will only be for a while; and when she comes back again, all will be
well. And Trudi thought, "Just as soon as she comes back again, I will
go and then we shall see if I come back."

But Rico and Stineli merely glanced at each other, and laughed with
their eyes for pure joy.

As the father looked upon the affair as settled, he rose from the table,
saying, "She may go to-morrow: then we shall know where we stand."

Her mother, on the contrary, objected to this, saying that it could not
be managed so quickly, and complained bitterly, until her father gave
in, and said she should go the following Monday, and would not hear of a
later date; for he thought that there would be a continual fuss until
the departures were fairly over.

Work there was now for Stineli in abundance. Rico understood that this
must be the case, and he addressed himself to Sami, and said he would
like to see whether every thing remained as formerly in Sils-Maria; and
that he had a sack and a basket to fetch from Sils, and perhaps Sami
would go with him to help him; so they went forth.

Firstly, Rico paused before his former home, and gazed at the old
house-door and the hen-house. It was just as it had been. He asked Sami
who lived there now,--if his cousin were there, and alone.

But he heard that the cousin had long ago gone away towards Silvaplana,
and nobody knew any thing about her; for she had not shown her face in
Sils-Maria again.