登陆注册
4617200000058

第58章

He was satisfied.

"Now, Vollenhoven."

Oh, that case with the terrible instruments! The assistant lifted them. Gretel, who had been peering with brimming eyes through the crack of the closet door, could remain silent no longer.

She rushed frantically across the apartment, seized her hood, and ran from the cottage.

Gretel and HildaIt was recess hour. At the first stroke of the schoolhouse bell, the canal seemed to give a tremendous shout and grow suddenly alive with boys and girls.

Dozens of gaily clad children were skating in and out among each other, and all their pent-up merriment of the morning was relieving itself in song and shout and laughter. There was nothing to check the flow of frolic. Not a thought of schoolbooks came out with them into the sunshine. Latin, arithmetic, grammar--all were locked up for an hour in the dingy schoolroom. The teacher might be a noun if he wished, and a proper one at that, but THEY meant to enjoy themselves. As long as the skating was as perfect as this, it made no difference whether Holland were on the North Pole or the equator; and, as for philosophy, how could they bother themselves with inertia and gravitation and such things when it was as much as they could do to keep from getting knocked over in the commotion.

In the height of the fun, one of the children called out, "What is that?""What? Where?" cried a dozen voices.

"Why, don't you see? That dark thing over there by the idiot's cottage.""I don't see anything," said one.

"I do," shouted another. "It's a dog."

"Where's any dog?" put in a squeaky voice that we have heard before. "It's no such thing--it's a heap of rags.""Pooh! Voost," retorted another gruffly, "that's about as near the fact as you ever get. It's the goose girl, Gretel, looking for rats.""Well, what of it?" squeaked Voost. "Isn't SHE a bundle of rags, I'd like to know?""Ha! ha! Pretty good for you, Voost! You'll get a medal for wit yet, if you keep on.""You'd get something else, if her brother Hans were here. I'll warrant you would!" said a muffled-up little fellow with a cold in his head."As Hans was NOT there, Voost could afford to scout the insinuation.

"Who cares for HIM, little sneezer? I'd fight a dozen like him any day, and you in the bargain.""You would, would you? I'd like to catch you all at it," and, by way of proving his words, the sneezer skated off at the top of his speed.

Just then a general chase after three of the biggest boys of the school was proposed--and friend and foe, frolicsome as ever, were soon united in a common cause.

Only one of all that happy throng remembered the dark little form by the idiot's cottage. Poor, frightened little Gretel! She was not thinking of them, though their merry laughter floated lightly toward her, making her feel like one in a dream.

How loud the moans were behind the darkened window! What if those strange men were really killing her father!

The thought made her spring to her feet with a cry of horror.

"Ah, no!" She sobbed, sinking upon the frozen mound of earth where she had been sitting. Mother is there, and Hans. They will care for him. But how pale they were. And even Hans was crying!

Why did the cross old meester keep him and send me away? she thought. I could have clung to the mother and kissed her. That always makes her stroke my hair and speak gently, even after she has scolded me. How quiet it is now! Oh, if the father should die, and Hans, and the mother, what WOULD I do? And Gretel, shivering with cold, buried her face in her arms and cried as if her heart would break.

The poor child had been tasked beyond her strength during the past four days. Through all, she had been her mother's willing little handmaiden, soothing, helping, and cheering the half-widowed woman by day and watching and praying beside her all the long night. She knew that something terrible and mysterious was taking place at this moment, something that had been too terrible and mysterious for even kind, good Hans to tell.

Then new thoughts came. Why had not Hans told her? It was a shame. It was HER father as well as his. She was no baby. She had once taken a sharp knife from the father's hand. She had even drawn him away from the mother on that awful night when Hans, as big as he was, could not help her. Why, then, must she be treated like one who could do nothing? oh, how very still it was--how bitter, bitter cold! If Annie Bouman had only stayed home instead of going to Amsterdam, it wouldn't be so lonely.

How cold her feet were growing! Was it the moaning that made her feel as if she were floating in the air?

This would not do--the mother might need her help at any moment!

Rousing herself with an effort, Gretel sat upright, rubbing her eyes and wondering--wondering that the sky was so bright and blue, wondering at the stillness in the cottage, more than all, at the laughter rising and falling in the distance.

Soon she sank down again, the strange medley of thought growing more and more confused in her bewildered brain.

What a strange lip the meester had! How the stork's nest upon the roof seemed to rustle and whisper down to her! How bright those knives were in the leather case--brighter perhaps than the silver skates. If she had but worn her new jacket, she would not shiver so. The new jacket was pretty--the only pretty thing she had ever worn. God had taken care of her father so long. He would do it still, if those two men would but go away. Ah, now the meesters were on the roof, they were clambering to the top--no--it was her mother and Hans--or the storks. It was so dark, who could tell? And the mound rocking, swinging in that strange way. How sweetly the birds were singing. They must be winter birds, for the air was thick with icicles--not one bird but twenty. Oh! hear them, Mother. Wake me, Mother, for the race. I am so tired with crying, and crying--A firm hand was laid upon her shoulder.

