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 for the following day. That took little time and till now the child had really had a very free existence. She had always found time for a daily visit to Martha and a long conversation with her old friend. She could also wander freely about the lovely beech wood and along the mountain side. Her time was never parcelled out for her.

There were many wonderful things to find in the fields and woods, and Cornelli never tired of them as long as the sun was shining. If rain or snow prevented her from her strolls, she spent her afternoons in Martha’s cosy chamber. There she had the most pleasant times, for the old woman’s conversation and tales were for Cornelli a never ending source of enjoyment.

The teacher had just left the house. Owing to her father’s departure, there had been plenty of material for sentences in her grammar lesson. All the child’s answers to his questions had come so promptly to-day that the teacher had ended his lesson on the stroke of the hour. He also gave Cornelli special praise for the excellent work she had done. Then he heartily shook her hand.