The carriage came, Mevrouw had been waiting ten minutes, and three times been to see why Julia was not waiting with her.  At the sound of wheels Julia came out; she had just finished washing the glasses (which she had been told not to touch, as there was certainly no time).  She was quite ready, but Mevrouw at that moment discovered that she had the wrong sunshade.  Julia fetched the right one and carried it out for the old lady; also an umbrella with a bow on the handle, a mackintosh, a shawl, and a large basket.  Mijnheer came from the office with his spectacles pushed up on his forehead, and a minute later Joost also came to say good-bye; even the maidservant came from the kitchen to see them start.

The carriage drew up; it was a strange-looking vehicle, in shape something between a hearse and an ark on wheels, but with the greater part of the sides open to the air.  Vrouw Snieder and her two daughters were already within, with their bow-trimmed umbrellas, sunshades, mackintoshes, shawls and basket.  There was necessarily a good deal of greeting; Mijnheer and Joost shook hands with all the three ladies, and inquired after Herr Snieder, and received polite inquiries in return.  Then Denah insisted on getting out, so that Mevrouw should be better able to get in; also to show that she was athletic and agile, like an English girl, and thought nothing of getting in and out of a high carriage.  Mevrouw kissed her husband and son, twice each, very loud, called a good-bye to the servant, and got in.  Julia shook hands, said good-bye, and also got in.  Denah watched her, and observed the shape of her feet and ankles jealously.  She glanced sharply at Joost, but he was not guilty of such indecorum as even thinking about any girl’s legs, so, having said her good-bye, she got in reassured.  Finally they drove away amid wishes for a safe drive and a pleasant excursion.

Of course there was a little settling to do inside the carriage, the wraps and baskets to be disposed of, and each person to be assured that the others had enough room, and just the place they preferred to any other.  By the time that was done they stopped again at the house of Mijnheer’s head clerk; here they were to take up two children, girls of fourteen and fifteen, who had been invited to come with the party.  The carriage was not kept waiting, the children were out before it had fairly stopped; they were flaxenly fair girls, wearing little blue earrings, Sunday hats, and cotton gloves of course—­all the party wore cotton gloves; it was, Julia judged, part of the excursion outfit.

Now they were really off, driving out beyond the outskirts of the town; along flat roads where the wheels sank noiselessly into the soft sand, and the horses’ feet clattered on the narrow brick track in the centre.  For a time they followed the canal closely, but soon they left it, and saw in the distance nothing but its high green banks, with the brown sails of boats showing above, and looking as if they were a good