THE MYSTERIOUS COTTAGE.
'"A pretty cottage 'tis indeed,"
Said Rosalind to Fanny,
"But yet it seems a little strange,
I trust there's naught uncanny."'
_The Wood-Fairies._
Rollo pushed a little more, and still a little. No sound was heard--no
voice demanded what they wanted; they gathered courage, till at last the
door stood sufficiently ajar for them to see inside. It was a neat,
plain, exceedingly clean, little kitchen which stood revealed to their
view. Rollo and Maia, with another glance around them, another instant's
hesitation, stepped in.
The floor was only sanded, the furniture was of plain unvarnished deal,
yet there was something indescribably dainty and attractive about the
room. There was no fire burning in the hearth, but all was ready laid
for lighting it, and on the table, covered with a perfectly clean,
though coarse cloth, plates and cups for a meal were set out. It seemed
to be for three people. A loaf of brownish bread, and a jug filled with
milk, were the only provisions to be seen. Maia stepped forward softly
and looked longingly at the milk.
'Do you think it would be wrong to take some, Rollo?' she said. 'I _am_
so thirsty, and they must be nice people that live here, it looks so
neat.' But just then, catching sight of the three chairs drawn round the
table, as well as of the three cups and three plates upon it, she drew
back with a little scream. '_Rollo_,' she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling,
half with fear, half with excitement, 'I do believe we've got into the
cottage of _the three bears_.'
[Illustration: '_Rollo_,' she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, half with
fear, half with excitement, 'I do believe we've got into the cottage of
_the three bears_.']
Rollo burst out laughing, though, to tell the truth, he was not quite
sure if his sister was in fun or earnest.
'Nonsense, Maia!' he said. 'Why, that was hundreds of years ago. You
don't suppose the bears have gone on living ever since, do you? Besides,
it wouldn't do at all. See, there are two smaller chairs and one
arm-chair here. Two small cups and one big one. It's just the wrong way
for the bears. It must be two children and one big person that live
here.'
Maia seemed somewhat reassured.
'Do you think I may take a drink of milk, then?' she said. 'I am _so_
thirsty.'
'I should think you might,' said Rollo. 'You see we can come back and
pay for it another day when they're at home. If we had any money we
might leave it here on the table, to show we're honest. But we haven't
any.'
'No,' said Maia, as she poured out some milk, taking care not to spill
any on the tablecloth, 'not a farthing. Oh, Rollo,' she continued,
'_such_ delicious milk! Won't you have some?'
'No; I'm not thirsty,' he replied. 'See, Maia, there's another little
kitchen out of this--for washing dishes in--a sort of scullery,' for he
had opened another door as he spoke.
'And, oh, Rollo,' said Maia, peering about, 'see, there's a little
stair. Oh, _do_ let's go up.'
It seemed a case of 'in for a penny, in for a pound.' Having made
themselves so much at home, the children felt inclined to go a little
farther. They had soon climbed the tiny staircase and were rewarded for
their labour by finding two little bed-rooms, furnished just alike, and
though neat and exquisitely clean, as plain and simple as the kitchen.
'Really, Rollo,' said Maia, 'this house might have been built by the
fairies for us two, and see, isn't it odd? the beds are quite small,
like ours. I don't know where the big person sleeps whom the arm-chair
and the big cup downstairs are for.'
'Perhaps there's another room,' said Rollo, but after hunting about they
found there was nothing more, and they came downstairs again to the
kitchen, more puzzled than ever as to whom the queer little house could
belong to.
'We'll come back again, the very first day we can,' said Maia, 'and tell
the people about having taken the milk,' and then they left the cottage,
carefully closing the door and gate behind them, and made their way back
to where they had left Nanni. It took them longer than they had
expected--either they mistook their way, or had wandered farther than
they had imagined. But Nanni had suffered no anxiety on their account,
for, even before they got up to her, they saw that she was enjoying a
peaceful slumber.
'Poor thing!' said Maia. 'She must be very tired. I never knew her so
sleepy before. Wake up, Nanni, wake up,' she went on, touching the maid
gently on the shoulder. Up jumped Nanni, rubbing her eyes, but looking
nevertheless very awake and good-humoured.
'Such a beautiful sleep as I've had, to be sure,' she exclaimed.
'Then you haven't been wondering what had become of us?' said Rollo.
'Bless you, no, sir,' replied Nanni. 'You haven't been very long away,
surely? I never did have such a beautiful sleep. There must be something
in the air of this forest that makes one sleep. And such lovely dreams!
I thought I saw a lady all dressed in green--dark green and light
green,--for all the world like the fir-trees in spring, and with long
light hair. She stooped over me and smiled, as if she was going to say
something, but just then I awoke and saw Miss Maia.'
