The Fairchild Family

by Mrs. Sherwood

  The Story in Emily's Book. Part II.

  Going gaily down the hill]

  Lucy had read first, and when she had finished the half of the story,Mrs. Fairchild proposed that they should take what was in the basket,before they went on to the second part.

  Mr. Fairchild was called in, and Mrs. Fairchild served each person fromthe store.

  "I am quite sure," said Emily, "that Monique Stolberg never made nicercakes than these."

  "Papa," said Lucy, "I cannot help thinking that your book is not halfso pretty as ours. You don't know what a pleasant story we have beenreading, and we have half of it left to read. Shall I tell it to you,papa?" she added; and springing up, she placed herself close to him,putting one arm round his neck, and in a few minutes she made him aswell acquainted with Monique, and Martin, and Ella, and Meeta, andJacques, and Margot, and Heister Kamp, and Father St. Goar, as she washerself; "and now, papa," she said, "will any of the children, do youthink, betray the secret?"

  "Yes," said Mr. Fairchild, smiling, "one of them will."

  "And who will that be, papa?" said Emily.

  "Not Jacques," replied Henry, though he was not asked; "I am sure itwill not be Jacques."

  "Wherefore, Henry?" said Mr. Fairchild.

  "Because he is a boy," replied Henry, "and boys never tell secrets."

  "And are never imprudent!" answered Mr. Fairchild, smiling; "that issomething new to me; but in this case I do not think it will be Jacqueswho will tell this secret."

  "Not Ella, papa?" asked Lucy.

  "I am sure it will not be Ella," added Lucy; "it must be between Meetaand little Margot."

  "Probably," said Mr. Fairchild; "and I have a notion which of the twoit will be; and I shall whisper my suspicions to Henry; as he, being aboy, will be sure to keep my secret till the truth comes out of itself.Of course he might be trusted with a thing much more important thanthis."

  Mr. Fairchild then whispered either the name of Meeta or Margot toHenry; at any rate, he whispered a name beginning with an "M," andHenry looked not a little set up in having been thus chosen as hisfather's confidant.

  When every one of the children were satisfied, they placed the cup andthe fragments in the basket, and then they all settled themselves inreadiness for the rest of the story.

  * * * * *

  "We must now turn, a little while, from the quiet, happy family inMartin Stolberg's cottage to Heister Kamp. What Father St. Goar hadtold her about Stolberg's children having found something curious nearthe waterfall had worked in her mind for above a week, for so long itwas since Margot had found the purse; and she had watched for some ofthe children passing by her door every day since.

  "On the Sunday morning they did indeed pass by to go to church, buttheir father and grandmother were with them; and she knew well enoughthat she should have no chance of any of them when the older and wiserpeople were present.

  "The family came to church in the afternoon, but Heister was at chapelthen.

  "In the evening, however, she made up her mind to climb the hill as faras the cascade, hoping there to meet one or two of the childrenstanding about the place.

  "It was hot work for Heister to make her way up the hill so far, butwhat will not curious people do to satisfy their curiosity? And justthen the village was particularly dull and quiet, as no stranger hadhappened to come for the last ten days, and many of the poor women hadleft their houses and gone up with their flocks to the chalets on themountains.

  "When Heister got near Stolberg's cottage she met Jacques. He was goingdown on an errand to the pastor's from his father. He made a bow, andwould have passed, when Heister stopped him to ask after hisgrandmother's health. When she had got an answer to this inquiry, sheasked him various other questions about the lambs, the bees, and othermatters belonging to the farm and garden; and then, with great seeminginnocence, she said:

  "'You were looking for some herbs the other day, were you not, by thewaterfall, and your sister found a very rare one, did she not? I askyou because I have many a chance of parting with scarce plants, driedand put into paper, to the strangers who come into the house.'

  "'I don't think,' answered Jacques, 'that little Margot would know ascarce plant if she found one.'

  "'But she did find something very curious that day,' said Heister.

  "'What day?' asked Jacques.

  "'It might be ten days since,' said Heister.

  "'Ten days?' repeated Jacques; 'what makes you remember ten days ago soparticularly?'

  "'Well, but was it not about ten days ago,' returned Heister, 'that shefound something very curious in the grass, and called on you to comeand look at it?'

  "'There is scarce a day,' answered Jacques, 'in which she does not callme to come to her and see something she has met with more wonderfulthan ordinary. What was it she said when she called me that day youspeak of? If you can tell me, why then I shall better know how toanswer you.'

  "'She spoke of having found a net with golden fish and moons,' repliedHeister; 'what could she mean?'

  "'It is difficult to know what she does mean sometimes,' said Jacques;'for the dear little lamb talks so fast that we do not attend to halfshe says. But is she not a nice little creature, Madame Kamp, and amerry one too?'

