“She misses her mother,” said Matthew. “It is awfully hard on a little one to grow up without a mother, for she needs her at every step. It is so easy when you have a mother to whom you can tell your joys and troubles.”
“One might think that you still run to your mother whenever anyone does you harm, Matthew,” said Esther, a little mockingly.
“I should love to,” Matthew assured her. “I know what my mother meant to me and so I am always sorry for every child that has none. One can see how it is with our master’s child; nothing is of any good to her as long as she has no mother.”
Matthew went away, looking once more with pity at Cornelli, who was sitting quite motionless on the bench. The book by now was lying on the ground.
Soon afterwards Mr. Maelinger entered the garden and neared the house, but Cornelli intercepted him.
“I could not come at 9 o’clock to-day,” he said, “but I think one hour is better than none, so am here now, at 11 o’clock. I hope you have spent a pleasant, useful morning.”
“No, I haven’t,” said Cornelli drily.
“But you have a fine book in your hand. It is sure to have something nice in it. What is it all about?”
“I do not know,” replied Cornelli.
“Let us go to our work now. Your reading does not seem to have impressed you much, so let us hope for a better result from our lesson.”