Cornelli Part 23

"Oh, mother, just look at the red daisies!" Cornelli cried out. "Oh, look at the golden b.u.t.tercups! Oh, look, look; see all the blue forget-me-nots!"

Cornelli had jumped up, for she could not sit still anymore, and was looking forwards and backwards, to right and to left. The meadows had never been so full of flowers, and every few moments Cornelli cried out with delight. When the carriage drove into the courtyard, Cornelli was the first to jump down.

"Oh, Esther, how are you?" she called to her old friend. Full of dignity and covered with a spotless white ap.r.o.n, the cook stood ready to receive the guests.

"Oh, now I am home again! Is everything still the same? Is the garden still the way it was? And Martha and her house, too?"

"Yes, yes, Cornelli. And how are you?" returned Esther, looking eagerly at Cornelli. "How you have changed! In truth you have changed wonderfully. You are not the same."

Cornelli was already running into the house to the living-room and to her own wardrobe. Yes, everything had remained the same. She flew outside again to the mother, to lead her into the house. The child's face fairly beamed with joy.

Cornelli's father was busy working in his office. Hearing the sound of the approaching wheels, he started. "Here they are already," he said to himself. He hastily threw off his working coat and putting on a good coat left the iron foundry. While he was walking across the courtyard he sighed deeply. Freshly stamped in his memory, he saw before him his only child as she had looked when he had returned from his journey a year ago. Cornelli had stood before him shyly, with averted glance, resembling a little savage, who had never been combed.

"I wonder what the child is like now?" he muttered to himself.

As he entered the living room Cornelli looked up at him. The Director was quite startled at what he saw. Now Cornelli flew up to him.

"Oh, Papa, oh, Papa! It is so wonderful to be home again! Everything is still the way it used to be. Oh, I am so glad to be home again!"

The father wanted to embrace his child, but before he did so he held her at arm's length to gaze at her once more.

"Cornelli," he said with tears in his eyes, "you look at me the way your mother used to. You have grown just like your mother," he said, putting his arms lovingly about her. "How was it possible? How could you change in this way? How did it happen?"

"Mother knows about it, Papa. Mother has helped me," said Cornelli, going with shining eyes to the mother, for Mrs. Halm had retreated to the back of the room.

The Director now turned to his new guest. "Welcome to our house," he said heartily, greeting both her and the children. Holding Cornelli's hand within his own, he continued with emotion: "How different you have brought her back to me! How did you do it? Can this be the same child that I brought you?"

The happy father had to look at Cornelli over and over again, for he hardly yet realized that this was his child. Was this really Cornelli and not a creature of his imagination? So he held the child's hand and looked again and again into her shining eyes; it really seemed as if he could not believe it.

Esther, laden with the dinner dishes, now came into the room to set the table. She informed her master that the guest rooms were ready and that she supposed the ladies wanted to retire before the coming meal.

Mrs. Halm and her daughter gladly followed her, but Cornelli said: "Oh, Papa, can I run over to Martha? I'll be back very soon."

Dino also begged to go, for he longed to see old Martha again. As the permission had readily been given, the two children started off. They had meant to run down the path, but Cornelli could not go fast. The meadow was so full of daisies, b.u.t.tercups and especially of blue forget-me-nots, her favorite flowers, that she felt as if she had to gather them all, and Dino had to remind her that their time was short and that the flowers would still be there to-morrow.

Martha had heard that Cornelli and her guests were expected that day, so she had several times glanced towards the garden to see if she could discover trace of her or of Dino. Now both came flying up the steps, and Martha ran out to meet them. Oh, yes, here was Dino, Dino whom she knew so well, and Cornelli, too--Martha looked at the child and tried to say something. Instead of that, however, bright tears started to her eyes, and she was unable to speak.

"Oh, Martha, how I have looked forward to coming home and coming to you right away!" Cornelli exclaimed. "Are you glad, too, Martha? Oh, I am so happy!"

"I too, I too, Cornelli," Martha a.s.sured her. "What memories you bring back to me, child, for you have grown just like your mother. Oh, how different you are now from what you were. G.o.d has blessed your life in town. It seems like a miracle. Oh, how I have prayed for this!"

After these words she shook Dino's hand, looking at him rather sadly, for her great joy at seeing him again was dimmed by his delicate appearance.

"Oh, Dino, how pale and thin you look," she said. "Last year you were so much stouter."

"That is why I came again to Iller-Stream," Dino replied cheerfully.

"You must rejoice with us now, Mrs. Martha, for Cornelli and I are tremendously pleased to be here again. It is just as lovely here as it was last year, and now we can come to see you every day, for this seems like home."