  "'Yes, to be sure,' replied Heister; 'but about the net and thefish--what could the little one mean?'

  "'Who heard her talk of them?' asked Jacques. 'Ask those who heard her,madame. _They_ ought to be able to tell you more about it. But I mustwish you good evening, as I am in haste to go to the pastor's.'

  "Heister saw that she could make nothing of Jacques, so she let him go,pretending that she was herself going no higher, but about to turnanother way.

  "As soon, however, as Jacques was out of sight, she came back into thepath which ran at the bottom of the cottage garden, and there she sawlittle Margot seated on the bank under the hedge, with a nosegay in herhand.

  "The little one was dressed in her clean Sunday clothes, in the fashionof the country, and she wore a full striped petticoat which Monique hadspun of lamb's-wool, a white jacket with short sleeves like the body ofa frock, and a flowered chintz apron. Her pretty hair was left to curlnaturally, and no child could have had a fairer, softer, purercomplexion.

  "'Now,' thought Heister, 'I shall have it;' and she walked smilingly upto the child, and spoke fondly to her, asking her, 'where she got thatpretty new apron?'

  "_Margot rose and made a curtsey._"--Page 262.]

  "Margot rose, made a curtsey, as she had been taught, and said:

  "'Grandmother made it, madame.'

  "Heister praised her pretty face, her bright eyes, her nice curlinghair; and then she asked her if she had any pretty flowers to give her.

  "Margot immediately offered her nosegay, but she refused it, saying shedid not want such flowers as those, but such curious ones as shesometimes found near the waterfall.

  "'I have got none now,' answered Margot.

  "'But you found a very curious one the other day, did you not, mypretty little damsel?' said Heister.

  "'Yes, madame,' said Margot, brightening up; 'yes, madame, I did.'

  "'Ay, I have it now,' thought Heister; and she patted the little one asshe said, 'Was it not bright and shining like gold, and was there notsomething about it like moons?'

  "'Oh, no, madame,' replied the child; 'it was some pretty blue flowersthat come every year. Jacques said they are called gentians; but I callthem fairies' eyes, for they are just the very colour I always fancythe fairy of the Hartsfell's eyes must be--they are so very blue.'

  "'Well, well!' exclaimed Heister, hastily, 'I dare say they werevery pretty; but did you not find something more curious on themountains than flowers? What was it you found, that Monique praised youfor finding, and told you you were a good child for giving it up toher?'

  "'Oh! it was the wild strawberries,' cried Margot; 'the pretty mountainstrawberries. Grandmother thanked me for bringing her home thestrawberries, for sh
e said she had not tasted them since she was agirl.'

  "'Pshaw, child,' said Heister Kamp impatiently; 'it is not that I wantto know. What was it you called a golden fish and moons?'

  "'Moons!' repeated Margot, colouring up to her very brow, 'moons,madame?'

  "'Ay, moons, child. What do you mean by moons?'

  "Poor little Margot! she was sadly put to for an answer, for sheremembered what her grandmother had told her about keeping the secretof the purse; and not being old enough to evade a direct reply, sheburst into tears, taking up her apron to her face.

  "'So you will not tell me what you call moons?' said Heister angrily;then, softening her tone, she added, 'Here, my pretty Margot, is a sou(or penny) for you, if you will tell me what you mean by moons andgolden fish.' But seeing the child irresolute, she added, 'If you donot choose to tell, get out of my way, you little sulky thing.'

  "Margot waited no more, but the next moment the prudent little girl wasup the bank and in the cottage, where she found her grandmother alone,to whom she told her troubles. Monique kissed her, wiped away hertears, and, taking her on her knee, she made the little one's eyes oncemore beam forth with smiles."

  * * * * *

  "There," said Henry, "just as papa said--he knew it would be Meeta."

  "Oh, Henry!" said Mrs. Fairchild, smiling, "how nicely you have keptpapa's secret! You see you would not have done so well as little Margotdid with Heister Kamp."

  Henry made no answer, and Emily went on.

  * * * * *

  "Jacques had made up his mind never to allude to the affair of thetreasure by a single word, so he kept his meeting with Heister tohimself; and when you have read a little more, you will say how unluckyit was that he did so, or that Meeta was not present when Margot hadbeen with her grandmother; but when you have read to the end, you willsay it was all right as it was.

  "In the evening of the next day, Ella, with the help of Monique andMeeta, finished the getting up of a portion of the fine linen of MadameEversil. It was therefore placed neatly in a basket covered with awhite cloth, and sprinkled over with the fairest and choicest offlowers which could be gathered; and then Ella, being neatly dressed,raised it on her head, and set off with it to the village.

