Juliana was - quite at her ease as she let her eyes
dwell thoughtfully upon Christophe.
She said: 'My grandfather talks much about you,
he is always talking about your great strength—are
your muscles as fine as he would have one believe?3
Christophe went scarlet, not knowing what to answer.
'I have always admired great strength/ smiled
^Eliana.
He found this intensely embarrassing, and was
suddenly conscious that his nails were dirty. He had
tried very hard to remove the stains of furniture
polish but had not succeeded, so that now he looked
unhappily down at his nails.
'But yes, he is strong like a bullock!' bragged Jan.
'You are strong, you also,3 said Christophe quickly.
How unusual they were, so virginal, so simple, and
then so fiercely loyal to each other. She had quickly
divined this loyalty of theirs and she found it rather
absurd yet intriguing; moreover life was none too gay
at the moment, so she said:
'Tell me, what can one do in the evenings?'
They looked at her, feeling rather nonplussed:
'One can walk on the hills if one wishes;' Christophe
told her; 'it is cool when one walks on the hills after
work/
'Ah, but I am so timid,* sighed Juliana, 'and yet
there is much that I long to see; many places round
here must be of great interest . •. . my poor grand-
father finds himself terribly lame.'
'If you wish we will accompany you,' Jan said
politely.
'That would be entirely charming,' she answered.
Then Christophe remembered Goundran's small
boat — Goundran had given him permission to use it:
'Perhaps, Mademoiselle, you would care for a row?
Jan rows well, he rows much better than I do; however,
we both of us make quite good speed. There are
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