Martha was so moved that she could not speak. Here was Cornelli, looking as fresh and bright as ever; all the unspeakably sad expression had vanished from her face, together with the awful disfigurement of those days. The old woman was deeply stirred by the happy look in the little girl's eyes. Her young mother had looked at her just that way. And here was Dino, too, full of his old attachment, and speaking such kind words to her. She could hardly believe this great happiness.

"We have to go, now, Martha," Cornelli said, "but we'll come every day the way we used to; you know that, Martha. I'll run over every single day."

"And I, too," cried Dino. When the happy little couple were running away, Martha looked after them from her little stairway. Her eyes were moist, yet followed the two till they were lost from sight.

Even then she still stood there with folded hands.

"Oh, good G.o.d," she said quietly, "my heart is full of thankfulness.

Thou hast blessed everything that was hard for the child, and hast turned everything to good."

When the children entered the house, Cornelli said: "Just go in, Dino, I'll soon follow you."

Then she turned and went into the kitchen.

"Oh, I was hoping all the time that our Cornelli could still find her way to the kitchen," said Esther with satisfaction. "Come and let me have a real look at you, Cornelli!"

Esther placed herself squarely in front of the child and said: "You have grown a lot last year, Cornelli. And your hair is so neatly combed and brushed! One certainly can enjoy looking at our Cornelli, now."

Cornelli blushed a little, for she had to remember the way she had looked when she had gone away. She knew how it had been and how she had shut her heart against the help Esther had often offered her.

"Oh, Esther, I have to tell you something. Where is Trina, the maid, who has come with them?"

"I told her to go behind the house to look at the vegetable garden,"

said Esther. "She stood in my way all the time. I am afraid she is not very quick."

"No, she isn't; I know that. But Esther, I want to tell you something about her. Please be good to her!" Cornelli begged. "You see, Trina is block-headed and awkward, but she can't help it. You don't know how that is, but I know. And if you are very good to her, she won't mind as much being that way. Won't you do me that favor, Esther?"

Full of surprise, Esther looked after the child, who was running towards the dining room.

"How does she ever think of such things," Esther murmured to herself.

"One might think Cornelli had to begin at the bottom herself, instead of being the Director's daughter who can have whatever she wants."

Esther kept on shaking her head for quite a while, but she was anxious to show Cornelli that she was the only daughter of the house and could command her. She was very proud of Cornelli's position and eager to prove to her young mistress that she was only too happy to follow her wishes.

When the first merry meal was over, the children were allowed to run out to the garden. They already knew what they were going to see there, because Dino had described it to them with great enthusiasm. He had told them about the flower garden with its wealth of color, the trellises, covered with red peaches, the heavily laden pear and apple trees. Now they could see all those wonders for themselves, including the stable with the splendid cows and the proud and shining horses.

So the five children ran away with great eagerness.

The Director and Mrs. Halm remained in the dining room, drinking their coffee in each other's company.

"Please, Mr. h.e.l.lmut," she said, as soon as the door had closed behind the children, "please let me thank you for your great kindness. I want to tell you how grateful I am."

"What do you mean? Why do you want to thank me, Mrs. Halm?" the Director interrupted her. "Please let me speak first! It is I who want to thank you. I shall never be able to repay you for what you have done. What wonders you have accomplished for my child! How you have been able to change and develop Cornelli! How well she looks now! I have to gaze at her again and again, for I can hardly believe that it is the same child. How can I thank you enough? How did you ever do it? And what patience, care and trouble you must have taken with her. I am afraid that it has required endless thought on your part to bring her back like this."

"Oh, no, Mr. h.e.l.lmut, that was not the way at all," said Mrs. Halm.

"Cornelli has cost me neither patience, care, nor trouble. If by a little love I have been able to draw out the good kernel of her nature and bring it to happy development, then that is all I have done.

Cornelli has never made my task hard for me. We have all become so fond of her that we had to think with sorrow of the time when she would leave us. I shall never forget what happy hours Dino had with Cornelli during his illness and how she constantly entertained my sociable little Mux with her constant merriment and kindness. Yes, Mr. h.e.l.lmut, I shall never forget what she has done, and I can a.s.sure you that you have a lovely little daughter."

The Director jumped up in his excitement and strode to and fro in the room. What different enthusiasm from that of a year ago!

"You do not know what you are saying, Mrs. Halm," he said, standing still before her. "You are relieving me of most dreadful anxiety. I have suffered perfect tortures, because I was blaming myself for having neglected my Cornelia's child. I thought it was too late and that Cornelli had grown hopelessly stubborn. Now you have come and brought me back my child so that she even resembles her mother in her eyes and her whole expression and appearance. My wife was friendly and gay, and now you tell me that this is Cornelli's disposition, too."