'And what do you think _we've_ seen?' said Maia. 'The dearest little
cottage you can fancy. Just like what Rollo and I would like to live in
all by ourselves. And there was nobody there; wasn't it queer, Nanni?'
Nanni was much impressed, but when she had heard all about the
children's adventure she grew a little frightened.
'I hope no harm will come of it,' she said. 'If it were a witch's
cottage;' and she shivered.
'Nonsense, Nanni,' said Rollo; 'witches don't have cottages like
that,--all so bright and clean, and delicious new milk to drink.'
But Nanni was not so easily consoled. 'I hope no harm may come of it,'
she repeated.
By the lengthening shadows they saw that the afternoon was advancing,
and that, if they did not want to be late for dinner, they must make the
best of their way home.
'It would not do to be late to-day--the first time they have let us come
out by ourselves,' said Maia sagely. 'If we are back in very good time
perhaps Lady Venelda will soon let us come again.'
They _were_ back in very good time, and went down to the dining-hall,
looking very fresh and neat, as their cousin entered it followed by her
ladies.
'That is right,' said Lady Venelda graciously.
'You look all the better for your walk, my little friends,' said the old
doctor. 'Come, tell us what you think of our forests, now you have seen
the inside of them.'
'They are lovely,' said both children enthusiastically. 'I should like
to _live_ there,' Maia went on; 'and, oh, cousin, we saw the dearest
little cottage, _so_ neat and pretty! I wonder who lives there.'
'You went to the village, then,' Lady Venelda replied. 'I did not think
you would go in that direction.'
'No,' said Rollo, 'we did not go near any village. It was a cottage
quite alone, over that way,' and he pointed in the direction he meant.
Lady Venelda looked surprised and a little annoyed.
'I know of no cottage by itself. I know of no cottages, save those in my
own village. You must have been mistaken.'
'Oh, no, indeed,' said Maia, 'we could not be mistaken, for we----'
'Young people should not contradict their elders,' said Lady Venelda
freezingly, and poor Maia dared say no more. She was very thankful when
the old doctor came to the rescue.
'Perhaps,' he said good-naturedly, 'perhaps our young friends sat down
in the forest and had a little nap, in which they _dreamt_ of this
mysterious cottage. You are aware, my lady, that the aromatic odours of
our delightful woods are said to have this tendency.'
Rollo and Maia looked at each other. 'That's true,' the look seemed to
say, for the old doctor's words made them think of Nanni's beautiful
dream. Not that _they_ had been asleep, oh, no, that was impossible.
Everything about the cottage had been so real and natural. And besides,
as Maia said afterwards to Rollo, 'People don't dream _together_ of
exactly the same things at exactly the same moment, as if they were
reading a story-book,' with which Rollo of course agreed.
Still, at the time, they were not sorry that their cousin took up the
doctor's idea, for she had seemed so very vexed before he suggested it.
'To be sure,' she replied graciously; 'that explains it. I have often
heard of that quality of our wonderful woods. No doubt--tired as they
were too--the children fell asleep without knowing it. Just so; but
young people must never contradict their elders.'
The children dared not say any more, and, indeed, just then it would
have been no use.
'She would not have believed anything we said about it,' said Maia as
they went upstairs to their own rooms. 'But it isn't nice not to be
allowed to tell anything like that. _Father_ always believes us.'
'Yes,' said Rollo thoughtfully. 'I don't quite understand why Lady
Venelda should have taken us up so about it. I don't much like going
back to the cottage without leave--at least without telling her about
it, and yet we _must_ go. It would be such a shame not to pay for the
milk.'
'Yes,' said Maia, 'and they might think there had been _robbers_ there
while they were out. Oh, we must go back!'
But their perplexities were not decreased by what Nanni had to say to
them.
'Oh, Master Rollo and Miss Maia!' she exclaimed, 'we should be _very_
thankful that no harm came to you this afternoon. I've been speaking to
them in the kitchen about where you were, and, oh, but it must be an
uncanny place! No one knows who lives there, though 'tis said about 'tis
a witch. And the queer thing is, that 'tis but very few that have ever
seen the cottage at all. Some have seen it and told the others about it,
and when they've gone to look, no cottage could they find. Lady
Venelda's own maid is one of those who was determined to find it, but
she never could. And my Lady herself was so put out about it that she
set off to look for it one day,--for no one has a right to live in the
woods just hereabout without her leave,--and she meant to turn the
people, whoever they were, about their business. But 'twas all for no
use. She sought far and wide; ne'er a cottage could she find, and she
wandered about the woods near a whole day for no use. Since then she is
that touchy about it that, if any one dares but to mention a cottage
hereabouts, save those in the village, it quite upsets her.'
