Heidi, Johanna Spyri [reading e books .TXT] 📗

about ten o’clock, and then we go on with

lessons till two, and it does seem such a long time. Sometimes

he takes up the book and holds it close up to his face, as if he

was very short-sighted, but I know it’s only because he wants so

dreadfully to gape, and Fraulein Rottenmeier takes her large

handkerchief out also now and then and covers her face with it,

as if she was moved by what we had been reading, but that is

only because she is longing to gape too. And I myself often want

to gape, but I am obliged to stop myself, for if Fraulein

Rottenmeier sees me gaping she runs off at once and fetches the

cod-liver oil and says I must have a dose, as I am getting weak

again, and the cod-liver oil is horrible, so I do my best not to

gape. But now it will be much more amusing, for I shall be able

to lie and listen while you learn to read.”

 

Heidi shook her head doubtfully when she heard of learning to

read.

 

“Oh, nonsense, Heidi, of course you must learn to read,

everybody must, and my tutor is very kind, and never cross, and

he will explain everything to you. But mind, when he explains

anything to you, you won’t be able to understand; but don’t ask

any questions, or else he will go on explaining and you will

understand less than ever. Later when you have learnt more and

know about things yourself, then you will begin to understand

what he meant.”

 

Fraulein Rottenmeier now came back into the room; she had not

been able to overtake Dete, and was evidently very much put out;

for she had wanted to go into more details concerning the child,

and to convince Dete how misleading she had been, and how unfit

Heidi was as a companion for Clara; she really did not know what

to be about, or how to undo the mischief, and it made her all

the more angry that she herself was responsible for it, having

consented to Heidi being fetched. She ran backwards and forwards

in a state of agitation between the study and the dining-room,

and then began scolding Sebastian, who was standing looking at

the table he had just finished laying to see that nothing was

missing.

 

“You can finish your thoughts tomorrow morning; make haste, or

we shall get no dinner to-day at all.”

 

Then hurrying out she called Tinette, but in such an ill-tempered voice that the maid came tripping forward with even more

mincing steps than usual, but she looked so pert that even

Fraulein Rottenmeier did not venture to scold her, which only

made her suppressed anger the greater.

 

“See that the room is prepared for the little girl who has just

arrived,” said the lady, with a violent effort at self-control.

“Everything is ready; it only wants dusting.”

 

“It’s worth my troubling about,” said Tinette mockingly as she

turned away.

 

Meanwhile Sebastian had flung open the folding doors leading

into the dining-room with rather more noise than he need, for he

was feeling furious, although he did not dare answer back when

Fraulein Rottenmeier spoke to him; he then went up to Clara’s

chair to wheel her into the next room. As he was arranging the

handle at the back preparatory to doing so, Heidi went near and

stood staring at him. Seeing her eyes fixed upon him, he

suddenly growled out, “Well, what is there in me to stare at like

that?” which he would certainly not have done if he had been

aware that Fraulein Rottenmeier was just then entering the room.

“You look so like Peter,” answered Heidi. The lady-housekeeper

clasped her hands in horror. “Is it possible!” she stammered half-aloud, “she is now addressing the servant as if he were a friend!

I never could have imagined such a child!”

 

Sebastian wheeled the couch into the dining-room and helped

Clara on to her chair. Fraulein Rottenmeier took the seat beside

her and made a sign to Heidi to take the one opposite. They were

the only three at table, and as they sat far apart there was

plenty of room for Sebastian to hand his dishes. Beside Heidi’s

plate lay a nice white roll, and her eyes lighted up with

pleasure as she saw it. The resemblance which Heidi had noticed

had evidently awakened in her a feeling of confidence towards

Sebastian, for she sat as still as a mouse and without moving

until he came up to her side and handed her the dish of fish;

then she looked at the roll and asked, “Can I have it?” Sebastian

nodded, throwing a side glance at Fraulein Rottenmeier to see

what effect this request would have upon her. Heidi immediately

seized the roll and put it in her pocket. Sebastian’s face became

convulsed, he was overcome with inward laughter but knew his

place too well to laugh aloud. Mute and motionless he still

remained standing beside Heidi; it was not his duty to speak, nor

to move away until she had helped herself. Heidi looked

wonderingly at him for a minute or two, and then said, “Am I to

eat some of that too?” Sebastian nodded again. “Give me some

then,” she said, looking calmly at her plate. At this Sebastian’s

command of his countenance became doubtful, and the dish began to

tremble suspiciously in his hands.

 

“You can put the dish on the table and come back presently,”

said Fraulein Rottenmeier with a severe expression of face.

