked, "What did you say?" "Something happened." She repeated, "You must remember that both father and Uncle Dahn knew about those things. Dad always knew about it. It was that incident that brought Uncle Dahn back to the Netherlands..." "Sixty years ago?" said Anton Dirks. Anton looked into her eyes.The sudden question pulled him out of his self-centered, imaginative world, and he remembered vividly what he saw sixty years ago. I'm covering it up so that no one will find out.He was in awe of his mother, and he hesitated to visit him every week.He often saw the tacoma sitting opposite his mother, the muscles in its neck twitching nervously from time to time, as if it was listening to something.At this time, he felt that something was wrong between his mother and the tacoma... Sixty years ago?Something must have happened.For a split second, he was on the verge of witnessing the whole thing clearly, guessing what had happened, and unraveling the cause of his father's death sixty years earlier.Relying on the fleeting keen intuition of an old man, he unknowingly discovered the truth.Despite his moral corruption, his moral corruption gave him the ability to think, and he was often able to interpret the past correctly. "Sixty years ago?" he asked again, his nearsighted eyes looking for Yi Na. "What kind of thing will it be?" "do not you remember?" She was curious, and her twinkling eyes reflected in his.Her eyes were no longer elegant and lazy, which made it almost impossible for him to recognize her.He had never been able to stand her, he hated Del Fort, so he said: "I don't remember? Yes, if I try to remember something, I can remember something... You're right, I was a 15-year-old kid at the time..." "Do you remember?" Ina turned and looked down the corridor. The living room door was open, and she saw his father curled up in frustration. "Do you remember grandma's... nanny?" "Yes, of course I remember her," said Anton Dirks. "Ma Potten?" "I think that's her name." "Does she know anything?" "What does she know? It's possible, very likely... Yeah, I think she knows..." "What's going on, Uncle? Dad is depressed, I'm not asking out of curiosity..." He grinned, and he didn't know it.He just guessed something in a flash. He always suspected that there was something hidden between his mother and Tacoma. They were hiding it while waiting for something.The reason he laughed was that Ina wanted to know and couldn't, at least not a word from him, no matter how much she thought he knew.He smiled and said: "My dear, there are some things that are better not to be known. They were all sixty years ago, and what is the use of knowing them?" He left her and walked upstairs slowly, thinking that Harold and Dan must know the secrets behind it that Mom and Tacoma kept hidden for years... The doctor may also know... Doctor dead, the tacoma is dead, mom doesn't know the two news... mom is the only one who knows the secret now... but what is the secret of Harold and Dan, and Yi Na is looking for it ... He sneered from the upstairs landing before going into Mom's room.Then, Stephanie's shrill voice was heard from inside the room. "I, I don't care about any of them. As long as they let me smoke and read by myself, I don't care about them at all..." He said to himself, "Even if I visit my mother once a week... Her secret, I don't care about his and Tacoma's secrets sixty years ago, it's her business, maybe it's something they shared... But it's none of my business." He walked in, and in the red halo of the curtains, my mother looked very old and frail.He walked towards her hesitantly, full of awe...