Rollo and Maia looked at each other, but something made them feel it was
better to say little before Nanni.
'So I do beg you never to speak about the cottage to my Lady,' Nanni
wound up.
'We don't want to speak about it to her,' said Rollo drily.
'And you won't want to go there again, I do hope,' the maid persisted.
'Whatever would I do if the witch got hold of you and turned you perhaps
into blue birds or green frogs, or something dreadful? Whatever _would_
your dear papa say to me? Oh, Miss Maia, do tell Master Rollo never to
go there again.'
'Don't be afraid,' said Maia; 'we'll take care of ourselves. I can quite
promise you we won't be turned into frogs or birds. But don't talk any
more about it to-night, Nanni. I'm _so_ sleepy, and I don't want to
dream of horrible witches.'
And this was all the satisfaction Nanni could get.
But the next morning Rollo and Maia had a grand consultation together.
They did not like the idea of not going to the cottage again, for they
felt it would not be right not to explain about the milk, and they had
besides a motive, which Nanni's strange story had no way lessened--that
of great curiosity.
'It would be a shame not to pay for the milk,' said Rollo. 'I should
feel uncomfortable whenever I thought of it.'
'So should I,' said Maia; 'even more than you, for it was I that drank
it! And I do _so_ want to find out who lives there. There _must_ be
children, I am sure, because of the little beds and chairs and cups, and
everything.'
'If they are all for children, I don't know what there is for big
people,' said Rollo. 'Perhaps they're some kind of dwarfs that live
there.'
'Oh, what fun!' said Maia, clapping her hands. 'Oh, we _must_ go back to
find out!'
She started, for just as she said the words a voice behind them was
heard to say, 'Go back; go back where, my children?'
They were walking up and down the terrace on one side of the castle,
where Mademoiselle Delphine had sent them for a little fresh air between
their lessons, and they were so engrossed by what they were talking of
that they had not heard nor seen the old doctor approaching them. It was
his voice that made Maia start. Both children looked rather frightened
when they saw who it was, and that he had overheard what they were
saying.
'Go back where?' he repeated. 'What are you talking about?'
The children still hesitated.
'We don't like to tell you, sir,' said Rollo frankly. 'You would say it
was only fancy, as you did last night, and we _know_ it wasn't fancy.'
'Oh, about the cottage?' said the old doctor coolly. 'You needn't be
afraid to tell me about it, fancy or no fancy. Fancy isn't a bad thing
sometimes.'
'But it _wasn't_ fancy,' said both together; 'only we don't like to talk
about it for fear of vexing our cousin, and we don't like to go back
there without leave, and yet we _should_ go back.'
'Why should you?' asked their old friend.
Then Maia explained about the milk, adding, too, the strange things that
Nanni had heard in the servants' hall. The old doctor listened
attentively. His face looked quite pleased and good-humoured, and yet
they saw he was not at all inclined to laugh at them. When they had
finished, to the children's surprise he said nothing, but drew out a
letter from his pocket.
'Do you know this writing?' he said.
Rollo and Maia exclaimed eagerly, 'Oh, yes; it is our father's. Do you
know him? Do you know our father, Mr. Doctor?'
'I have known him,' said the old man, quietly drawing the contents out
of the cover, 'I have known him since he was much smaller than either of
you is now. It was by my advice he sent you here for a time, and see
what he gave me for you.'
He held up as he spoke a small folded paper, which had been inside the
other letter. It bore the words: 'For Rollo and Maia--to be given them
when you think well.' 'I think well now,' he went on, 'so read what he
says, my children.'
They quickly opened the paper. There was not much written inside--just a
few words:
'Dear children,' they were, 'if you are in any difficulty, ask the
advice of my dear old friend and adviser, the doctor, and you may be
sure you will do what will please your father.'
For a moment or two the children were almost too surprised to speak. It
was Rollo who found his voice first.
'Give us your advice now, Mr. Doctor. May we go back to the cottage
without saying any more about it to Lady Venelda?'
'Yes,' said the old doctor. 'You may go anywhere you like in the woods.
No harm will come to you. It is no use your saying any more about the
cottage to Lady Venelda. She cannot understand it because she cannot
find it. If you can find it you will learn no harm there, and your
father would be quite pleased for you to go.'
'Then do you think we may go soon again?' asked the children eagerly.
'You will always have a holiday once a week,' said the doctor. 'It would
not be good for you to go _too_ often. Work cheerfully and well when you
are at work, my children. I will see that you have your play.'