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The following morning, after a very satisfactory breakfast, the gentlemen took leave of their amiable hostess, Bernat bácsi lingering behind the rest to whisper significantly: "I will not say farewell, Katinka hugom, for I am coming back to tell you all about it." Then he took his place in the extra post-chaise, and bade the postilion drive directly to the neighboring castle.
The count himself was tranquil and even cheerful, although his face wore an air of stern determination. The countess looked anxious and careworn. The eyes of the three girls were swollen with crying, and the lads afterwards learned that Katinka had gone down on her knees to her father, to implore him to allow her to sacrifice herself for the common good by marrying Count Smerskoff.
Thousands of little white stars enameled the turf, then turned to red strawberries, looking, in their green cups, like rubies set in emeralds. "Make haste, my child, and gather your strawberries," said June. Dobrunka filled her apron, thanked the Twelve Months, and joyfully ran home. You may imagine the astonishment of Katinka and the stepmother.
"Why?" echoed the countess, absent-mindedly, giving another glance at the mirror; "why do I marry M. de Riancourt? Really, Katinka, you are more inquisitive than I am; does one ever know why one marries?" "Everybody seems to think there exist excellent reasons for this marriage, nevertheless," pursued Katinka.
"They are growing up," thought the mother, "and suitors will soon appear, who will refuse my daughter when they see this hateful Dobrunka, who grows beautiful on purpose to spite me. I must get rid of her, cost what it may." One day in the middle of January, Katinka took a fancy for some violets.
The countess leaned back in her chair, as if she considered that conversation would be out of place while her daughter was playing. Count Smerskoff sat quietly for a quarter of an hour. When the door had closed behind him, and the sound of his footsteps along the corridor ceased, the girls burst into a fit of laughter, in which the midshipmen joined heartily. "Well done, Katinka!"
She climbed and climbed till she reached the place, and found the Twelve Months each seated on his stone, motionless and silent. Without asking their permission, she approached the fire. "Why have you come here? What do you want? Where are you going?" asked old January, gruffly. "What matters it to you, old fool?" answered Katinka.
Assure them that we will do our best to make them comfortable. Come here, my dears." Then she formally, pointing to each of them, uttered their names, "Katinka, Paulina, Olga." Dick, in reply, pointed to his companion, "Jack Archer," and to himself "Dick Hawtry." The girls smiled, and held out their hands.
"Katinka hugom can see the Nameless Castle from the terrace out yonder. It is a hunting-seat that was built by a Markoczy on the shore of Lake Neusiedl, on the site of a primitive pile-dwelling.
"Why, they are boys," she said in surprise, "and will do for playfellows for you, Olga. Poor little fellows, how cruel to send such boys to fight!" Then she came up to the boys and bade them welcome with an air of kindness which they both felt. "Katinka," she said, turning to her eldest daughter, "you speak French, and perhaps they do also.
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