  "I wish we had a picture of Ella, just as she was that evening, goinggaily down the hill with the basket so nicely balanced on her head,that she hardly ever put her hand to steady it, though she wentskipping down the hill like the harts which in former times had giventheir name to the place.

  "She was dressed much as her little sister had been the evening before,only that she wore a linen kerchief and a linen cap, and her dark hairwas simply braided. She loved to go to the pastor's, and she loved tobe in motion; so she was very happy.

  "Her light basket travelled safely on her head, and nothing happened todisarrange it, excepting that one end of a long wreath of scarlet rosesescaped from the inner part of the basket, and hung down from thenceby the side of the fair cheeks of the young girl.

  "When Ella entered the little street, she saw no one till she cameopposite the _Lion d'Or_, or _Golden Lion_, the house of Madame Kamp,and there she saw Heister, seated in the porch, knitting herself apetticoat of dyed wool in long stripes of various colours, with needleslonger than her arm.

  "Heister liked knitting--it is the most convenient work for one wholoves talking; the fingers may go whilst the tongue is most busy.

  "Ella would have gone on without noticing Madame Kamp, but Heister hadno mind that she should.

  "'Good evening, Ella Stolberg,' she cried, 'whither away in suchhaste?--but I know, to Madame Eversil's. Can't you stop a minute? Ihave a word to say to you.'

  "Ella stopped, though not willingly.

  "'You look very bright and fair this evening, Ella,' said the cunningwoman; 'and that garland hanging from your basket would be an ornamentto Saint Flora herself; whose fancy was that, my girl? But it is ashame, Ella, that such a girl as you should be employed in getting upother people's linen--you above all, when there is no manner ofnecessity for it. I am much mistaken,' she added, with a cunning look,'if there are not more gold-fish in your father's net than ever foundtheir way into mine.'

  "Ella was a little startled at this speech, and felt herself gettingredder than she wished. She suddenly caught at her basket, brought itdown from her head, and said, 'What garland is it you mean, neighbour?'and she busied herself in arranging the flowers again.

  "'Well, but the fish, Ella--the silver and golden fish in the net,'said Heister, 'what have you to say about them?'

  "Ella placed the basket on her head as she replied gaily:

  "'If there are gold and silver fish in plenty in the Hartsberg lakes,neighbour, it is but fair that they should sometimes be caught in nets.Fishes have no reason to guide them from danger; they are easily caughtin nets. I must not, then, take example from them, else I shall, too,some day, perhaps, be caught. Jacques lays many a snare or nets for thebirds of the mountains,' she added, as if to turn the conversation;'and once Margot found a young one caught, but she cried so bitterlyabout it that we took it home and nursed it till it got well. Did youever see our starling, neighbour?'

  "'A pretty turn off!' said Heister; 'but you know that I mean the goldand silver fish to be louis-d'ors and francs, Ella. Has not your fathernow, girl, got more of these than he ever had in his life before?'

  "'I know this,' replied Ella, calmly, 'that I do firmly believe that myfather never was so short of money as he is now: and this reminds me Imust not linger, as I promised Madame Eversil a portion of her linento-day: so good-evening, madame.'

  "Heister looked after Ella as she walked away, and muttered:

  "'The saucy cunning girl! but I am not deceived; I can trust Father St.Goar better than any one of those Stolbergs.'

  "About an hour before Ella had passed the _Lion d'Or_, a wild darkwoman had come to the house to sell horn and wooden spoons. Heister hadtaken a few, and in return had given her a handful of broken victualsand a cup of wine; she had not carried these things away to eat anddrink them, but had merely gone round the corner of the house, and satherself down there in the dust. She was so near that she could hearall that had passed between Ella and Heister; above all, that Ella hadsaid her father was decidedly short of money.

  "Ella had hardly turned into the gate of the pastor's house when Meetaappeared, going along after her. Monique had forgotten to send by Ellaa pot of honey which she meant as a present to the pastor; and Meetahad offered to carry it, saying that she would have great pleasure inthe errand, and would return with Ella. Monique gave permission; andMeeta appeared opposite to the _Golden Lion_ not five minutes afterElla was gone.

  "'A very good evening to you, Meeta,' cried Heister from the porch;'whither away in such haste? Stop a bit, I beseech you, and give a fewminutes of your company to a neighbour. And how are all at home on thehill? I have been telling Ella, your cousin Ella, that she looked likethe saint of the May. But you, Meeta, why, you might be painted for ourLady herself--so fresh and blooming, with your bright eyes and ruddycheeks. But Ella tells me that things go hard with poor good MartinStolberg--that he is short of money; and I am sorry, for I hoped thathe had met with some good luck lately, and I fear that what I heard isnot true.'

