Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

== 16 JOHAN FABRICIUS result was that ultimately he would close his file full of calculations with a sigh, or even sharply, with a movement of impatience, and rise from his chair, although, when he had done so, he still had no idea what to do with his time. At first he had received many invitations out to dinner, but these had .gradually become less frequent. His numerous acquaintances—what a lot of them there were!—were really acquaintances of his wife’s, and it was only for Théreése’s sake that they paid him any attention. Her lively, cheerful conversa- tion was the sole reason for their bothering about the Van Houtens at all; Ae was merely an “ extra’ thrown in. Oh, he was perfectly well aware that he was looked upon as dull company; the trouble was, it was so difficult for him to take his mind off his work, even when the doors of the office had closed behind him for the day. His life in the department absorbed him heart and soul, but he could hardly expect anyone else to take an interest in it. When Thérése was with him it didn’t matter if he didn’t say a word the whole evening, but without her he became acutely aware of his hopeless lack of conversational ability. In order not to look too unsociable—and thereby earn a rebuke from Thérése in Holland as well—he sometimes showed himself at the club on musical evenings. There, some associates or friends almost always beckoned him to their table, with a “Hullo, grass widower! Come over here and tell us where you've been getting to these days—full confession, mind! ” Perhaps he was excessively sensitive on the point, but there was something that jarred on him in that teasing “ grass widower,”’ and in such a question, shot at him with a laugh across a room full of people. ‘To his ears it sounded rather inquisitive—almost offensively so, as if the speaker was indecently curious to know what it was like for an old married man such as’ himself to be suddenly condemned to bachelorhood and single strictness again. And lately he had noticed, once or twice, the eyes of a woman scrutinizing him with a strange, almost ironical expression, in such a way that he became downright embarrassed and left the company as soon as he could, with the excuse that he had letters at home which had to be answered in time for tomorrow’s mail. The servants’ quarters in Mr. Van Houten’s house adjoined the back verandah. First came the store-room, kitchen, and bathroom, and then came the rooms occupied by Simin, the houseboy, who was married to Minah, the children’s nurse and housemaid; Osman, the old gardener, husband of the Cook; and comiclbooks.comn