ape--stood at her door as the little Franks tripped forth from
theirs. Petrea, with an irresistible desire to make her acquaintance,
rushed across the street and offered her the piece of cake which she had
in her basket. The little wild creature snatched the piece of cake with
violence, showed her row of white teeth, and vanished in the doorway,
whilst Elise seized Petrea's hand, in order to keep her restless spirit
in check.

As soon as they had passed the gate of the city the children were
permitted full freedom, and they were not much more composed in their
demeanour than a set of young calves turned out for the first time into
a green meadow. We must even acknowledge that the little Queen-bee fell
into a few excesses, such as jumping over ditches where they were the
broadest, and clapping her hands and shouting to frighten away
phlegmatical crows. It was not long, however, before she gave up these
outbreaks, and turned her mind to a much sedater course; and then,
whenever a stiff-necked millifolium or gaudy hip came in her way, she
carefully broke it off, and preserved it in her apron, for the use of
the family. Henrik ran back every now and then to the wicker-carriage,
in order to kiss "the baby," and give her the very least flowers he
could find. Petrea often stumbled and fell, but always sprang up
quickly, and then unaffrightedly continued her leaping and springing.

The Candidate also, full of joyous animal spirits, began to sing aloud,
in a fine tenor voice, the song, "Seats of the Vikings! Groves old and
hoary," in which the children soon joined their descant, whilst they
marched in time to the song. Elise, who gave herself up to the full
enjoyment of the beautiful day and the universal delight, had neither
inclination nor wish to interrupt this by any disagreeable explanation;
she thought to herself that she would defer it a while.

"Nay, only look, only look, sisters! Henrik, come here!" exclaimed
little Petrea, beckoning with the hand, leaping, and almost out of
herself for delight, whilst she looked through the trellis-work of a
tall handsome gate into pleasure-grounds which were laid out in the
old-fashioned manner, and ornamented with clipped trees. Many little
heads soon looked with great curiosity through the trellis-gate; they
seemed to see Paradise within it; and then up came the Candidate, not
like a threatening cherub with a flaming sword, but a good angel, who
opened the door of this paradise to