Heidi Page 9

  CHAPTER VII

  THE UNFRIENDLY HOUSEKEEPER

  When Heidi opened her eyes on her first morning in Frankfurt she couldnot think where she was. Then she rubbed them and looked about her. Shewas sitting up in a high white bed, in a large, wide room with verylong white curtains; near the window stood two chairs covered withlarge flowered material 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. Butnow all at once she remembered that she was in Frankfurt. She jumpedout of bed and dressed herself; then she ran first to one window andthen another; she wanted to see the sky and country outside; she feltlike a bird in a cage behind those great curtains. But they were tooheavy for her to put aside, so she crept underneath them to get tothe window. But she could see nothing but walls and windows. She feltquite frightened and ran backwards and forwards, trying to open firstone and then the other of the windows, for she felt that somewhereoutside there must be the green grass, and the last unmelted snowson the mountain slopes. But the windows remained immovable, try whatHeidi would to open them. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, andimmediately after Tinette put her head inside and said, "Breakfastis ready." Heidi had no idea what an invitation so worded meant, andTinette's face did not encourage any questioning on Heidi's part. Heidiwas sharp enough to read its expression and acted accordingly. So shedrew a little stool out from under the table, put it in the corner andsat down upon it, and there silently awaited what would happen next.Shortly after, Miss Rottermeyer appeared. She seemed very much put out,and called to Heidi, "What is the matter with you, Adelaide? Don't youunderstand what breakfast is? Come along at once!"

  Heidi had no difficulty in understanding now and followed at once.Clara gave her a kindly greeting, her face looking considerably morecheerful than usual, for she looked forward to all kinds of new thingshappening again that day. Breakfast passed off quietly; Heidi ate herbread and butter in a perfectly correct manner, and when the meal wasover and Clara wheeled back into the study, Miss Rottermeyer told herto follow and remain with Clara until the tutor should arrive andlessons begin.

  As soon as the children were alone again, Heidi asked, "How can one seeout from here, and look right down on to the ground?"

  "You must open the window and look out," replied Clara amused.

  "But the windows won't open," responded Heidi sadly.

  "Yes, they will," Clara assured her. "You cannot open them, nor Ieither, but when you see Sebastian you can ask him to open one."

  It was a great relief to Heidi to know that the windows could be openedand that one could look out. Clara now began to ask her questions abouther home, and Heidi was delighted to tell her all about the mountainand the goats, and the flowery meadows.

  Meanwhile her tutor had arrived; Miss Rottermeyer, however, did notbring him straight into the study but drew him first aside into thedining-room, where she poured forth her troubles. It appeared thatshe had written some time back to Mr. Sesemann to tell him that hisdaughter very much desired to have a companion. Miss Rottermeyer hadwished for this arrangement on her own behalf, as it would relieve herfrom having always to entertain the sick girl. The father had answeredthat he was quite willing to let his daughter have a companion,provided she was treated in every way like his own child. But now shewent on to explain how dreadfully she had been taken in about thechild, and related all the unimaginable things of which she had alreadybeen guilty, so that not only would he have to begin with teachingher the A B C, but would have to start with the most rudimentaryinstruction as regarded everything to do with daily life. She couldsee only one way out of this disastrous state of affairs, and that wasfor the tutor to declare that it was impossible for the two to learntogether without detriment to Clara, who was so far ahead of the other;that would be a good excuse for getting rid of the child. But she darednot send her home without Mr. Sesemann's order, since he was awarethat by this time the companion had arrived. The tutor was a cautiousman and said that if the little girl was backward in some things shewas probably advanced in others, and a little regular teaching wouldsoon set the balance right. When Miss Rottermeyer saw that he was notready to support her, and evidently quite ready to undertake teachingthe alphabet, she opened the study door, which she quickly shut againas soon as he had gone through remaining on the other side herself,for she had a perfect horror of the A B C. She walked up and down thedining-room, thinking over in her own mind how the servants were tobe told to address Adelaide. The father had written that she was tobe treated exactly like his own daughter, and this would especiallyrefer, she imagined, to the servants. She was not allowed, however, avery long interval of time for consideration, for suddenly the sound ofa frightful crash was heard in the study, followed by frantic criesfor Sebastian. She rushed into the room. There on the floor lay in aconfused heap, books, exercise-books and inkstand, with the table-clothon the top, while from beneath them a dark stream of ink was flowingall across the floor. Heidi had disappeared.

  "Here's a state of things!" exclaimed Miss Rottermeyer. "Table-cloth,books, work-basket, everything lying in the ink! It was thatunfortunate child, I suppose!"

  "Yes, Heidi did it," explained Clara, "but quite by accident; she muston no account be punished; she jumped up in such violent haste to getaway that she dragged the table-cloth along with her, and so everythingwent over. There were a number of vehicles passing, that is why sherushed off like that; perhaps she has never seen a carriage."

  "Is it not as I said? She has not the smallest notion about anything!But where is the child who has caused all this trouble? Surely she hasnot run away! What would Mr. Sesemann say to me?" She ran out of theroom and down the stairs. There, at the bottom, standing in the opendoorway, was Heidi, looking in amazement up and down the street.

