go on with the other boys, but turned round the
corner of the school-house, and waited there till all the girls had
passed out, in groups of two and three, and, last of all, Elsli came
hurrying along alone; she had been delayed by waiting to write out her
exercise for the next day. Suddenly she felt herself seized from behind
and held fast.

"Let me go, Feklitus," she cried; "I am in a hurry; Nora is waiting for
me."

"I want to ask you something first," said the boy, "and then you may
go."

He spoke in a masterful voice, and held fast to the child's frock.

"Tell me this; if you were going to make a speech at a musical
festival, how should you begin?"

"What a stupid question, Feklitus! when you know perfectly well that I
should never do such a thing!" And Elsli tried to pull her dress away
from the boy's hand; but he held her fast.

"I didn't say you would; but suppose you did,--you can suppose
anything,--how would you begin?"

"I don't know, I'm sure; I never thought anything about it in my life."

"Come, now, if you don't tell me, I'll keep you here till after dark.
Come; I'll just make a beginning, to start you. Begin: Highly respected
gentlemen and brothers--now, what next?"

"Let me go; I really ought to go. I have no idea what to say next."

"What an obstinate girl you are!" cried Feklitus angrily; "I'll punish
you for this before long; when you come into the factory, you'll catch
it; you see if you don't!"

This vague threat frightened Elsli the more from its very vagueness; so
she thought for a moment, and then began;--

"Highly respected gentlemen and brothers! Now that we have sung
together, let us rejoice together; and enjoy a long, long festival!"

As Elsli spoke, Feklitus relaxed his hold of her, as she had hoped he
would do; and instantly she darted away like an arrow shot from a bow;
and before Feklitus had recovered from his surprise, she had gone beyond
pursuit. The boy looked thoughtfully after her retreating figure for a
few moments, and then went towards home.

On the next Sunday the great Musical Festival was to take place; and the
banner would be ready but just in season. The day before, there was to
be a rehearsal of the performance, so that Feklitus might try his
speech, and the order of the procession be arranged. A table-cloth tied
to a pole was to take the place of the unfinished banner.

It is needless to say that there was but little appetite for dinner at
Dr. Stein's t