“That is her least fault,” Nika returned. “But it is horrid that she insists on looking like a wild islander. I do not understand why Mama did not push the frightful locks out of her eyes.” CHAPTER IX A GREAT CHANGE Next morning Mux had hardly opened his eyes when he desired to go again straightway to Cornelli, for this had been promised him the night before. Before he succeeded, however, he had to submit to his usual fate in the morning. He ran into the room at last, neatly washed and combed and with cheeks shining like two red apples. Cornelli was already sitting in a corner of the room, listening attentively to Agnes’ playing. He flew towards her and saw his beloved book already in her hands. “Oh, now we shall read and tell stories all day long,” he called out happily. “All the others have to go to school.” But Mux had forgotten that breakfast came first of all. After the meal the two sisters departed, but Dino knocked and clamored for Cornelli to come to him. Mux loudly protested against this and only calmed down when Cornelli promised to keep him company during Dino’s rest hour. He kept on objecting and murmuring to himself even after she had gone. Cornelli was quite thrilled and overcome by the thought that anybody should love her so, and it did her more good than anything else. As soon as she came to Dino’s room he asked her if she would read to him, too, for he had found out how much she enjoyed reading to Mux out of his picture book. “Have you entertaining books, too?” asked Cornelli with hesitation. In her mind she saw her own beautiful books at home, that she had left alone because so many things in them had been unintelligible. “I should say so! You just ought to see them,” said Dino. “Please take down the book called ‘Funny Journeys.’ There are pictures in it, too. They are not as big as in the other book and are not colored, but they are so comical that they make one laugh all the time.” Cornelli got the book down, and in a little while merry peals of laughter filled the room. The mother, who heard, was happily smiling and saying to herself: “No, no, all is not yet lost.” So the week passed by. Cornelli spent most of her time reading aloud to Dino and to Mux. She grew more eager all the time in this occupation, and if Mux would suddenly want to play with soldiers, Cornelli would say: “You can easily play that alone. Let me read this and later I’ll tell you all about it.” So she had soon finished reading the whole big book. Cornelli had so far scarcely become acquainted with the two girls, and Nika had rarely spoken to her. On Saturday morning the mother entered Dino’s room just after Cornelli had finished reading such a funny tale that both children still laughed aloud at the remembrance.