  "What are you doing? What are you thinking of to run away like that?"called Miss Rottermeyer.

  "I heard the sound of the fir trees, but I cannot see where theyare, and now I cannot hear them any more," answered Heidi, lookingdisappointedly in the direction whence the noise of the passingcarriages had reached her, and which to Heidi had seemed like theblowing of the south wind in the trees, so that in great joy of heartshe had rushed out to look at them.

  "Fir trees! do you suppose we are in the woods? What ridiculous ideasare these? Come upstairs and see the mischief you have done!"

  Heidi followed Miss Rottermeyer upstairs; she was quite astonished tosee the disaster she had caused, for in her joy and haste to get to thefir trees she had been unaware of having dragged everything after her.

  "I excuse you doing this as it is the first time, but do not let mehear of you doing it a second time," said Miss Rottermeyer pointing tothe floor. "During your lesson time you are to sit still and attend.If you cannot do this I shall have to tie you to your chair. Do youunderstand?"

  "Yes," replied Heidi, "but I will certainly not move again," for nowshe understood that it was a rule to sit still while she was beingtaught.

  When Clara had been placed on her couch after dinner, and thehousekeeper had retired to her room, Heidi waited for Sebastian whowas coming up from the kitchen with a tray of silver tea-things, whichhe had to put away in the dining-room cupboard. As he reached the topstair Heidi went up to him and addressed him in the formal manner shehad been ordered to use by Miss Rottermeyer.

  Sebastian looked surprised and said somewhat curtly, "What is it youwant, miss?"

  "How can a window be opened?"

  "Why, like that!" and Sebastian flung up one of the large windows.

  Heidi ran to it, but she was not tall enough to see out, for her headonly reached the sill.

  "There, now miss can look out and see what is going on below," saidSebastian as he brought her a high wooden stool to stand on.

  Heidi climbed up, and at last, as she thought, was going to see whatshe had been longing for. But she drew back her head with a look ofgreat disappointment on her face.

 
"WHY, THERE IS NOTHING OUTSIDE BUT THE STONY STREETS"]

  "Why, there is nothing outside but the stony streets," she saidmournfully; "but if I went right round to the other side of the housewhat should I see there, Sebastian?"

  "Nothing but what you see here," he told her.

  "Then where can I go to see right away over the whole valley?"

  "You would have to climb to the top of a high tower, a church tower,like that one over there with the gold ball above it."

  Heidi got down quickly from her stool, ran to the door, down the stepsand out into the street. She passed a great many people, but they allseemed in such a hurry that Heidi thought they had not time to tell herwhich way to go. Then suddenly at one of the street corners she saw aboy carrying a hand-organ on his back and a funny-looking animal on hisarm. Heidi ran up to him and said, "Where is the tower with the goldball on the top?"

  "I don't know," was the answer.

  "Do you know any other church with a high tower?"

  "Yes, I know one."

  "Come then and show it me."

  "Show me first what you will give me," and the boy held out his hand ashe spoke. Heidi searched about in her pocket and presently drew out acard on which was painted a garland of beautiful red roses; she lookedat it first for a moment or two, for she felt rather sorry to part withit; Clara had only that morning made her a present of it--but then, tolook down into the valley and see all the lovely green slopes! "There,"said Heidi holding out the card, "would you like to have that?"

  The boy drew back his hand and shook his head.

  "What would you like then?" asked Heidi, not sorry to put the card backin her pocket.

  "Money."

  "I have none, but Clara has; I am sure she will give me some; how muchdo you want?"

  "Five cents."

  "Come along then."

  They started off together along the street, and on the way Heidi askedher companion what he was carrying on his back; it was a hand-organ,he told her, which played beautiful music when he turned the handle.All at once they found themselves in front of an old church with a hightower; the boy said, "There it is."

  Heidi caught sight of a bell in the wall which she now pulled with allher might. "If I go up to the tower you must wait here, for I do notknow the way back, and you will have to show me."

  "What will you give me then for that?"

  "Another five cents."

  They heard the key turning inside, and then some one pulled open theheavy, creaking door; an old man came out and at first looked withsurprise and then in anger at the children, as he began scolding them:"What do you mean by ringing me down like this? Can't you read what iswritten over the bell, 'For those who wish to go up the tower'?"

  "But I do want to go up the tower," said Heidi.

  "What do you want up there?" said the old man. "Has somebody sent you?"

  "No," replied Heidi, "I only wanted to go up and look down on thevalley."

  "Get along home with you and don't try this trick again, or you maynot come off so easily a second time," and with that he turned andwas about to shut the door. But Heidi took hold of his coat and saidbeseechingly, "Let me go up, just once."

  He looked round, and his mood changed as he saw her pleading eyes; hetook hold of her hand and said kindly, "Well, if you really wish it somuch, I will take you."

  The boy sat down on the church steps to show that he was content towait where he was.

