happy now," said her father. He had read the letter while they were
having supper. "Another lady is coming, too, and with their arrival
a new delightful life will begin for you."

Cornelli, who had never before heard anything about this relation of
her father's, felt no joy at this news. She did not see anything
pleasing in the prospect. On the contrary, it only meant a change in
the household, which she did not in the least desire. She wanted
everything to remain as it was. She had no other wish.

Cornelli saw her father only at meals, for he spent all the rest of
his time in his business offices and in the extensive works. But the
child never felt lonely or forsaken. She always had many plans, and
there was hardly a moment when she was not occupied. Her time between
school hours always seemed much too short and the evenings only were
half as long as she wanted them to be. It was then that she loved to
walk and roam around. Her father had barely left the room, when she
again ran outside and, as usual, down the path.

At that moment the energetic Esther was coming from the garden with
a large basket on her arm. She had wisely picked some vegetables for
the following day.

"Don't go out again, Cornelli," she said. "Just look at the gray clouds
above the mountain! I am afraid we shall have a thunderstorm."

"Oh, I just have to go to Martha," replied Cornelli quickly. "I must
tell her something, and I don't think a storm will come so soon."

"Of course it won't come for a long while," called Miss Mina. Through