Cornelli Part 14

"Oh, what fine yellow plums! I am sure they taste as sweet as honey,"

exclaimed Dino. "Are they from your garden? When the sun shines on them in the morning, all the branches seem to sparkle with reddish gold like a Christmas tree."

"Yes, they are from the tree. Do you want to eat them?" asked Cornelli.

"With pleasure. But you must eat some, too," said Dino.

"No, I don't want to," Cornelli replied. "Just try whether they are good. If you do not like them, you can leave them or give them to the birds."

"Oh, but there is nothing that tastes as sweet and splendid as these golden plums!" cried Dino, while he was slowly eating one after another.

"What a shame! I wish I had known how much you like them; you really ought to have told me," Cornelli said. "There are none left on the tree and they are the last that were lying on the gra.s.s. But very soon we'll have the best juicy pears--they are perfectly delicious, I think, even better--and then I'll bring you some every day."

"Yes, it certainly would be great to have a pear feast with you every day," said Dino, looking admiringly at the last reddish plum before he ate it. "It is easy enough for you, Cornelli. You can stay right here under the pear tree, but I have to go away. I'll have to spend my time behind the school house walls, regretting all that I have lost."

"But you are not going away," said Cornelli with dismay.

It had never occurred to her that this happy companionship could ever end.

"Yes, I have to. If I could, I would stay here much longer with our good friend Martha. She is better than anybody I know except my mother, and she takes care of me as if I were a silkworm."

"Yes, and when you go, everything is over," said Cornelli, speaking as if Dino were her enemy. Her eyes glowed at him from under her hair and she seemed to be accusing him of some bitter wrong. She now turned away, as if to say: Now I do not want to hear of anything more. But Dino understood her sudden anger.

"No, Cornelli," he said soothingly, "just the opposite will happen.

It is not over at all, because it has only just begun. I have planned with Martha to-day that I shall come again next summer and the summer after and every year after that, till we are both old and gray."

But Cornelli only saw the immediate future before her and what was going to happen now; she could not look so far ahead.

"Yes, but it is so long till next year, that you are sure to forget all about me a hundred times," she said crossly, as if she were chiding her companion.

"No, I won't do that," said Dino quietly. "I won't forget you once, least of all a hundred times. I'll prove it to you, Cornelli. Let us still have a good time together and enjoy the four remaining days that I can stay here. Let us look forward, also, to the time when I shall come again. Just think how much the kid will have grown by then! We shall be able to drive together. I'll be the coachman and you'll be the lady in the carriage. That will be splendid!"

But Cornelli could no longer be really gay. She always saw the moment before her when Dino had to say good-bye, and when all their fun would be over. The morning really came fast enough when she had to take leave of him in Martha's cottage. After Dino had driven away, Cornelli buried her head in her arms and cried piteously. Martha, too, was heavy of heart, and sat beside her, crying quietly.

That same evening when dinner was done and Cornelli got up from table to leave the room, the cousin said: "You have not said a single word to-day, Cornelli. You seem to get worse instead of better! Ought your father find you worse on coming home than when he left?"

"Good-night," said Cornelli hoa.r.s.ely, and left the room without once looking up.

"There is nothing to be done with her; you can see it for yourself, Betty. You have thought that we could still produce a change for the better," said Miss Dorner, after Cornelli had shut the door behind her. "What have we accomplished with our best efforts? We have tried hard enough for her father's sake. How terrible it will be for him to live alone with her again! Instead of cheering his lonely life, she will only cause him worry and trouble. And what a sight she is! Have you ever seen an obstinacy equal to hers in all your life?"

"No, never," replied the friend. "It actually seems as if all the helpful words we have spoken had the opposite effect with her. Whenever we told her how terrible she looked, the disfiguring hair fringes always seemed to get worse. I should like to know what one could do to break her stubborn will. Maybe great severity would do it or bringing together Cornelli and other children; they might cure her by laughing at her."

"I do not believe so, for nothing seems to help," Miss Dorner concluded.

"My cousin himself, when he comes back, shall decide what to do with her. But I know that one thing is certain: whatever will be done, she will never be a joy to her father."

CHAPTER VII

A NEW SORROW

Autumn had come, and all the fruit trees in Mr. h.e.l.lmut's garden were laden with gorgeous fruit. Bright red apples and golden pears were shining through the green branches; dark blue plums, honey sweet, fell here and there from the deeply weighted trees. Whoever pa.s.sed the garden had to stand still and look, full of wonder, at this great abundance, and many a person was tempted to leap over the hedge and get one of the golden pears as a prize.

Cornelli, staring in front of her, was sitting on the bench under the hazel nut tree. Matthew was just approaching from the stable; he wore his best coat, and one could see that something special was going on.