  "'What luck?' asked Meeta.

  "'Someone told me,' said Heister, 'that the little one had found apurse.'

  "'A purse?' repeated Meeta.

  "'What is a net,' answered Heister, 'with gold fish in it but a pursewith gold pieces inside?'

  "'Where--where,' cried Meeta, 'could you have heard that? forgrandmother was so very particular in making us promise not to mentionit.'

  "'Heard it!' repeated the cunning widow; 'why, is not everything knownthat is done in the valley?'

  "'But how?' asked Meeta; 'yet I can guess: Margot has told you. I saidI thought Margot would tell all about it. But do tell me, how came youto hear it?'

  "'Oh! there are a thousand ways
of getting at the truth,' repliedHeister; 'for if anything does happen out of the very commonest way, isit not talked of in my house by those who come and go? But this thingis in everybody's mouth, and people don't scruple to say that therewere a vast number of golden pieces in the purse--some say a hundred.'

  "'Nay, nay,' replied Meeta, 'that is overdoing it; I really don't thinkthere are more than fifteen.'

  "'Well,' returned Heister, 'I don't want to know exactly how many thereare--I am not curious; no one troubles herself less with other people'saffairs than I do; but I am glad this good luck has come to MartinStolberg, above all others in the valley.'

  "'That is very kind of you,' replied Meeta, 'but I do not see what luckit is to him, for the money is not his, and he could not think ofspending it: it is all put by in some safe place in the house.'

  "'Very good, very right,' answered Heister. 'No, no! Martin could neverhave such a thought. But where in the world can you find a place in thehouse safe enough for so many pieces? I should doubt whether they couldcount as many together even at Madame Eversil's. So you say there arefifteen, pretty Meeta? and though no doubt they take but littlehouse-room, yet I should be sorry to keep so many in my poor littlecottage, for I know not where I could stow them safely. I supposeneighbour Monique keeps them in her blue cupboard near thekitchen-stove?--a very good and a very safe place, no doubt, for them.'

  "'Oh, no,' cried Meeta, 'she has them in her chest above stairs, andmy uncle keeps the key himself, and carries it about with him; but whatam I doing here, lingering? Ella will have left the pastor's before Ihave reached there, if I stay with you, neighbour, any longer. Sogood-even,' she added, 'and pray don't say a word about where my UncleStolberg keeps the money, or else grandmother will think I have toldyou, and she will, perhaps, be angry with me.'

  "'And who else did tell me but yourself, giddy one?' cried HeisterKamp, laughing. 'It was all guess with me, I promise you, till you hadit all out. Ella and Jacques, and even little Margot, would not tell mea word about it; and I really began to think that Father St. Goar hadmistaken what the little one had said, till you let the cat out of thebag. But you ought to make haste after Ella, so don't let me hinderyou.' And she arose and went laughing into the house, whilst Meetahastened after her cousin.

  "We cannot suppose that Meeta's reflections were very pleasant, for, assoon as she was left to herself, she felt how very imprudent she hadbeen. She tried, however, to comfort herself with thinking that she haddone no harm. 'For what can it signify,' she said to herself, 'ifHeister does know the truth?' But she would take care not to mention athome what she had said to Madame Kamp; and in this Meeta found, to hercost, that she could keep a secret."

  * * * * *

  "There now!" cried Henry, as Emily was turning over a leaf, "papa wasright; he told me who would betray the secret."

  "We all guessed," said Lucy; "but, Emily, do go on."

  * * * * *

  "The gipsy, or zingara (as they call such people in Switzerland andGermany), for such she was, had heard every word which had passedbetween Madame Kamp and Meeta; and as the coast was quite clear, sheput the remains of her broken victuals into her bag and skulked away,like a thief as she was; and nobody thought of her, nor saw her go.

  "Three or four days passed quietly after the evening in which Meeta andElla went to the village; but on the fourth morning a message came fromMadame Eversil to Monique, to tell her that she had just heard of aparty of persons of great consequence who were coming from a distanceto dine at her house; she sent to beg her to come down immediately tohelp in getting the dinner, and, if she had no objection, to bring Ellawith her to wait on the ladies and at table.

  "Martin Stolberg had gone off early that morning to market, at thenearest town, three leagues off; Jacques had gone up on the higherpastures with the flocks; and when Monique and Ella went down to thepastor's, only Meeta and Margot were left at the cottage.

  "Ella dressed herself in her Sunday clothes, and carried the basket,which her grandmother had packed, down the hill. Monique had filled thebasket with everything she thought might be useful--a bottle of cream,new-laid eggs, and fresh flowers. She bade Margot and Meeta be goodgirls, and keep close at home, when she parted from them, with a kissto each; and the next minute she and Ella were going down the hill."

