that "but" of fritz's rested all the evening somewhat heavily on violet's heart, otherwise there was something about evelina that would perforce have fascinated the child. it was a face that seemed to grow prettier each time she looked at it; and her voice was so sweet, especially when she sang little snatches of song, which she did apparently unconsciously, as she went about the room setting everything in apple-pie order, and dusting the ornaments and furniture with an easy grace, as if all she did were a pleasure to her.
in the evening, after violet had been put to bed, aunt lizzie went out to get some letters, and evelina and her charge were left alone. the moment the door closed on her protectress, the nervous look came back to violet's eyes, and she gazed with a distressed intentness at the shining brass balls at the foot of her bed.
evelina, however, appeared quite unconscious of[pg 152] any difference in her manner. she added wood to the stove, polished the brass kettle, chirruped to the canary, and then seating herself at the window, she took out her knitting, and with swiftly-flying fingers went on with a stocking which she was making for one of the little boys at gützberg.
this she told violet presently with much laughter, describing how the little tease henry had pulled all the needles out of her work just at the most critical part, to make sticks for his soldiers' flags, and how she had had to go back and knit half the leg over again; and all the time that she laughed and told her story she was knitting away without once looking at her work, but straight out of the window at the houses and shops opposite.
once when she looked up hastily, she became aware of two faces placed against the high-up window of a house almost exactly opposite, and she saw that four eager eyes were following all her movements with an intense interest.
in the fair, round, smiling face, with its great blue eyes, and its golden curls all tucked away inside a plain white linen nightcap, evelina did not at first recognize ella; but a glance at the burning eyes of the little boy who stood beside her, and who seemed to watch her own actions with an almost jealous[pg 153] anxiety, was sufficient to make her recognize the lad who had stood by violet's chair that afternoon, and had replied so shortly to her question "that he was violet's own friend."
"ah, that is where he lives, thy little friend. how he does stare!"
evelina put down her knitting for a minute, and nodding across to fritz, drew out her pocket-handkerchief and waved it through the open pane beside her.
fritz bowed in reply rather stiffly. ella pranced about in some excitement for a moment, but noticing that fritz's expression was somewhat gloomy, she became grave also, and in a few minutes they both disappeared from the window.
then, almost without being aware of it, violet and evelina fell into quite a natural talk. evelina had so many questions to ask about ella and fritz, and their parents, and the people who lived on either side of them, and how they all were, and what occupations they had; so that when aunt lizzie returned from her walk she was quite delighted to hear, as she placed her hand on the door, a quiet little laugh from violet, as she exclaimed in evident amusement—"indeed he is not; he is a grand old fellow, and i love him."
[pg 154]
"old!" replied evelina; "why, i should not call him old, and he is very handsome. i can see him now quite plainly, for he is looking up at me this moment."
evelina had risen, and was gazing out through the casement as aunt lizzie entered, so she did not hear her mistress's step until she was quite close beside her.
"of whom art thou speaking, darling?" asked aunt lizzie, glad to notice the smile which was still lingering on violet's face.
"of the old policeman. evelina asked me if he was a very cruel man, and he is so good, aunt lizzie; he sometimes kisses his hand to me; and dost not thou remember it was he who picked up my violets and gave them to—to father;" there was a sudden break in the child's voice, and the smile died suddenly away.
"ah yes, he is a good old fellow," replied her aunt quickly; "he spoke to me the other day and asked me all about thee."
"about me, aunt lizzie?"
"yes, darling, about thee. violet has many friends in the town of whom she knows little, or perhaps nothing; but they know her—they look up at her as they go past the window, and they love her."
"they love me?" violet smiled again, an [pg 155]inquiring, happy smile, and her little white face mantled with modest blushes. "so many friends," she said softly; then added almost in a whisper, "and also, aunt lizzie, the lord jesus; he is my friend too, is he not?"
"he is indeed thy best friend; so good a friend, that no matter who else goes away and leaves little violet, he is always beside her; and when she is very tired, and her back aches, and her heart is sad, then she has only to think how close he is beside her, and rest her little tired head just so against his breast." and as aunt lizzie spoke she drew violet close beside her, and covered her upturned face with loving kisses.
evelina was seated again in the window as aunt lizzie turned round from the bed. her fingers were flying swiftly, the steel needles clattered and chinked, but there was a moisture in her usually bright eyes, which her mistress understood and was glad to see.
two days afterwards aunt lizzie returned to gützberg, leaving evelina in sole charge of violet. she had almost grown accustomed to her now. at first it was a sore trial to her that evelina slept in the room which used to be her mother's. when the door of it opened and shut, her heart gave sudden leaps and starts, which made her sick and wretched. when[pg 156] she saw evelina's hat hanging on the same nail where her mother's used to be, she turned her eyes away quickly; but even to this she soon grew accustomed, and said to herself, with a long, wishful sigh, "when father comes back all will be like home again."
fritz, too, became much more friendly with evelina as the days wore on. she had quite a fund of fairy tales and children's stories, which she used to tell them in the evenings. it was after supper was finished that they used to gather round her in the window; and violet's eyes grew and darkened and deepened in the summer twilight as she listened, inthralled, to the stories of forest gnomes and elves that hid themselves beneath the fragrant ferns and mosses of the woods.
evelina could sing, too. she had the sweetest voice imaginable, and she knew heaps of ballads; and when the song was an exciting one, she would act it with quick gestures and flashing eyes; or when it was sad, real tears sprung to them with an almost unnatural swiftness.
violet listened and pondered and watched every movement of the face before her; and yet, with an unconscious distrust, still kept the whole freedom of her loving heart uplifted in the balance.
"fritz," she said one evening suddenly, as he and[pg 157] she sat alone in the deep window-seat, "fritz, tell me this one thing: dost thou love evelina?"
"i like her," replied fritz quickly.
"i like her too, she is ever so kind to me, and she never says a cross word, like old kate; but i like kate better."
"i know," cried fritz, who was busy peeling a stick and throwing the shavings on the ground, "she looks in the glass so often, and she is always twisting up little curls on her forehead. i can see her from the window opposite. and once she was smiling and bowing at herself in the glass, and she suddenly looked up and saw me; and she was such a little fool, she ran away with her face covered up with her hands and threw herself down on the bed. still she is not too nasty," added fritz comfortingly, "and i like her. she tells grand stories, and she is awfully good-natured."
violet listened almost awe-struck. fritz was certainly wonderful at guessing and seeing things; he knew much better all about evelina than she did, and he was able to explain things so easily.
"she often says 'yes' when she is not listening to one word any of us says; and when she leans out of the window and sings, she pretends she does not see the people in the street stopping to hear: she [pg 158]pretends lots of things; that i see well enough," cried fritz, waving the newly-peeled white stick triumphantly over his head, and bringing it down on the cushion with a bang. "still i like her, and ella thinks her simply an angel."
violet grew more reassured; and when evelina returned smiling and pretty, and with a lovely fresh cake full of currants in her hand for violet, the room seemed quite bright again; and ella coming across the street, and up the stairs with great bounds, was kept for the evening meal, and sat on evelina's knee all the afternoon happier than any queen.
