"Are little boats alive?
And can they plan and feel?"
"A."
"If you please, there's a boy at the kitchen-door asking for the young
ladies," said the young maid-servant Ulrica, who generally waited on
Ruby and Mavis.
They were just finishing their morning lessons with Miss Hortensia, and
Mavis was putting away the books, a task which usually fell to her
share.
Miss Hortensia gave a little start.
"A boy," she exclaimed, "what kind of a boy? It can't be--oh no of
course not. How foolish I am. At the kitchen-door, did you say,
Ulrica? Who is it?"
"Oh, I know!" cried Ruby, jumping up with a clatter, delighted to avoid
finding out the mistake in a sum which Miss Hortensia had told her she
must correct. "It's Winfried; I'm sure it is. He's come for some soup
or something. I told him he might, but I do think it's rather greedy to
have come the very next day. Mayn't I go and speak to him, cousin?"
"Well, yes, I suppose so. No, I think it would be better for him to
come in here. Show the boy in here, Ulrica--at least--ask him if he is
old Adam's grandson."
In a minute or two the door was again opened.
"If you please, ma'am," said Ulrica's voice as before, "it's--it's the
boy."
"The boy" walked in; he held his cap in his hand, and made a sort of
graceful though simple obeisance to the ladies. He did not seem the
least shy, yet neither was there a touch of boldness about him. On his
face was the slight but pleasant smile that had more than once lighted
it up the day before, and his eyes, as he stood there full in the bright
gleam of the window--for it was a clear and sunny day--were _very_ blue.
Ruby came forward.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" she said, with the half-patronising good humour
usual to her when not put out. "I thought it was. It's Winfried,
cousin Hortensia; the boy I told you of. I suppose you've come for some
soup for your grandfather."
Winfried smiled, a little more than before. Mavis crept forward; she
wished she could have said something, but she was afraid of vexing Ruby.
"No, miss," said Winfried, "I did not come for that, though grandfather
said it was very kind of you, and some day perhaps--" he stopped short.
"I came to bring you this which I found on the rocks down below our
cottage;" and he held out a little silver cross. Ruby started, and put
her hand up to her neck.
"Oh dear," she said, "I never knew I had lost it. Are you sure it isn't
yours, Mavis? I've got my cord on."
"Yes, but the cross must have dropped off," said Mavis. "I have mine
all right."
And so it proved. Both little sisters wore these crosses, which were
exactly alike. Ruby took hers from Winfried, and began examining it to
see how it had got loose. Miss Hortensia came forward.
"It was very good of you to bring the little cross," she said kindly;
for something about the boy attracted her very much. "Ruby, my dear,"
she went on half reprovingly. Ruby started and looked up. "I am sure
you are very much obliged?"
"Oh yes, of course I am," said the little girl carelessly. "It
certainly was very sharp of you to find it," she added with more
interest.
"I can generally find things," said Winfried quietly.
"Is there anything we can do for your grandfather?" asked Miss
Hortensia. "I am sorry to hear he's so ill."
The boy shook his head; a sad look passed across his bright face.
"Yes," he said, "he's pretty bad sometimes. But some days he's much
better. He's better to-day. There's one thing he would like," he went
on, "he told me to ask you if some day the young ladies might come to
see him; he said I might ask--"