And Karl, looking into her sturdy face, into the eyes which he had sometimes seen dancing with mischief, sometimes flashing anger, and sometimes brimming with sorrow, murmured a prayer under his breath, for gracious guidance for that new-claimed “will.”
120CHAPTER TEN
THE MAKING OF A COMPACT
At the end of the short railway journey, Mr. Eldred met the girls and conducted them to the house where Mrs. Eldred waited with a heart-warming welcome for her little guest.
It was a pretty home and Frieda felt the charm of it instantly as she went up stairs with Hannah to the little square room which she was to occupy. At the same time, however, she felt strange and out of place. She was conscious of a contrast between her own hat and Hannah’s, between her heavy wool dress and Hannah’s blue linen suit, between her strong, serviceable–and ugly–shoes, and Hannah’s pumps, also strong and serviceable, but far from ugly. The six pieces of hand luggage and the queer steamer trunk, when deposited in the center of the little room, with its crisp ruffled curtains, and its plain mahogany furniture, disturbed the harmony that had reigned before from the etching over the bed to the bowl of ferns on the table. Hannah was friendly and beaming, and not at all belligerent. Mrs. Eldred was all sweet, cheery thoughtfulness, 121 but Frieda looking at herself in the oval mirror of the dressing-table, felt a sudden throb of pity for the girl she saw there.
Hannah helped her remove her thick jacket, tucked it and her hat away in the closet, piled up the bags and asked for the trunk key.
“Mutter hat uns immer gesagt, alles an seinen Ort zu legen,” she said in a kind of chant. Frieda looked up, her eyes brightening with fun.
“Mother always told us to gargle every morning and use plenty of tooth-powder,” she said, and Hannah shrieked with glee.
“O, have you been learning English out of that ridiculous Edith and Mary book, too? I hoped you would have it, and we can do beautiful dialogues in German and English. I’ve always wanted to, but I never knew any one who could do the responses. I’ll be Edith and you can be Mary.”
Mrs. Eldred came in as Hannah flung the lid of the trunk back. Frieda’s fun died away as she reached into a little pocket and took out a letter.