EVELINA.
The next day, about four o'clock in the afternoon, Evelina arrived from
Gützberg. Violet had been told that she was coming, and that she was
to be her own little maid and companion until her father returned to
Edelsheim from the war. Aunt Lizzie, too, had promised that she would
often come over and see her, and Fritz and Ella would meantime be her
daily companions; and Madam Adler, too, had promised John that she
would be constantly on the watch, coming to see that the child was well
and happy.
"It will not be for _very_ long, will it?" she had said to her Aunt
Lizzie, as she was being dressed that morning for the first time since
the departure of the regiment.
"What will not be for long?"
"Until father comes home," replied Violet smiling. "I heard him tell
thee so that night when the moon was shining through the window. Did
not he, Aunt Lizzie?" The child's eyes deepened with prophetic joy as
she gazed full into her aunt's face, waiting for a reply. It did not
come at once, and she added with an ever-increasing smile, "And when
the war is over I shall see him again, ever so soon. He will cry out,
'Where is my own little Violet?' and look up; and I will stretch out my
arms--so--Aunt Lizzie; and then all the fighting will be over, and we
shall never have to say good-bye any more."
Aunt Lizzie was drawing on Violet's stocking, and she bent her head
very low to see that the seam was straight at the ankle. When she
looked up again, the smile was still on Violet's lips, but her eyes
were looking far away up into the blue sky, high, high up above the
roofs and the steeple, to where the little sick girl, whose watch was
beating so close to her heart now, had gone up to be with God.
When Evelina arrived, there was quite a little company gathered
together to meet her--Aunt Lizzie, and Violet, and Fritz, and Ella, and
Madam Adler, who had baked a special loaf for the supper, and who had
also a curiosity to see the new girl, and form her own opinion as to
her capabilities.
"What a huge box she has!" cried Fritz, who, full of interest, was
kneeling on the cushioned window-sill, and could thus overlook the
whole street. "And another box, too, stuck up beside the driver; and
here she is herself, and two more boxes in her hand."
"Yes, two little, tiny baby boxes," shouted Ella, whose rosy face was
spread out against the windowpane, "and two very black hands."
"Those are not her hands; those are her gloves, little donkey," cried
Fritz contemptuously. "I saw her face; and she is ever so pretty.--She
is indeed, Violet, ever, ever so pretty."
Violet nodded her head in her grave, peculiar way. It was a moment of
intense excitement to her the advent of this new girl, the friend who
was to be always with her until her father's return; but no one could
hear the throbbing of the little girl's heart. And though her eyes
darkened and the pupils grew wider and wider, no one knew the tumult
going on within her breast.
As a rule, she took no interest in strangers. Like all invalids, she
shrank from the entrance of those with whom she was not intimate; and
those who knew and loved her pitied her distress when the crimson
blushes, rushing in waves over her pale face, showed the nervous tremor
of her heart.
But to form a really new friendship was a thing almost impossible to
her. She loved those whom she had known all her life, with a tenacity
far beyond the usual love of children. She clung to them as all
sick people cling to those who daily watch and tend them; and though
Aunt Lizzie had sought in every way to inspire her with a feeling of
confidence and interest in Evelina, she shrank from the thought of
their first meeting. And now, as she heard the ascending footsteps,
a sudden rush of unreasonable distrust and premature dislike seemed
to fill her heart, and she turned her face quickly away towards the
window, and held fast hold of Fritz's hand, who was standing with
gaping mouth and eyes riveted on the doorway.
There was a little flutter in the room. Aunt Lizzie rose and moved
towards the door; Madam Adler, too, went forward; Ella drew back a step
or two from the stove; and Violet, still looking with straining eyes at
the houses opposite, heard, as the door opened, a sweet voice saying,
in reply to some question of her aunt's,--
"Yes, thank you very much; I have had a very good journey. It was
almost stiflingly hot in the train, but the air is cooler now."
"And the children?" asked Aunt Lizzie.
"Oh, the little angels, they are as well as possible. They cried, of
course, when I took leave of them; but the master is taking them out
this afternoon for a walk in the gardens; and the little one is quite
happy.--Ah, is that the little sick girl yonder?"
Violet turned her head quickly round and looked up.
"Oh, how white she is!"
Aunt Lizzie hurried forward and stood beside Violet's chair.
"Here, sweet one," she said, kissing her on the forehead, "this is
Evelina of whom we have talked so much. Thou and she will be great
friends by-and-by. She has come all the way from Gützberg to take care
of thee; is it not so, my treasure?"
Violet nodded her head and smiled nervously, then stretched out her
hand to take Evelina's, but there was no enthusiasm in the movement.
"Ah, the poor child, she is nervous, she is shy, but we shall soon be
the best of friends," cried Evelina pleasantly; "one cannot expect the
little one to take to me all at once.--And who is this lad who looks as
if he would eat me with his eyes, eh?"
"I am Violet's own friend," replied Fritz, colouring purple, but
placing his hand firmly on the back of Violet's chair.
"Ah, it is very pleasant for her to have such a good friend," observed
Evelina, laughing and throwing back her head so that the little gold
bells on her ears tinkled;--"but by-and-by you must be my friend too;
is it not so, eh?"
"Perhaps," said Fritz shortly, while poor Violet looked down at her
pinafore and blushed because Fritz was somewhat uncivil in his reply.
"And who is this little cherub with the red cheeks? is she also a
friend?" asked Evelina, as she sat down on the cushioned window-seat
and tried to lift Ella on her knee; but the child wriggled somewhat
roughly away from her, and a shower of wooden animals--ducks, pigs, and
camels--which had been arrayed along the ledge overhead tumbled down in
confusion over Evelina's hat, shoulders, and lap.
This created a general laugh, in which even Violet joined, and the
first stiffness of the introduction was in this manner happily got over.
Evelina had a very pretty and pleasant face. There was certainly
nothing to frighten one in it. Her hair, which seemed one mass of
frizzly, golden threads, was brushed back from her face and pinned at
the sides with somewhat large gold pins; she had eyes that seemed ever
sparkling and smiling, rosy lips, and cheeks with dimples in them.
When she took off her hat and put on a very dainty white cap with
crimped frillings of lace, and a snowy linen apron also edged with
carefully-goffered frills, she looked so fair and sweet and happy,
that Violet's eyes became riveted upon her, and she followed all her
movements with an unconscious interest.
At last the moment came for Madam Adler to say good-bye, and Fritz and
Ella as usual took a loving farewell of their little play-fellow.
As Fritz flung his arms round Violet's neck, he said in a whisper,--
"She is very pretty this Evelina, but--"
"What," cried Violet, a sudden distress coming into her eyes; "what is
it, Fritz?"
"Nothing--I am not sure--I do not know; some other day I will tell
thee;" and before she could drag his meaning from him he had marched
across the room with head erect, and so he preceded his mother down the
stairs.