Madame von Stork nodded.
Pauline was not their child, but a French refugee whose parents were nobles who had perished in the Revolution. The Stork's nest had received her; so why not another?
"Let her remain," concluded the Professor, "until the old man returns, or we can make some provision for her."
So Bettina became one of the "Nest", as the von Storks always called their home, and with so much love and kindness about her, the little girl soon forgot much that she had suffered.
"But I should like to see Willy Schmidt and my little brothers," once she said to Marianne, who was her favourite.
The little round-faced, tow-headed twins flew to her sides, each taking a hand and pressing it against her chubby cheek.
"When Barbarossa, that you told us of, Bettina, comes out of the cave, our father will take us all to Thuringia," promised Ilse.
"What nonsense, you geese," and Carl laughed scornfully. "There isn't a Barbarossa. Otto says so, and he's fifteen and knows everything. Anyway," he looked very proud of his knowledge, "nobody can conqueror the Emperor!"
But when he heard that Bettina had really seen the awful Napoleon, he listened with wideopen blue eyes and was not so important.
Perhaps, after all, Bettina did know something.