h the understanding that she should
return home at least once a year for a visit.

In an incredibly short time the whole village was in possession of the
news that the wealthy Mrs. Stanhope had offered to take Elsli home with
her, and to keep her as her own child always; and that they were to
start for the villa on the Rhine the very next day. The excitement
produced by this news was intense. Wherever two neighbors met on the
road, they stopped to talk over the good-luck that had happened to
Elsli. In the school, the children could not keep quiet, so great was
their interest in the event. Even Mr. Bickel was moved to make an
unheard-of effort He took his big stick in his hand, saying:--

"Wife, we ought to go and call on Mrs. Stanhope, and apprise her of our
relationship with that girl Elsli. If she needs any advice about the
child, I am the proper person to give it. Perhaps we shall be asked to
make our cousin a visit, when she is settled there by the Rhine; there
are great factories of all kinds there, and perhaps Mrs. Stanhope may
have some connection with them, and that may help us in our business."

But Mr. Bickel had to lay aside his stick again, for his wife was not
ready to go to make so important a visit at so short notice.

If there was excitement elsewhere, at the doctor's house there was a
real jubilee. The mother and the aunt were filled with thankfulness that
the delicate girl had fallen into such good hands, where she would be
loved and cared for, and where her natural refinement would have every
chance of development. All the family were full of pleasure and
anticipations of great things in the future.

Oscar went about all day, lost in thought. He was trying to turn this
new state of things to account; for it was a great trial to him that the
beautiful embroidered banner had had to be laid aside; and he was
determined, if possible, to find some use to put it to. Emma, too, was
evidently preoccupied, and Fred said to himself, as he saw her knitted
brows, "She's got some scheme working in her brain." As for Fred
himself, he sat deeply engaged in making long lists of all the
caterpillars, beetles, snails, and other similar creatures that he knew
were to be found in the neighborhood of the Rhine. To make assurance
doubly sure, he put the Latin name under the common name of each.

That evening Elsli was sitting on the long bench at home, quite hidden
by the three little brothers, who had taken complete