Cornelli Part 12

She had told Dino how merry and bright the child could be and how he would enjoy her as a daily companion. Now it had all come to nothing.

In the meantime Dino and Martha had become firm friends, and the old woman was very eager to make everything cosy and comfortable for her polite and friendly housemate. After his daily walks and after he had done his school work conscientiously, Dino loved always to sit down beside Martha. Then she would talk to him and tell him many things which Dino loved to hear.

She generally told about Cornelli's father and mother, for Martha had known the latter as a small child. Before long, though, she would always begin to talk about Cornelli, for she never tired of that subject. She a.s.sured Dino that she had never known a more bright or amusing little girl. Dino always a.s.sured her that he could not believe this and when Martha even a.s.serted that Cornelli was more attractive than any child she had ever seen, Dino laughed.

"She looks exactly like a little owl," he always said. "One can hardly see her eyes. I should love her to come again, though," he added, for he was curious to see Cornelli when she was funny and bright, as Martha described her.

When Dino had gone to his room that evening, Martha quickly put on a better ap.r.o.n, took the big shawl from her cupboard, and putting it on her shoulders, went quietly out of the house and over to the Director's residence. She looked up at the kitchen windows and saw a light there, as well as in the room that overlooked the garden. On entering the kitchen Martha saw Esther and Miss Mina sitting down to a plentiful supper. The latter was just getting up to answer a bell which had rung in the dining room, but Esther offered the empty seat to her old acquaintance.

"Sit down, Martha. I am sure you have earned a rest, the same as I have," she said, and with these words moved three platters and a bottle over to the new arrival. "Just take it. There is a lot left and I am glad when it is gone, for then I can plan something new for to-morrow."

"Thank you, Esther," Martha replied. "I have already eaten supper. It is very nice of you to invite me to share it with you, but I really can't."

"How can you refuse? I simply won't have it. Anybody can eat what I cook, even the Emperor of Russia himself. I am sure you are not yet quite as mighty as that," Esther proceeded eagerly, loading a plate with macaroni and stewed plums.

"Please, Martha, don't make a fuss; just eat this and drink this gla.s.s of wine. I don't know why you shouldn't. Why shouldn't you eat supper twice, if it is good?" Martha did not dare to refuse Esther's offering any more, so she began to eat her second supper, which was much more abundant than the first had been.

"What brings you here so late, Martha; what is it?" asked Esther curiously, for this visit was quite unusual.

"I was going to ask you something, Esther, and I thought that I would interfere less with your work in the evening than at any other time,"

Martha answered. "Cornelli, who used to come to me every day has not been to see me all week. I thought that the ladies might have objected to her going to such a humble old woman as I am. I could understand that well enough. Do you think they have?"

"Oh no, they don't object at all," Esther replied. "Miss Mina has told them that our master thinks well of you. But you have no idea how changed the child is in all her ways. One hardly knows her any more.

Three or four times a morning she used to come running in and out of the kitchen. She was always singing and flying about the garden like a little bird, at all hours of the day.

"Who picked all the fine berries and the yellow plums, the juicy, dark red cherries from the young trees over there, so that it was a pleasure to see her? Cornelli, of course! And now she won't even look at anything. All the berries are dried up by now and spoiled, and the fine cherries, too. The yellow plums, also, are lying under the tree by the dozen. They are only meant for children; the ladies won't bother about them and one can't cook them, either. So they fall down and lie there, and Cornelli never raises her head when she goes by them."

Martha was much too modest to say how she would have loved to have a little basket full of plums for her young boarder. She never could give him any fruit and she knew how he would enjoy some. But as long as he was staying with her she could not do it, for that would seem as if she were begging for herself.

"Yes, Esther," she said after a while, "I certainly have noticed how changed Cornelli is. I pray to the Lord that everything will come right in the end. Of course, it is hard for the child to get used to a new life right away. But it surely will be good for her to have somebody looking after her bringing-up."

Esther shrugged her shoulders significantly at this, but said nothing.

"Is the child still in her room or has she gone out, Esther, do you know? I wanted to tell her to come again to see me, as long as the ladies don't object."

Esther did not need to answer. At that moment Cornelli came stealing quietly down the hall. When she saw Martha a ray of sunshine pa.s.sed across her face and she greeted the old woman.

