y
those whom she had joined. The grandmother was the first to think of
her; she hurried out and said:

"Forgive us for forgetting you so, but we'll soon be home."

Irma replied that they need not trouble themselves about her. The
grandmother did not quite understand the tone in which she spoke.

Here on the public road, while she lay in the covered farm wagon and
could hear the loud talking of the crowd, she felt a pang of grief to
think that she was an object of charity, and that she to whom the world
had once done homage, was now forgotten. But she quickly regained her
self-command. It is better thus, for thus you are alone.

At last they drove on. The road again lay up the mountain. The
grandmother was quite happy and greeted every one. The plum-trees were
laden with fruit, and the apple-trees along the road--she had, while
yet a girl, seen them planted--had grown so large that they bent under
the weight of the ruddy fruit. The grandmother often said: "I never
thought it was so far; no, I meant to say, I thought it was further
than this. Dear me, how I'm talking. It seems as if the world had
shrunk together. Children, I tell you what, you'll live to see great,
and good, and beautiful things come to pass. Come, give me the child,"
said she to Gundel, and she took Burgei in her arms, her face radiant
with joy.

"Burgei, I've sung here, and so will you; and here I carried your
mother on my arms, just as I'm carrying you, now. There! give that to
the bird."

She had taken a piece of bread from her pocket and gave the child some
crumbs to scatter to the birds on the way, while she, too, kept
throwing crumbs to the right and the left.

She did not speak another word, but her lips moved silently.

CHAPTER XV.

As they drew near the house, they could hear the neighing of the white
foal.

"That's a good beginning," cried Hansei.

The grandmother placed the child on the ground, and got her hymn-book
out of the chest. Pressing the book against her breast with both hands,
she went into the house, being the first to enter. Hansei, who was
standing near the stable, took a piece of chalk from his pocket and
wrote the letters C. M. B., and the date, on the stable-door. Then he,
too, went into the house, his wife, Irma and the child following him.

Before going into the sitting-room, the grandmother knocked thrice at
the door. When she had entered, she placed the open hymn-book upo