  * * * * *

  "I know what is coming next," cried Henry, as Emily turned over a leaf;"but do make haste, Emily."

  * * * * *

  "Nothing could be more still and quiet than the cottage and all aboutit seemed to be when Meeta and Margot were left in it; for nothing washeard, when the children were not talking, but the rushing of thewaterfall, the humming of the bees, and the bleating of the distantflocks, and now and then the barking of a sheep-dog.

  "Every cottager on those hills keeps a dog. Wolf was the name of MartinStolberg's dog: Wolf was of the true shepherd's breed, and a mostcareful watch he kept both day and night; but he had gone that morningwith Jacques to the Alps above the waterfall.

  "Monique had told the two girls that they might have peas for dinner,so it was their first business to gather these peas, and bring theminto the house. Margot then sat down to shell them, but she did not sitwithin the house, because of the litter she always made when sheshelled peas; so she sat on a little plot of grass under a tall tree,on one side of the straight path which led from the garden-gate to thehouse-door. Meeta remained within, being busy in setting the kitchen inorder before she sat down to her sewing; and thus they were bothengaged, when Margot saw two people come up to the wicket. Margot wasvery shy, as children are who do not see many strangers, and withoutwaiting to look again at these persons, she jumped up and hid herselfbehind the large trunk of a tree, peeping at the people who werewalking on to the house. The first was a very tall large woman: shewore a petticoat, all patched with various colours, which hardly camedown to her ankles; she had long black and gray hair, which hung looseover her shoulders; a man's hat, and a cloak thrown back from thefront, and hanging in jags and tatters behind. She came up the pathwith long steps like a man's, and was followed by a young man, perhapsher son, who seemed, by his ragged dirty dress, to be fit to bear hercompany.

  "Meeta did not see these people till the large form of the womandarkened the gateway. She was placing some cups on the shelf, and hadher back to the door; when she turned, she not only saw the woman, butthe man peeping over her shoulder, and though she was frightened shetried not to appear to be so.

  "'Mistress!' said the woman in a loud harsh voice, 'I am dying withthirst; can you give me anything to drink?' and as she said so, shewalked in and sat herself on the first seat she could find. The mancame in after her, and began looking curiously about him.

  "'I have nothing but water or milk to offer you,' answered Meeta, whoseface was become as white as the cloth she held in her hand.

  "'It does not matter,' said the woman; 'we have other business herebesides satisfying our thirst; it was you, was it not, that told thehostess of the inn below that your uncle found a purse of gold and putit by? The purse is ours, we lost it near this place; we are come toclaim it.'

  "'Yes,' said the man, advancing a step or two towards Meeta; 'it isours, and we must have it.'

  "'My uncle,' answered the trembling girl, 'is not at home; I cannotgive you the purse.'

  "'You can't?' replied the man; 'we will see to that, young mistress; weknew your uncle was out when we came here, else we had not come; but weheard you say that you could tell, as well as he could, where he putthe purse; if you do not do it willingly, we will make you.'

  "Meeta began to declare and profess most solemnly that she did not knowwhere the keys were kept; indeed, she believed that her grandmother hadtaken them away in her pocket.

  "The fierce man used such language as Meeta had never heard before; andthe woman, laying her heavy hand on her shoulder, gave her a terribleshake.


  "'Tell us,' said she, 'where is the chest into which the purse wasput, or I will throw you on the ground and trample you under my feet.'

  "Meeta, in her excessive terror, uttered two or three fearful shrieks;and would, no doubt, have gone on shrieking, if the horrible people hadnot threatened to silence her voice for ever.

  "Little Margot, from behind her tree, heard those cries; and it ismarvellous how the wits of a little child are sometimes sharpened, incases of great trial; she thought, and thought truly, that she could doMeeta no good by running to her, but that she might help her by flying,as fast as her young feet could carry her, to the village. It was downhill all the way, and it was all straight running, if she could getunseen into the path on the other side of the hedge. So she threwherself on her hands and feet, and crept on all fours to where thehedge was thinnest, and, neither minding tears nor scratches, the hardychild came tumbling out on the path on the side of the village, jumpingup on her feet; and no little lapwing could have flown the path moreswiftly than she did."

  * * * * *

  "Well done, Margot!" cried Henry; but Emily did not stop to answer him.

  * * * * *

  "Jacques, at the very time in which Margot had begun to run down thehill, was watching his flock on the side of a green and not very steeppeak, scarcely a quarter of a mile, as a bird would fly, from thecottage, though, to drive his flock up to it, he had perhaps thegreater part of a mile to go. On the top of this peak were a few darkpines which might be seen for miles. Jacques was seated quietly beneaththe shade of one of these trees; his sheep were feeding about him, hisdog apparently sleeping at his feet, and his eyes being occupied at onemoment in taking a careful glance at his flocks, and again fixed on asmall old book which he held in his hand. Nothing could have been morequiet than was the mountain in that hour, nearly the hottest of theday; and how little did Jacques Stolberg imagine what was then goingforward so near to him.

