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She knew no greater pleasure than to take a walk with her old friend, for Martha always discovered such interesting things and could point them out to Cornelli, telling her many, many things about them. In many places Martha would be reminded of Cornelli's mother; then with great tenderness she would tell the child about her. Martha was the only one who ever talked to Cornelli about her mother.
Dino exclaimed. "Please ask for at least two or three weeks, Mama. It is so nice to have Cornelli with us." "I shall ask Cornelli's father to let us have his daughter a while longer," said the mother, "I cannot possibly settle the time, her father will do that." "Oh, yes, a while longer is just right.
She was wondering what would happen now that she was again left alone with her father. She wondered if the old days would come back, or if something new was going to be done for Cornelli's education. The door was suddenly flung open and Mr. Hellmut entered. "Oh, Martha, I do not know what to do," he said to her in a perturbed manner. "You simply have to help me.
Cornelli's letter read as follows: DEAR PAPA: I should love to stay here, for the mother and all the children are very good to me, and I love them dearly. I should also like to learn lots and lots of things. Nika and Agnes know so much and are so clever, and I should be so glad to learn what they know. I shall be unspeakably happy if you will let me stay.
"You can see that I really mean it, for what one has promised that way, one can never take back. Now you can be sure that I shall always be your friend." Cornelli's face lit up with joy. It was obviously a great comfort to her to have a friend who would remain so for all time. "So now, I'll tell you what it is.
I couldn't stand it; oh, no, I couldn't! Oh, it would be dreadful. Please help me, Martha, help me!" The terrible fear in Cornelli's voice and the sight of her swollen eyes went straight to Martha's heart. "Come and sit down on your little stool the way you used to in the old times, Cornelli," she said lovingly, "and I'll tell you something that will help and console you.
Hellmut went straight up to Cornelli's room. She was still kneeling at her bed in the same attitude, and still crying bitterly. "Get up, Cornelli, and stop crying," he said. "I meant well with you, but you did not understand me. You shall stay at home for the present; later on you may feel differently about it. You can go to Martha to-morrow. Listen well to her words, for she is your best friend."
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?
Please comb her hair smoothly and part it the way I told you to." "I did it, Miss Dorner, and I do it every morning," she answered, quite hurt. "Cornelli's hair is just like bristles and it is very hard to braid. When she jumps it all gets tangled again and she jumps every moment." Cornelli now came back and ate her soup. Her seat was beside her cousin and faced the other lady.
Cornelli's eyes sparkled with pleasure, for now the whole family wanted to keep her with them. Suddenly a thought flashed through her. When her father had threatened to send her to town for a year, she had been terribly upset, and now the year spent in town with this family seemed like pure pleasure. How different everything had been from what she had thought and feared.
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