同类推荐
  • 道山清话

    道山清话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 放光般若经

    放光般若经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 昨梦录

    昨梦录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梅谱

    梅谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 文殊指南图赞

    文殊指南图赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 佛说大摩里支菩萨经

    佛说大摩里支菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金凰公主

    金凰公主

    一个杀手,在结婚前一天被未婚夫杀害。魂穿到一个架空的世代,成为夜璃君的王妃,一个空洞美丽的女子,却和自己的前世长相一直。夜璃君大惊问道:“你是谁?”蓝夏冷冷道:“蓝夏。”夜璃君由好奇的追逐,最后演变成爱恋,最终非她不可。玉琪,一个冷漠高傲的王爷,美得不属于这尘世。她的心,在前世已死,今生她的心为他而活。他对世人冷漠狠心,却得到世人的崇拜和赞美,他对她,唯独对她,心是热的,他对她倾尽一生的呵护和溺爱。玉林,一个美若天使,冷若魔君的男子,苦笑道:“我,玉林,能给你的爱绝对不比他少一分。。。我若比玉琪早一步见到你,只怕如今的伤心人,就不会是我,而是他。不过,若玉琪负了你,我就不会再放弃你,定然至死方休。”玉琪怒问:“难道我就那么不值得你信任吗?”。。。玉林说:“我说过,我不会再放手。”夜璃君,一个和玉琪简然不同的美男,温文尔雅,可谓是一个好丈夫,只可惜,他懂得自己的心,太晚太晚。到最后才发觉自己根本非她不可,却几次都落空了机会。玉林,一个美若天使,冷若魔君的男子。“只愿今生,没见多这样的女子。”见到她,他才明白什么是真正的孤独。最后他为她痴狂,一心只想将她变成自己的王妃。轩衡,一个上穷碧落下黄泉,誓死追随的十五王爷,他明白自己得不到他的爱,最后选择了亲情,保护她左右。林枫,那个前世杀了她的未婚夫。前世为了国家,为了荣耀,将她抛弃。今生,他什么都不要,所有的荣耀,皇权,他统统不要。他明白她才是他最想得到的。皇浦雪,一个古代女子却拥有现代人的前卫,为了玉琪的一句话,刻意爱上林枫,可是却一直不知道自己已经在这个过程中真正爱上林枫。她说:“可是玉琪哥哥,你却不知道,我心里的这道面具,戴的太久了,我分不清,哪个是我,哪个是伪装的我?林枫说得很对,我迷失了自己。”
  • 这就是我的篮球

    这就是我的篮球

    蝴蝶的翅膀可以带来龙卷风,田野的双手也必定能撼动整个篮球世界。他们一路曲折,但他们无坚不摧。这是我们大家的篮球。
  • 《本草纲目》家用说明书

    《本草纲目》家用说明书

    随着人们对中医和自然养生观念的日益推崇,被称为千古医书之首的《本草纲目》又成为世人所关注的热点词汇。为什么《本草纲目》时隔数百年仍然焕发无穷魅力,被人们争相阅读?很大程度要归功于这部书的集成性和实用性。这部成书于明代的奇书蕴藏着众多养生保健,抗衰老、延年益寿的观点与知识,几乎囊括当世所有医典著述中的精髓,而且《本草》具有相当的实用性,即使是略通文字的普通百姓也可在其中找到自我保健的妙方。拿《本草纲目》中针对长寿抗衰相关内容的著述来说,书中除了在有关药物的附方中收录了抗衰老方剂285首,涉及衰老性病症211种外,更有鲜明的医学理念作为理论……
  • 清和如沫

    清和如沫

    自由or爱情,曾经我会选爱情。但现在我依然爱你,却要选自由。你知道的,我们都长大了。
  • 异世之三国召唤系统

    异世之三国召唤系统

    主角带着无敌兑换系统来到冷兵器时代的异世,然后是风起云涌,风声鹤唳,风生水起,风花雪月……
  • 斗罗大陆之何归

    斗罗大陆之何归

    何归(雾)意外和唐三结缘,然后唐三不小心变了的故事。——何归:我永生都在寻求信仰,终于我找到了,你就是我的信仰。——
  • 凉辰梦槿空人心

    凉辰梦槿空人心

    白梦瑾喜欢了凉辰三年,三年来凉辰一直对他冷若冰霜,正当她打算放弃,突然有一天,凉辰把她堵到墙角,吻了她什么都没说,从此再无踪迹,五年后又再次相遇,
  • 六十种曲焚香记

    六十种曲焚香记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 修仙之无法无天

    修仙之无法无天

    修真界掌门算什么?老子照样敢杀;六大派宗师又能怎么样?老子打得他们满地爬。一个无法无天的少年,机缘巧合之下竟然习得了盘古开天辟地所用神法“混沌破天玄功”,一路弑神杀佛,闯入了三十三天之外,解开了上古时期封神之战的秘密。