  "Wolf had been supposed by his master to be asleep some minutes, whensuddenly the creature uttered a short sleepy bark, and then, raisinghis head and pricking his ears, he remained a minute in the attitude ofdeep attention and anxious listening.

  "'What is it, Wolf?' said Jacques: 'what is it, boy?'

  "The dog drew his ears forward, every hair in his rough coat began tobristle itself; he sprang upon his four feet--he stood a moment.

  "'What does he see?' cried Jacques, getting up also, and grasping hiscrooked staff; 'eh, Wolf, what is it?'

  "The dog heeded not his master's voice. He had heard some sound as helay with his ear to the ground; he had made out the quarter from whichit came whilst he stood listening at Jacques' feet. He had judged thatthere was no time for delay; and the next moment he was bounding downthe slope, straight as an arrow in its course. There Jacques saw himbounding and leaping over all impediments, reaching the bottom of aravine, or dry watercourse, at the foot of a small hill, and againrunning with unabated speed up the opposite bank. Jacques thought hewas going directly towards the cottage, for the young shepherd couldsee him all the way; but as if on second thoughts, the faithfulcreature left the cottage, when near to it, on the right, and passingover the brow of the hill, was soon out of sight in the direction ofthe village.

  "Jacques knew not what to think, but he had little doubt that the dogwas aware of something wrong; so the boy did not waver; his sheep werequiet, he was forced to trust that they should not stray if he leftthem a little while, and he hesitated not to follow Wolf; though hecould not so speedily overcome the difficulties of the way as the doghad done.

  "Whilst Margot was running to the village, Wolf running after Margot(for such he afterwards proved was his purpose), and Jacques afterWolf, the fierce man had frightened poor Meeta out of all the smalldiscretion which she ever had at command; and she told him that she hadseen her grandmother put the purse in the great chest above stairs,that she did not know whether her uncle had taken the key, though,perchance, little Margot might know, as she slept with her grandmother.

  "She could not have done a more imprudent thing than mention Margot,for the woman immediately started, like one suddenly reminded of anoversight, at the mention of the child's name, and ran out instantly toseek her; at the same time the man drove Meeta before him up the ladderor stairs to where the great old chest which contained all the sparelinen and other treasures of the family stood, and had stood almost aslong as the house had been a house. There, without waiting the ceremonyof looking for the key, he wrenched the chest open, pulling out everyarticle which it contained, opening every bundle, and scatteringeverything on the floor, telling Meeta that, if he did not find thepurse, she should either tell him where it was or suffer his severestvengeance.

  "So dreadful were the oaths he used that the poor girl was ready tofaint, and the whitest linen in that chest was not so white as hercheeks and lips.

  "The woman, in the meantime, was seeking Margot, and, with the cunningof a gipsy, had traced the impression of the little feet to the cornerof the garden, where a bit of cloth torn from the child's apron showedthe place where she had crept through the hedge. The gipsy could notcreep through the opening as the child had done, but she could get overthe hedge; and this she speedily did, and saw the little one beforeher, running with all her might. At the noise the woman made atspringing from the hedge, Margot looked back, and set up a shriek, andthat shriek was probably what first roused Wolf, who was lying with hisear on the earth.

  "Now there were four running all at once; Margot first, the gipsy afterher and gaining fast upon her, Wolf springing over every impediment andgaining ground on the gipsy, and Jacques after the dog; and there wasanother party too coming to where Margot was. These last were comingfrom the pastor's house; and there was a lady seated on MadameEversil's mule, on a Spanish saddle, and a little page in a rich liverywas leading the mule. The pastor was walking immediately behind herwith two gentlemen, her husband and her son. This lady was a countess,and she it was who had lost the purse a few weeks before, when she hadcome to see the cascade.

  "In going home that day the carriage had been overturned, and she hadbeen so much hurt that she never thought of her purse until a few daysafterwards, and then she supposed that it must have been lost where thecarriage had been overturned. She caused great search to be made aboutthat place; and it might have appeared to be quite by accident thatMonsieur Eversil heard of that search; but there is nothing whichhappens in this world by accident. He knew the count and countess, andwrote to them to tell them that if they would come again to Hartsbergand take dinner in his humble house, he would give them good news ofthe purse.

