She looked at him kindly and said first of all she would
like to know from him where he came from, and what the story which Betti
told about his grandmother meant; he ought to tell where he had been
living hitherto, who his parents were and who his grandmother was.
The kind lady had inspired Sami with great confidence and he now told
from the beginning all that he knew about his life up to the present
moment, and also how he had come into the courtyard, on account of the
proverb, which led him to believe that here lived the people with whom he
should stay.
When Sami came to an end, the lady turned to her husband and said:
"It is the dear Lord who has led him here. We cannot send him away!"
The children all shouted together for joy.
"Can we go to the birds now, Papa? Right away?" repeated Betti with
irrepressible eagerness.
"By and by, by and by," said her father, soothingly. "Sami is going with
me first up to Chailly, to show me where Herr Malon lives. I want to talk
with him. When we come back, we will see what to do first."
The mother understood that her husband wanted to have Herr Malon's
assurance that everything Sami had told was true, and held back the
children, who all four were anxious to explain immediately to Sami what
they desired of him.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73