“Be sensible, Mux!” Dino exclaimed. “If you go on like that, we’ll miss the train and there won’t be any trip.”
These words disconcerted Mux to such a degree that he simply tore away down the street. Dino had to run after him to catch him, for Mux knew no road or way and had dashed ahead only in his fear of arriving too late.
At last they reached the station and entered their car. Now they were moving out into the beautiful country. The sun was shining over the fields and woods, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. Cornelli was sitting beside the open window, eagerly looking out. The journey lasted for a little more than two hours, and as soon as it was over they got out.
“Here he comes, here he comes!” Cornelli cried out, running towards the road which led into the valley. Here Matthew was just stopping the pair of horses from their lively trot.
In a moment Cornelli was at the dismounting coachman’s side, calling to him: “How are you, Matthew? I am coming home again. Is everything at home still the same?”
“Welcome, Cornelli, welcome home!” he said, radiant with joy, for his master’s child was his greatest pride. “But how you have grown, Cornelli! Oh, how changed our Cornelli is!”
Matthew shook her hand with great delight and then opened the carriage door for the family who had approached.
“Oh, here is the young gentleman from last summer,” Matthew said again, shaking Dino’s hand. “But you looked better when you were with us. Oh, yes, the young gentleman looked much better then, I think.”
“I should think so, Matthew,” said Dino. “Of course, I looked better when I could drink such good milk from the stable, in the fine, fresh morning air. It was different in town.”
Mrs. Halm had entered the carriage and the two girls had followed. Mux, gazing motionless at the shining horses, could not be taken away in a hurry from that wonderful sight.