they will surely visit you."

Heidi was perfectly amazed; she could not understand how all those
things that she had pictured to herself so clearly would not happen
after all. She was standing perfectly motionless, confused by the
blow.

It was some time before Heidi remembered that, after all, she had come
down to meet the doctor. Looking up at her friend, she was struck by
his sad and cheerless face. How changed he was since she had seen
him! She did not like to see people unhappy, least of all the good,
kind doctor. He must be sad because Clara and grandmama had not come,
and to console him she said: "Oh, it won't last long till spring comes
again; then they will come for sure; they'll be able to stay much
longer then, and that will please Clara. Now we'll go to grandfather."

Hand in hand she climbed up with her old friend. All the way she tried
to cheer him up by telling him again and again of the coming summer
days. After they had reached the cottage, she called out to her
grandfather quite happily:

"They are not here yet, but it won't be very long before they are
coming!"

The grandfather warmly welcomed his guest, who did not seem at all a
stranger, for had not Heidi told him many things about the doctor?
They all three sat down on the bench before the door, and the doctor
told of the object of his visit. He whispered to the child that
something was coming up the mountain very soon which would bring her
more pleasure than his visit. What could it be?

The uncle advised the doctor to spend the splendid days of autumn on
the Alp, if possible, and to take a little room in the village instead
of in Ragatz; then he could easily walk up every day to the hut, and
from there the uncle could take him all around the mountains. This
plan was accepted.

The sun was in its zenith and the wind had ceased. Only a soft
delicious breeze fanned the cheeks of all.

The uncle now got up and went into the hut, returning soon with a
table and their dinner.

"Go in, Heidi, and set the table here. I hope you will excuse our
simple meal," he said, turning to his guest.

"I shall gladly accept this delightful invitation; I am sure that
dinner will taste good up here," said the guest, looking down over the
sun-bathed valley.

Heidi was running to and fro, for it gave her great joy to be able to
wait on her kind protector. Soon the uncle appeared with the steaming
milk, the toasted cheese, and the finely-sliced, rosy meat t