Sebastian disappeared on the spot. “As for you, Adelaide, I see I

shall have to teach you the first rules of behavior,” continued

the lady-housekeeper with a sigh. “I will begin by explaining to

you how you are to conduct yourself at table,” and she went on to

give Heidi minute instructions as to all she was to do. “And

now,” she continued, “I must make you particularly understand

that you are not to speak to Sebastian at table, or at any other

time, unless you have an order to give him, or a necessary

question to put to him; and then you are not to address him as

if he was some one belonging to you. Never let me hear you speak

to him in that way again! It is the same with Tinette, and for

myself you are to address me as you hear others doing. Clara

must herself decide what you are to call her.”

 

“Why, Clara, of course,” put the latter. Then followed a long

list of rules as to general behavior, getting up and going to

bed, going in and out of the room, shutting the doors, keeping

everything tidy, during the course of which Heidi’s eyes

gradually closed, for she had been up before five o’clock that

morning and had had a long journey. She leant back in her chair

and fell fast asleep. Fraulein Rottenmeier having at last come

to the end of her sermonizing said, “Now remember what I have

said, Adelaide! Have you understood it all?”

 

“Heidi has been asleep for ever so long,” said Clara, her face

rippling all over with amusement, for she had not had such an

entertaining dinner for a long time.

 

“It is really insupportable what one has to go through with this

child,” exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, in great indignation,

and she rang the bell so violently that Tinette and Sebastian

both came running in and nearly tumbling over one another; but no

noise was sufficient to wake Heidi, and it was with difficulty

they could rouse her sufficiently to get her along to her

bedroom, to reach which she had to pass first through the study,

then through Clara’s bedroom, then through Fraulein

Rottenmeier’s sitting-room, till she came to the corner room that

had been set apart for her.

 

CHAPTER VII. FRAULEIN ROTTENMEIER SPENDS AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY

 

When Heidi opened her eyes on her first morning in Frankfurt she

could not think where she was. Then she rubbed them and looked

about her. She was sitting up in a high white bed, on one side

of a large, wide room, into which the light was falling through

very, very long white curtains; near the window stood two chairs

covered with large flowers, and then came a sofa with the same

flowers, in front of which was a round table; in the corner was

a washstand, with things upon it that Heidi had never seen in her

life before. But now all at once she remembered that she was in

Frankfurt; everything that had happened the day before came back

to her, and finally she recalled clearly the instructions that

had been given her by the lady-housekeeper, as far as she had

heard them. Heidi jumped out of bed and dressed herself; then

she ran first to one window and then another; she wanted to see

the sky and country outside; she felt like a bird in a cage

behind those great curtains. But they were too heavy for her to

put aside, so she crept underneath them to get to the window. But

these again were so high that she could only just get her head

above the sill to peer out. Even then she could not see what she

longed for. In vain she went first to one and then the other of

the windows—she could see nothing but walls and windows and

again walls and windows. Heidi felt quite frightened. It was

still early, for Heidi was accustomed to get up early and run

out at once to see how everything was looking, if the sky was

blue and if the sun was already above the mountains, or if the

fir trees were waving and the flowers had opened their eyes. As a

bird, when it first finds itself in its bright new cage, darts

hither and thither, trying the bars in turn to see if it cannot

get through them and fly again into the open, so Heidi continued

to run backwards and forwards, trying to open first one and then

the other of the windows, for she felt she could not bear to see

nothing but walls and windows, and somewhere outside there must

be the green grass, and the last unmelted snows on the mountain

slopes, which Heidi so longed to see. But the windows remained

immovable, try what Heidi would to open them, even endeavoring

to push her little fingers under them to lift them up; but it was

all no use. When after a while Heidi saw that her efforts were

fruitless, she gave up trying, and began to think whether she

would not go out and round the house till she came to the grass,

but then she remembered that the night before she had only seen

stones in front of the house. At that moment a knock came to the

door, and immediately after Tinette put her head inside and

said, “Breakfast is ready.” Heidi had no idea what an invitation

so worded meant, and Tinette’s face did not encourage any

questioning on Heidi’s part, but rather the reverse. Heidi was

sharp enough to read its expression, and acted accordingly. So

she drew the little stool out from under the table, put it in

the corner and sat down upon it, and there silently awaited what

would happen next. Shortly after, with a good deal of rustling

and bustling Fraulein Rottenmeier appeared, who again seemed

very much put out and called to Heidi, “What is the matter with

you, Adelheid? Don’t you understand what breakfast is? Come along

at once!”

 

Heidi had no difficulty in understanding now and followed at

once. Clara had been some time at the breakfast table and she

gave Heidi a kindly greeting, her face looking considerably more

cheerful than usual, for