"Do you want to come with me, Cornelli?" he asked, walking over to the bench where she was sitting. "I am just going to harness the horses.

Your father is coming at eleven o'clock and I am going to drive down to the lake to meet him. Come with me! Our brown fellows will be sure to trot well, for they have had a long rest. Come along! It will be fun, I know."

Cornelli shook her head.

"No?" said Matthew with disappointment. "I was sure you would not let slip a chance of driving gaily out into the bright morning to meet your father. Shall I get you down some pears? No pears, either?" Matthew went away, shaking his head. "If our master only had half a dozen boys and as many girls, how nice it would be here on the place. Then such splendid pears would not be hanging sad and forgotten on the trees."

Then he added, in a murmur: "Not even to care about driving with such horses!"

Soon afterwards, Mr. Maelinger arrived, for it was time for Cornelli's lessons. Most of the time the teacher sat beside his pupil shaking his head. He really needed all his patience to endure the total indifference she showed in all her tasks. To-day it was again the same.

The two hours pa.s.sed, and the carriage which was bringing home her father had just driven up in front of the house. Mr. Maelinger was filled with astonishment, for his pupil, instead of jumping up happily and running away to greet her father, looked shyly through the window and did not budge.

"You can go, Cornelli; your father is here! We have finished our work,"

he said, and with these words departed.

Cornelli had heard her father coming into the house and had heard the ladies' joyful words of welcome. She crushed a tear that had begun to trickle down her cheek and went over to the room where her father had just entered.

"How are you, child? Have you come at last?" the father called gaily to her. "But how strange you look, Cornelli!" he went on with a changed voice. "What is it?" Cornelli had silently given him her hand and was shyly looking down.

"What has happened to you? How odd you look! I hardly know you any more! Push away all that gypsy-like hair from your face! Why don't you look at me pleasantly? Why do you keep looking away? For months I have been looking forward to this home-coming to my little daughter, who, I had hoped, would have gained much. So this is the way I am to find you, Cornelli."

Full of sorrow and anger, the father was gazing at the little girl.

She had turned away and had not said a word. Her face, half hidden by the horrible hair strands, seemed to be covered by a gray cloud which threatened to break out in a violent rain.

"We shall talk it all over later, Frederick," said the cousin. "Let us first enjoy and celebrate the happy hour of your return and let us keep all troublesome thoughts away." With these words, Miss Dorner led her cousin to the dining room, where the table was festively set with all the good dishes Esther knew were her master's favorites.

The Director's thoughts, however, were so troubled that even the festive meal could not dispel them. He barely touched the food that was offered, for he could not take his eyes off his only child. She sat in front of him with bowed head, and only now and then looked up at him, quite shyly. The meal did not go through in a very festive spirit. It was noticeable that Mr. h.e.l.lmut had to force himself to the few words he spoke. His thoughts were elsewhere and were of a very disturbing nature.

He got up from the table, as soon as possible, and hurried away.

"He is going over to the works," said Miss Dorner to her friend, following him with her eyes. Cornelli, too, had left the room as soon as her father had gone. "I think it has upset him more than I thought it would. He has to give vent to his excitement a little, and I hope that seeing the workmen over there will help him to get over his impression. I hope he will hear there many new and pleasant things--of much work and good business. It is hard for him to carry on his endless work for the sake of such a child, don't you think so? But it can't be changed."

After a while the Director came back again. He did not look much soothed or pleasantly surprised by what he had just heard. The ladies now sat down again to drink a cup of coffee with him.

"They have spoiled many things for me over there," said the Director, sitting down beside them. "Even if it should mean considerable loss, I can bear it, but I cannot stand the way Cornelli has changed. What a frightful sight she is, and how dumb and stupid she has grown. She did not show the slightest sign of pleasure at my coming and has not said a single word since then. She has hardly even looked at me and only sits there as if her existence were a real misfortune--I cannot stand it. What has happened to the child?" In his excitement Mr. h.e.l.lmut jumped up and paced about the room.

"Nothing has happened to the child; at least, we know of nothing, do we, Betty?" said Miss Dorner. "We have both tried to teach her good manners, for we found that she lacked them sadly. We did it chiefly on your account. Sorry as I am to say it, Frederick, I have to tell you that the child's disposition is so terribly obstinate one can hardly do anything with her. The more we fought against it and tried to bring her on the right path, the worse it got and the more she would insist on having her way.

"What have we not said against this terrible disfigurement! And all for nothing! The more we said, the more Cornelli would pull her hair into her eyes. So I gave it up, for I saw that only physical punishment would help in such a case and I wanted to leave that to you; I did not come into your house for that. I do not even dare to decide if that would help. I have really never in all my life seen such a stubborn child. I shall certainly admire anybody who can bring her to rights."

The director had marched up and down the room with restless steps. Now he suddenly stood still.