  When they had climbed to the top of the tower, the old man lifted Heidiup that she might look out of the open window.

  She saw beneath her a sea of roofs, towers, and chimney-pots; shequickly drew back her head and said in a sad, disappointed voice, "Itis not at all what I thought."

  "You see now, a child like you does not understand anything about aview! Come along down and don't go ringing at my bell again!"

  On the way down they passed the tower-keeper's room. At the far end ofthis was a large basket, in front of which sat a big grey cat.

  Heidi went up to the basket and broke out into expressions of delight.

  "Oh, the sweet little things! the darling kittens," she kept on saying,as she jumped from side to side of the basket so as not to lose anyof the droll gambols of the seven or eight little kittens that werescrambling and rolling and falling over one another.

  "Would you like to have one?" said the old man, who enjoyed watchingthe child's pleasure.

  "For myself, to keep?" said Heidi excitedly, who could hardly believesuch happiness was to be hers.

  "Yes, of course, more than one if you like--in short, you can take awaythe whole lot if you have room for them," for the old man was only tooglad to think he could get rid of his kittens without more trouble.

  "But how can I take them with me?" asked Heidi, and was going quicklyto see how many she could carry away in her hands, when the old catsprang at her so fiercely that she shrank back in fear.

  "I will take them for you, if you tell me where," said the old man,stroking the cat to quiet her.

  "To Mr. Sesemann's, the big house where there is a gold dog's head onthe door, with a ring in its mouth," explained Heidi.

  The old man had had charge of the tower for many a long year and knewevery house far and near.

  "I know the house," he said, "but when shall I bring them, and whoshall I ask for--you are not one of the family, I am sure."

  "No, but Clara will be so delighted when I take her the kittens."

  "If I could just take one or two away with me! one for myself and onefor Clara, may I?"

  "Well, wait a moment," said the man, and he drew the cat cautiouslyaway into his room, and leaving her by a bowl of milk came out againand shut the door. "Now take two of them."

  Heidi's eyes shone with delight. She picked up a white kitten andanother striped white and yellow, and put one in the right, the otherin the left pocket. Then she went downstairs. The boy was still sittingoutside on the steps.

  In a very short time they had reached the door with the large dog'shead for a knocker. Heidi rang the bell. Sebastian opened it quickly,and when he saw it was Heidi, "Make haste! make haste," he cried in ahurried voice.

  Heidi sprang hastily in and Sebastian shut the door after her, leavingthe boy, whom he had not noticed, standing in wonder on the steps.

  "Make haste, little miss," said Sebastian again; "go straight into thedining-room, they are already at table; Miss Rottermeyer looks like aloaded cannon. What could make the little miss run off like that?"

  Heidi walked into the room. The housekeeper did not look up, Claradid not speak; there was an uncomfortable silence. Sebastian pushedher chair up for her, and when she was seated Miss Rottermeyer saidsternly: "Adelaide, you have behaved in a most unmannerly way byrunning out of the house as you did, without asking permission, withoutany one knowing a word about it; and then to go wandering about tillthis hour; I never heard of such behavior before."

  "Miau!" came the answer back.

  This was too much for the lady's temper; with raised voice sheexclaimed, "You dare, Adelaide, after your bad behavior, to answer meas if it were a joke?"

  "I did not--" began Heidi--"Miau! miau!"

  "That will do," Miss Rottermeyer tried to say, but her voice was almoststifled with anger. "Get up and leave the room."

  Heidi stood up frightened, and again made an attempt to explain. "Ireally did not--" "Miau! miau! miau!"

  "But, Heidi," now put in Clara, "when you see that it makes MissRottermeyer angry, why do you keep on saying miau?"

  "It isn't I, it's the kittens," Heidi was at last given time to say.

  "How! what! kittens!" shrieked Miss Rottermeyer. "Sebastian! Tinette!Find the horrid little things! take them away!" And she rose and fledinto the study and locked the door.

  When Sebastian entered the dining-room, Clara had the kittens on herlap, and Heidi was kneeling beside her, both laughing and playing withthe tiny, graceful little animals.

  "Sebastian," exclaimed Clara as he came in, "you must help us;
youmust find a bed for the kittens where Miss Rottermeyer will not spythem out, for she is so afraid of them that she will send them awayat once; but we want to keep them, and have them out whenever we arealone. Where can you put them?"

  "I will see to that," answered Sebastian willingly. "I will make a bedin a basket and put it in some place where the lady is not likely togo; you leave it to me." He set about the work at once, sniggling tohimself the while, for he guessed there would be a further rumpus aboutthis some day, and Sebastian was not without a certain pleasure in thethought of Miss Rottermeyer being a little disturbed.

  After some time had elapsed, Miss Rottermeyer opened the door a crackand called through, "Have you taken those dreadful little animals away,Sebastian?"

  He assured her twice that he had done so; and quickly and quietlycatching up the kittens from Clara's lap, disappeared with them.

  Miss Rottermeyer retired without speaking, Clara and Heidi following,happy in their minds at knowing that the kittens were lying in acomfortable bed.