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And the little girl was already in the midst of the grass, stamping bravely forward. But Sami said quite prudently:

“You mustn’t go so into the grass. It is forbidden. But see, if we go around outside and take all the flowers you can reach, there will be a big bunch.”

The little one came out, for she knew that she ought not to do what was forbidden. Then the flowers were gathered according to Sami’s advice, but the little companion soon had enough of such exertion, seated herself on the ground and said:

“Come, sit down by me. But you must not speak French to me. I have to learn that with Madame Laurent, but I would rather speak German, and you must do so too.”

“I don’t speak French, I don’t know how,” replied Sami; “but I can’t speak like you either.”

“Where do you come from then, if you don’t speak German and don’t speak French?” the little one wanted to know.

Sami thought for a moment, then he said:

“First I came from Chailly and then from Zweisimmen.”

“No, no,” interrupted the little one warmly. “People are never from two places, only from one. I am from Berlin, in Germany, you see. Then Papa bought an estate and now we are living on Lake Geneva. What is your name?”

Sami told her.

“And my name is Betti. Why did you come into the courtyard when Tina wanted to send you out?”

Sami had to think for a while, then he said:

“Because those words were on the robe, I knew they were God-fearing people where it belonged, and my grandmother told me I must stay with such people and never go away, for I should learn nothing but good from them.”

“Must you stay with us now, and never go away again?” asked little Betti eagerly.

“Yes, I think so,” answered Sami. “Perhaps I can weed the garden.”

“That is right,” said Betti, delighted. “You see, Tina will not take me in the carriage; she says I am too big. Will you take me every day in the carriage to the meadow for ever so many hours?”

“Yes, indeed, I will do that gladly,” promised Sami, “and you shall have all the flowers. Then I will take you besides to the trees where all the birds sing ‘Only trust the dear Lord!’ and where the finch cries so loud above them all: ‘Trust! Trust! Trust! Trust!’ Have you heard him too?”

At this description little Betti’s eyes grew bigger and brighter with expectation.

“Come now, let’s go right away to the birds,” she exclaimed, jumped up and ran in haste to the carriage.

Sami followed.

At this moment Tina, with a very red face, came running up from below. Her looks did not portend anything good.

“So I have found you at last,” she cried angrily from a distance. “Everybody is running around looking for you–your three brothers, the servants, the coachman–everybody! I have run myself half dead for you. Sit down in the carriage, you naughty little thing. The little tramp can go where he likes. No, he must come back again; his bundle is lying in the courtyard. So he can pull the carriage if he has to come with us.”

Little Betti did not seem very much frightened by this lively speech. She climbed quickly into the carriage and said gaily: “Go ahead, Sami!”

He obeyed quite crushed, for now he could only return for his bundle; then he would have to go away again, and he had so firmly believed this was the place where he was to stay according to his grandmother’s advice, and it had pleased him so much. He had started out in the morning full of trust from the song of the birds, and now he was returning very down-hearted the same way.

When the three on their way home came to the courtyard, a tall man was standing there, looking out up and down the road; a lady was coming out of the house and going in again very restlessly, and three young boys were running first one way and then another, screaming at the top of their voices: