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interest him and amuse him。 He had not realized that before； he had been
used to interesting and amusing her； but he could not resent it； he could
not resent the implication of superiority； if such a thing were possible；
which her kindness conveyed。 The question with Breckon was whether she
had walked with him so long because she wished； in the hour； to make up
as fully as possible for the day's neglect； or because she had liked to
walk up and down with him。 It was a question he found keeping itself
poignantly； yet pleasantly； in his mind； after he had got into his berth
under the solidly slumberous Boyne； and inclining now to one solution and
now to the other； with a delicate oscillation that was charming。
The Amstel took her time to get into Rotterdam； and when her passengers
had gone ashore the next forenoon the train that carried Breckon to The
Hague in the same compartment with the Kentons was in no greater hurry。
It arrived with a deliberation which kept it from carrying them on to
Amsterdam before they knew it； and Mrs。 Kenton had time to place such
parts of the wars in the Rise of the Dutch Republic as she could attach
to the names of the stations and the general features of the landscape。
Boyne was occupied with improvements for the windmills and the canal…
boats； which did not seem to him of the quality of the Michigan
aerometers； or the craft with which he was familiar on the Hudson River
and on the canal that passed through Tuskingum。 Lottie； with respect to
the canals； offered the frank observation that they smelt； and in
recognizing a fact which travel almost universally ignores in Holland；
she watched her chance of popping up the window between herself and
Boyne； which Boyne put down with mounting rage。 The agriculture which
triumphed everywhere on the little halfacre plots lifted fifteen inches
above the waters of the environing ditches； and the black and white
cattle everywhere attesting the immemorial Dutch ideal of a cow； were
what at first occupied Kenton； and he was tardily won from them to the
question of fighting over a country like that。 It was a concession to
his wife's impassioned interest in the overthrow of the Spaniards in a
landscape which had evidently not changed since。 She said it was hard to
realize that Holland was not still a republic； and she was not very
patient with Breckon's defence of the monarchy on the ground that the
young Queen was a very pretty girl。
〃And she is only sixteen；〃 Boyne urged。
〃Then she is two years too old for you；〃 said Lottie。
〃No such thing！〃 Boyne retorted。 〃I was fifteen in June。〃
〃Dear me！ I should never have thought it；〃 said his sister。
Ellen seemed hardly to look out of the window at anything directly； but
when her father bade her see this thing and that； it seemed that she had
seen it already。 She said at last； with a quiet sigh； 〃I never want to
go away。〃
She had been a little shy of Breckon the whole morning； and had kept him
asking himself whether she was sorry she had walked so long with him the
night before； or； having offered him due reparation for her family； she
was again dropping him。 Now and then he put her to the test by words
explicitly directed at her； and she replied with the dreamy passivity
which seemed her normal mood； and in which he could fancy himself half
forgotten； or remembered with an effort。
In the midst of this doubt she surprised himhe reflected that she was
always surprising himby asking him how far it was from The Hague to the
sea。 He explained that The Hague was in the sea like all the rest of
Holland； but that if she meant the shore； it was no distance at all。
Then she said； vaguely； she wished they were going to the shore。 Her
father asked Breckon if there was not a hotel at the beach； and the young
man tried to give him a notion of the splendors of the Kurhaus at
Scheveningen； of Scheveningen itself he despaired of giving any just
notion。
〃Then we can go there；〃 said the judge； ignoring Ellen； in his decision；
as if she had nothing to do with it。
Lottie interposed a vivid preference for The Hague。 She had； she said；
had enough of the sea for one while； and did not want to look at it again
till they sailed for home。 Boyne turned to his father as if a good deal
shaken by this reasoning； and it was Mrs。 Kenton who carried the day for
going first to a hotel in The Hague and prospecting from there in the
direction of Scheveningen； Boyne and his father could go down to the
shore and see which they liked best。
〃I don't see what that has to do with me；〃 said Lottie。 No one was
alarmed by her announcement that if she did not like Scheveningen she
should stay at The Hague； whatever the rest did； in the event fortune
favored her going with her family。
The hotel in The Hague was very pleasant； with a garden behind it； where
a companionable cat had found a dry spot； and where Lottie found the cat
and made friends with it。 But she said the hotel was full of Cook's
tourists； whom she recognized； in spite of her lifelong ignorance of
them； by a prescience derived from the conversation of Mr。 Pogis； and
from the instinct of a society woman； already rife in her。 She found
that she could not stay in a hotel with Cook's tourists； and she took her
father's place in the exploring party which went down to the watering…
place in the afternoon； on the top of a tram…car； under the leafy roof of
the adorable avenue of trees which embowers the track to Scheveningen。
She disputed Boyne's impressions of the Dutch people； whom he found
looking more like Americans than any foreigners he had seen； and she
snubbed Breckon from his supposed charge of the party。 But after the
start； when she declared that Ellen could not go； and that it was
ridiculous for her to think of it； she was very good to her； and looked
after her safety and comfort with a despotic devotion。
At the Kurhaus she promptly took the lead in choosing rooms； for she had
no doubt of staying there after the first glance at the place； and she
showed a practical sense in settling her family which at least her mother
appreciated when they were installed the next day。
Mrs。 Kenton could not make her husband admire Lottie's faculty so
readily。 〃You think it would have been better for her to sit down with
Ellen； on the sand and dream of the sea；〃 she reproached him； with a
tender resentment on behalf of Lottie。 〃Everybody can't dream。〃
〃Yes； but I wish she didn't keep awake with such a din；〃 said the judge。
After all； he admired Lottie's judgment about the rooms； and he censured
her with a sigh of relief from care as he sank back in the easy…chair
fronting the window that looked out on the North Sea； Lottie had already
made him appreciate the view till he was almost sick of it。
〃What is the matter？〃 said Mrs。 Kenton； sharply。 〃Do you want to be in
Tuskingum？ I suppose you would rather be looking into Richard's back…
yard。〃
〃No；〃 said the judge； mildly； 〃this is very nice。〃
〃It will do Ellen good； every minute。 I don't care how much she sits on
the sands and dream。 I'll love to see her。〃
The sitting on the sand was a survival of Mr。