"No, no," answered Hilda, quite angry at herself. "I am careless, cruel; but I meant no harm. I wanted to ask you—I mean—if——" and here Hilda, coming to the point of her errand, faltered before the poorly clad but noble-looking children she wished to serve.
"What is it, young lady?" exclaimed Hans eagerly. "If there is any service I can do? any——"
"Oh! no, no," laughed Hilda, shaking off her embarrassment, "I only wished to speak to you about the grand race. Why do you not join it? You both can skate well, and the ranks are free. Any one may enter for the prize."
Gretel looked wistfully at Hans, who tugging at his cap, answered respectfully.
"Ah, jufvrouw, even if we could enter, we could skate only a few strokes with the rest. Our skates are hard wood you see," (holding up the sole of his foot), "but they soon become damp, and then they stick and trip us."
Gretel's eyes twinkled with fun as she thought of Hans' mishap in the morning, but she blushed as she faltered out timidly:
"Oh no, we can't join; but may we be there, my lady, on the great day to look on?"
"Certainly," answered Hilda, looking kindly into the two earnest faces, and wishing from her heart that she had not spent so much of her monthly allowance for lace and finery. She had but eight kwartjes[10] left, and they would buy but one pair of skates, at the furthest.
Looking down with a sigh at the two pairs of feet so very different in size, she asked:
"Which of you is the better skater?"