"I came to see if you were ill," said Martha. "What keeps you from coming to see me, Cornelli? The time has pa.s.sed so slowly without you, child," she added, holding Cornelli's hand affectionately.

"With me, too," said Cornelli hoa.r.s.ely.

"Please come to-morrow and every day, the way you used to," Martha begged.

"No, I won't come," Cornelli answered.

"Why not, Cornelli?" Martha asked, full of dismay.

"Because the boy is there. I don't like him and he does not like me,"

Cornelli stated.

Martha now eagerly told Cornelli of the falsehood of this a.s.sertion.

She told her how Dino had asked after her every day and had hoped that she would come again. It was awfully dull for him to be alone all day without a playmate. Martha was quite sure that it had not been Dino's fault that she did not like him. The boy had nothing at all against her, for he was asking every day that she come back.

"Tell me, Cornelli," Martha said finally, "why don't you like the boy?

He is so nice!"

"I'll come to see you to-morrow," was Cornelli's answer, and it sufficed. Quite happily Martha said good-bye, making Cornelli repeat her promise that she would spend some time next day with her old friend and the new boarder.

Next day Cornelli actually arrived at Martha's cottage at the accustomed time. Martha was standing by her carnation pots on the porch, ready to greet the visitor who was approaching.

"Dino is so glad that you are coming, Cornelli," she said, offering her hand as greeting. "He has just returned from drinking milk. Look, here he comes!"

Dino had heard the arrival of Martha's expected friend and opening the door had stepped out. "Why have you not come for so long?" he asked, giving Cornelli his hand. "I waited for you every day."

Cornelli gave no answer. Entering the room together they sat down just as they did the first day of their acquaintance. Martha went out, because she knew that the children would get along better alone, and she was very anxious for the two to become good friends.

"Your small white kid is growing more cunning every day," said Dino.

"You should see it when it bounds about so gaily."

"I don't care if I see it again or not. Nothing matters at all to me,"

Cornelli returned in a most unfriendly manner.

"No, this is not true," said Dino, laughing kindly. "When one talks that way it shows that one cares a great deal and that one is full of bitter thoughts, just because one can't have what one wants. I know that very well; I do exactly the same thing."

Cornelli was so astonished by Dino's knowledge in the matter that she gazed at him dumfounded.

"Oh, yes, I know how it is," he repeated. "But you do not need to be bitter, because you lead the finest life anyone possibly could. I always think so each morning and evening when I go over to the stable to drink my milk. What a wonderful garden you have! I never saw such fruit. A whole tree full of plums and all the berries on the bushes!

And then the two fine horses that are kept separately in your stable for you. Matthew has told me that your father drives with you every week and that you can have everything in the house and in the garden, for you are the only child."

"Oh, if only there were twelve or twenty children in the house, then everything would be different," Cornelli broke forth pa.s.sionately.

"But I am always alone and never can say a word to anybody. And if one is made so that everybody hates and despises one, and if no one in the whole world can help one and everything gets worse all the time---You do not know how it is. I only wish I could die right away--" Here Cornelli burst into sudden tears. Putting her head on the table she sobbed violently.

Dino looked quite frightened; he had never intended to make Cornelli sad and he could not understand what she had said. But he remembered that she had no mother and so he could understand her tears, for that was dreadfully sad. That seemed more cause for tears than that she was an only child.

The thought filled him with deep compa.s.sion for her, and he said softly: "Come, Cornelli! It is terribly sad that you have no mother, but you must not think that therefore you are all alone and n.o.body wants to help you. I'll be your friend and I'll help you, but you must tell me what troubles you. I do not understand from what you have said. Please explain it all to me."

"No, I can't do that, I can't tell anyone," Cornelli said between her sobs.

"Oh, yes, you can. Don't cry any more and I'll help you. I can surely find a way. Please tell me."

Dino took Cornelli's hand and gently pulled it away from her eyes.

"No, no, I can't," she said timidly.

"Oh, yes, you can. First of all, we'll push your hair away. It is all sticking to your forehead and your eyes; you can hardly see." Dino pushed the hair away as much as he was able; but it was still hanging down and sticking fast.

"Oh, now you'll see it, and then you'll make a great noise, I know,"

Cornelli exclaimed desperately.

"I do not see anything except that you look a thousand times better that way than with these thick, drooping fringes all over your face,"