MR. SESEMANN TAKES HEIDI'S PART
A few days after these events there was great commotion and much
running up and down stairs in Mr. Sesemann's house. The master had just
returned, and Sebastian and Tinette were busy carrying up one package
after another from the carriage, for Mr. Sesemann always brought back
a lot of pretty things for his home. He himself had not waited to do
anything before going in to see his daughter. Heidi was sitting beside
her, for it was late afternoon, when the two were always together.
Father and daughter greeted each other with warm affection, for they
were deeply attached to one another. Then he held out his hand to
Heidi, who had stolen away into the corner, and said kindly to her,
"And this is our little Swiss girl; come and shake hands with me!
That's right! Now, tell me, are Clara and you good friends with one
another, or do you get angry and quarrel, and then cry and make it up,
and then start quarrelling again on the next occasion?"
"No, Clara is always kind to me," answered Heidi.
"And Heidi," put in Clara quickly, "has not once tried to quarrel."
"That's all right, I am glad to hear it," said her father, as he rose
from his chair. "But you must excuse me, Clara, for I have had nothing
to eat all day. Afterwards I will show you all the things I have
brought home with me."
He found Miss Rottermeyer in the dining-room and when he had taken his
place she sat down opposite to him, looking so gloomy that he turned to
her and said, "What is the matter?"
"Mr. Sesemann," began the lady in a solemn voice, "we have been
frightfully imposed upon."
"Indeed, in what way?" asked Mr. Sesemann as he went on calmly drinking
his wine.
"Well, I supposed I was getting a well-behaved and nicely brought up
little Swiss girl for Clara's companion but I have been shockingly,
disgracefully imposed upon."
"But how? what is there shocking and disgraceful? I see nothing
shocking in the child," remarked Mr. Sesemann quietly.
"If you only knew the kind of people and animals she has brought into
the house during your absence! The tutor can tell you more about that."
"Animals? what am I to understand by animals, Miss Rottermeyer?"
"It is past understanding; the whole behavior of the child would be
past understanding, if it were not that at times she is evidently not
in her right mind."
At that moment the door opened and the tutor was announced. "Ah! here
is some one," exclaimed Mr. Sesemann, "who will help to clear up
matters for me. Take a seat," he continued, as he held out his hand to
the tutor. "And now tell me, what is the matter with this child that
has come to be a companion to my daughter?"
The tutor started in his usual style. "If I must give my opinion about
this little girl, I should like first to state that, if on one side,
there is a lack of development which has been caused by the more or
less careless way in which she has been brought up--"
"My good friend," interrupted Mr. Sesemann, "you are giving yourself
more trouble than you need. I only want to know what your opinion is as
to her being a fit companion or not for my daughter?"
"I should not like in any way to prejudice you against her," began
the tutor once more; "for if on the one hand there is a certain
inexperience of the ways of society, owing to the uncivilized life she
led up to the time of her removal to Frankfurt, on the other hand she
is endowed with certain good qualities, and, taken on the whole--"
"Excuse me, my dear sir, do not disturb yourself, but I must--I think
my daughter will be wanting me," and with that Mr. Sesemann quickly
left the room and went into the study to talk to Clara.
"And now, my dear," he said, drawing his chair nearer and laying her
hand in his, "what kind of animals has your little companion brought
into the house, and why does Miss Rottermeyer think that she is not
always in her right mind?"
Clara had no difficulty in answering. She told her father everything
about the tortoise and the kittens, and explained to him what Heidi
had said the day Miss Rottermeyer had been put in such a fright. Mr.
Sesemann laughed heartily at her recital. "So you do not want me to
send the child home again," he asked, "you are not tired of having her
here?"
"Oh, no, no," Clara exclaimed, "please do not send her away. Time has
passed much more quickly since Heidi has been here, for something fresh
happens every day, and it used to be so dull, and she has always so
much to tell me."
That evening when Mr. Sesemann and Miss Rottermeyer were alone,
settling the household affairs, he informed her that he intended to
keep Heidi, for his daughter liked her as a companion. "I desire," he
continued, "that the child shall be in every way kindly treated, and
that her peculiarities shall not be looked upon as crimes. If you find
her too much for you alone, I can hold out a prospect of help for I am
expecting my mother here on a long visit, and she, as you know, can get
along with anybody, whatever they may be like."
"O yes, I know," replied Miss Rottermeyer, but there was no tone of
relief in her voice as she thought of the coming help.
Mr. Sesemann was only home for a short time; he left for Paris again
before the fortnight was over, comforting Clara with the prospect of
her grandmother's arrival, which was to take place in a few days'
time. Clara talked so much about her grandmother that Heidi began also
to call her "grandmamma," which brought forth a look of displeasure
from Miss Rottermeyer. As she was going to her room that night, Miss
Rottermeyer waylaid her, and gave her strict orders not to call Mrs.
Sesemann "grandmamma," but always to say "madam."