behaved in a similar manner, but that is not
so remarkable. Being nearer the daylight than Jacob's, they might be
expected to be more learned in the ways of the world. Master Ludwig's,
especially, were like beauty, only skin deep; they were the most knowing
bones you ever heard of. Just put before him ever so quietly a grammar
book with a long lessons marked in it, and immediately the sly bone over
his eyes would set up such an aching! Request him to go to the garret
for your foot stove, instantly the bones would remind him that he was
"too tired." Ask him to go to the confectioner's, a mile away, and
PRESTO! not a bone would remember that it had ever been used before.

Bearing all this in mind, you will not wonder when I tell you that our
five boys were among the happiest of the happy throng pouring forth from
the schoolhouse that day.

Peter was in excellent spirits. He had heard through Hilda of Dame
Brinker's laugh and of Hans's joyous words, and he needed no further
proof that Raff Brinker was a cured man. In fact, the news had gone
forth in every direction, for miles around. Persons who had never
before cared for the Brinkers, or even mentioned them, except with a
contemptuous sneer or a shrug of pretended pity, now became singularly
familiar with every point of their history. There was no end to the
number of ridiculous stories that were flying about.

Hilda, in the excitement of the moment, had stopped to exchange a word
with the doctor's coachman as he stood by the horses, pommelling his
chest and clapping his hands. Her kind heart was overflowing. She could
not help pausing to tell the cold, tired-looking man that she
thought the doctor would be out soon; she even hinted to him that she
suspected--only suspected--that a wonderful cure had been performed, an
idiot brought to his senses. Nay, she was SURE of it, for she had heard
his widow laugh--no, not his widow, of course, but his wife--for the
man was as much alive as anybody, and, for all she knew, sitting up and
talking like a lawyer.

All this was very indiscreet. Hilda, in an impenitent sort of way, felt
it to be so.

But it is always so delightful to impart pleasant or surprising news!

She went tripping along by the canal, quite resolved to repeat the sin,
ad infinitum, and tell nearly every girl and boy in the school.

Meantime Janzoon Kolp came skating by. Of course, in two seconds, he was
striking slippery attitudes and shouting saucy things