  "When they came he told them of the honesty of the family of theStolbergs; and when he had placed the purse in the hands of thecountess, and she had seen that nothing had been taken out of it, thepastor brought the venerable Monique and the fair Ella before the noblelady, and she was as much pleased with one as with the other. Her mind,therefore, was full of some plan for rewarding these poor honestpeople, and more especially when Monique told her how the least of thefamily had found the net and the golden fish and the moons.

  "'I must see that little Margot,' she said, 'and if she is like hersister, I shall love her vastly;' and then it was settled that the muleshould be saddled, and that she and the gentlemen should go up thehill, whilst Madame Eversil remained to look after dinner.

  "This party were also on the hill, though lower down and hidden by thewinding of the way, when Margot set out to run; but none of Margot'sfriends would have been in time to save her, if it had not been forWolf. The wicked gipsy had resolved, if she could catch her, to stopher cries one way or another; to take her in her arms, hold her handover her mouth, and to run with her to some place in the hills, not faroff, some cave or hole known only to herself and her own people; and ifthe poor child had once been brought there, she would never have beensuffered to go free again among her friends to tell where the zingarihole was.

  "When Margot knew t
hat the woman was after her she increased her speed,but all in vain; the gipsy came on like the giant with theseven-leagued boots; she caught the terrified child in her arms, put acorner of her ragged cloak into her mouth, and, turning out of the pathdown into a hollow of the hills, hoped to be clear in a minute more.

  "But she was not to have that minute; Wolf was behind; he had flownwith the swiftness of the wild hart, and when within leaping distanceof the old woman, he sprang upon her, and caused his fangs to meet inher leg. She uttered a cry, and tried to shake him off, but he only letgo in one place to seize another, so she was forced to drop thestruggling child in order to defend herself from the dog, for sheexpected next that he would fly at her throat. It was a fearful battlethat, between the hardy gipsy and the enraged dog. The howlings andbayings of the furious animal were terrible, his fangs were red withthe gipsy's blood; the woman, in her fear and pain, uttered the mosthorrid words, whilst little Margot shrieked with terror. Though thebattle hardly lasted two minutes, it gave time for Jacques to come insight of it on one side; the pastor, the count, and his son at another.

  "Jacques did not understand the cause of this terrible war; he only sawthat his dog was tearing the flesh of a woman; he did not at first seeMargot, who had sunk in terror on the grass; therefore he called offhis dog with a voice of authority, and the moment Wolf had loosed hishold of the woman, she fled from the place, and was never more seen inthat country. But now all this party had met round Margot, looking allamazement at each other, whilst the little one sat sobbing on theground, and Wolf stood looking anxiously at his young master, pantingfrom his late exertions, and licking his bloody fangs, for there was noone to explain anything but the child.

  "'What is all this, Jacques?' asked the pastor.

  "'What is it, Margot?' said Jacques, taking his little sister in hisarms, and soothing her as he well knew how to do; whilst she, clingingclose to him, could not at first find one word to say.

  "Jacques carried the child, and they all went back into the path, wherethe countess sat, anxiously waiting for them, on her mule.

  "All that Margot could say to be understood was:

  "'Run, run, to poor Meeta--they will kill her; the man will kill her,and Wolf is not there.'

  "Jacques repeated her words to the pastor.

  "'I have it, Jacques,' replied the good man; 'these vagrants are afterthe treasure; maybe there are others in the cottage; put the childdown, my boy, leave her to walk by the lady, and let us all runforward.'

  "'Nay, nay,' said the lady, 'put the sweet child in my arms and hastenon.' So it was done, and the gentle lady took the little peasant beforeher, whilst she soothed her with her gentle tones and kindly words.

  "'And what,' said she, 'was that naughty woman going to do with you?and who was it that saved you?'

  "'Good Wolf came, madame,' said the child, 'and he saved me; but poorMeeta--they will kill poor Meeta!'

  "When Jacques and those who were with him had reached the cottage, theyfound the doors all open, but no one below; they went up the stairs,and there they found Meeta extended on the floor in a deep faintingfit. The chest stood open, and all its contents scattered about, but noman was there; he had probably taken alarm at the various cries andhowlings which he had heard, and had made good his escape.

  "Meeta was lifted up and laid on the bed, and water being dashed in herface, she opened her eyes, but for a while could say nothing to beunderstood.

  "She was soon able to arise, and to come down the stairs with the armof the pastor, though her head was still dizzy and she trembled allover. In the kitchen they found the lady and little Margot; and it wasthen that, between Meeta and Margot, they were able to make out whathad happened. Then it was that everyone patted the head of Wolf andsmiled upon him, calling him 'Good dog'; and Margot kissed him, and hewagged his tail, and went about to be caressed.

