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timid, and he turned round. He started back ; there
in front of the till stood Uncle Frans, his arms crossed,
looking at him. c What are you afraid of ?' he
asked. He flushed, and, without answering, went
out of the door, and he noticed that Uncle Frans
followed him with his eyes.
He was angry with himself for being so nervous;
after all, there was no need for it, he had been
intending no harm, but he couldn't help it, the
figure in the grey jacket had appeared so suddenly,
like a ghost. It was queer, he still felt a cold shiver
at the thought. And he forgot that he would
rather not go out with Kolk with no money in
his pocket; he walked quickly to his home in the
Raamvest.
As soon as the door was opened, Kolk called out
from the sitting-room that he must come in. Floris
was confused as he stood in the room, with its
carpeted floor and plush-covered chairs, face to face
with Kolk's two sisters, who smiled at him and said
he needn't call them " Miss." Jan Blusser was
there, too, who always made fun of him in the
playground before they went to school, a tall boy
with dark, narrow eyes, and bony hands. He
said : * Berkenrode is the best boy in the whole
town, and that's because he has such good uncles.3
The girls laughed.
The three of them went out, and before they
had reached the Canal Gate Blusser had said that