Elsli was seldom merry and lighthearted, like other girls of her age; she was too much weighed down with care and hard work. She looked gratefully at Fred for his kind confidence; but no real joy came into her worn face. She stood up presently and took up her burden again, for Hanseli had given several signs that he was ready to start for home, and wanted her to carry him. The two ladies stood at the door, and watched her as she walked away with slow and weary steps. “Ah! how I wish that some ray of sunshine could come into that sweet girl’s lot!” exclaimed the doctor’s wife, and her sister was responding with the same thought, when the sound of noisy voices was heard, which became louder and louder, as Emma came running through the garden, a brother on each side, and both accosting her in vehement tones. “What made you carry Fani off again?” “What have you done with all the exercise-paper?” “What are you and he up to now?” “It’s all your fault if we can’t do our lessons.” “Where have you hidden him, so that he doesn’t keep his promise and come to the meeting?” “Where have you put all the paper; I haven’t even begun on my exercises!” The angry questioners, with Emma between them, came up the steps. Their mother was just then called away; their aunt exclaimed:-- “Be still, boys; how can Emma answer either of you, if you both keep up such a fire of questions?” Emma darted to her aunt’s side, and eagerly whispered in her ear what she had done with the paper; adding:-- “Do help me, aunty; you know if Oscar knew that, it would only make him more angry.” Her aunt could not find it in her heart to blame Emma for the use she had made of the paper. “Come in, boys,” she said, “and learn your lessons, and be quiet for a while; I’ll give you plenty of paper”; adding, as a farther argument, “your father will be at home directly, and you know he will not want a noise in the house.” They came in quietly enough, and soon the four brothers and sisters were industriously at work over their lessons, around the table; even Oscar forgetting Fani for the time, in the interest of his studies. It seemed as if peace and quiet were ensured for the rest of the evening. But suddenly the silence was disturbed by a harrowing cry from Rikli, who pushed her chair back from the table, and ran out of the room into the passage-way, as if some monster were after her. All looked up from their work and looked around in alarm for the cause of the outburst. “Here, here!” cried Emma, pointing to the table, where a shining green gold-chafer was gravely walking over the white paper, evidently an escaped prisoner from the pocket of the indefatigable collector. “Oh, Fred! you shouldn’t carry live creatures about in your pockets,” said his mother, gently. “You have plenty of boxes for them. Just see what discomfort you give your neighbors, to say nothing of yourself and the poor little animals.”