  "'And so,' said the countess to the little one, 'it was you, my prettychild, who found the silken net with the golden fish and pretty moons;and it was through my carelessness in losing it that all this mischiefof to-day is come. I cannot bear to think of what might have happenedto you, poor baby;' and the lady stooped and kissed the child, and itwas seen that she had tears in her eyes.

  "'All is now well, lady, through the care of Providence,' said thepastor, 'and we will rejoice together, and I trust be grateful to Himfrom whom all mercies flow; for if we had lost our little Margot, itwould have been a thousandfold worse than the loss of the purse. Butone thing puzzles me: how did these vagrants discover that thistreasure had been found? Who could have told it? I thought it had beenknown only to this family and me.'

  "'I am the guilty person,' said Meeta, coming forward; 'I will notthrow suspicion on others by hiding my fault;' and she then repeatedher conversation with Heister Kamp, but she could give no account ofhow the secret had passed on to the gipsies.

  "'I am sure,' said the pastor, 'that Heister would be above having todo with such people; but she is a woman of excessive curiosity, andsuch people are dangerous to others, as well as injurious tothemselves.'

  "'A secret, my good girl,' said the countess, smiling, 'may be comparedto a bird in a cage; whilst shut up within our own breasts, it is safe;but when we open the door, either of the cage or of the heart, to letthe inmate out, we can never tell whither it may fly; but you haveowned the truth, and you have suffered severely--let all beforgotten.'

  "'I have a proposal to make,' said the pastor; 'we will go back anddine, and in the evening we will all come up and sup together; the goodman shall find us feasting when he comes home.'

  "'Agreed,' cried the count and countess; 'you must set the house inorder, and we will send up the entertainment,' she added, speaking toMeeta and Jacques; 'and we will be with you in a few hours. Let us thensee this little fair one in all the bravery of her Sunday attire.'

  "And all was done as the lady and pastor wished. Meeta set everythingin proper order. Jacques brought his flocks from the pasture, and gavehis best help. All the Sunday dresses were put on, and Margot wasstanding at the wicket in her very best apron, when the mule and thelady appeared again, followed by the pastor and Monique, Ella, andpeople without number, bearing the things needful for such a supper ashad not often been enjoyed under that roof.

  "Oh, what a happy meeting was that! How delighted was the lady withMargot, and what a beautiful little enamelled box for containingsweetmeats did she give her from her pocket! But there were nosweetmeats in it; there were what Margot called golden fish.

  "Wolf had a glorious evening; he went about again to be patted, and hehad as much to eat, for once in his life, as he could convenientlyswallow.

  "Meeta was forgiven by everyone, because she had not hidden her fault;and the whole party were just sitting down to supper before the porchwhen Martin Stolberg came home.

  "Who shall say how astonished he was, or how grateful when the countessplaced in his hand all the gold which had been found in the purse?--thecount adding, that in a few days he might look for a fine young cow andtwo sheep from his own farm, in the vicinity of his castle; and alsosaying, at the same time, that he and his lady should have greatpleasure in doing anything for him and his family at any time when theymight apply to them.

  "The lady did not overlook Meeta and Ella; she assured them that shewould remember them when the cow was brought; and truly there was anample store of linen and flowered aprons, and kerchiefs and caps offine linen, in packets directed to each. But the little one, likeBenjamin, had more than her share even of these presents also; and shehad well deserved them, for she had shared her golden fish with herbrother, sister, and cousin.

  "The young count took upon himself to make presents to Jacques; he senthim a strong set of gardener's and carpenter's tools, and a Sunday suitof better clothes than Jacques had ever worn before.

  "Martin put his gold into the pastor's hands till he should require it,being in no mind to keep much treasure in his house.

  "It is only necessary to add, that the count took p
roper steps forfinding the wicked gipsy and her son, but they had left the country andcould not be found; neither were they ever again seen by the peasantsof the Hartsberg."

  * * * * *

  "Well," said Henry, when Emily had finished reading, "that is abeautiful book: it made me so hot when they were all running, my feetfelt as if they would run too--they quite shook--I could not keep themquiet."

  "And how nicely you kept papa's secret!" said Mrs. Fairchild; "youshowed that you were not much more clever than Meeta."

  "But then, mamma," replied Henry, "papa's secret was not of so muchconsequence as Meeta's was."

  "Now, mamma," said Emily, "when do you think the day will come forHenry's story?"

  Mrs. Fairchild answered:

  "Papa will tell us when he can spare an evening."

  "My book, I am certain," said Henry, "will be prettier than yours,Emily."

  "Why must it be prettier?" asked his mother.

  "Because Lucy said it is all about boys; I like boys' stories--thereare so few books about boys."

  "But I think it is a grave story," said Lucy.

  "Never mind," answered Henry, "if it be about boys."

  "_Meeta offered to carry the honey._"--Page 269.]