Hilda laughed pleasantly and left him. After joining a small detachment of the racers, and sailing past every one of them, she halted beside Gretel who, with eager eyes, had been watching the sport. "What is your name, little girl?" "Gretel, my lady," answered the child, somewhat awed by Hilda's rank, though they were nearly of the same age, "and my brother is called Hans." "Hans is a stout fellow," said Hilda, cheerily, "and seems to have a warm stove somewhere within him, but _you_ look cold. You should wear more clothing, little one." Gretel, who had nothing else to wear, tried to laugh as she answered: "I am not so very little. I am past twelve years old." "Oh, I beg your pardon. You see I am nearly fourteen, and so large of my age that other girls seem small to me, but that is nothing. Perhaps you will shoot up far above me yet; not unless you dress more warmly, though--shivering girls never grow." Hans flushed as he saw tears rising in Gretel's eyes. "My sister has not complained of the cold; but this is bitter weather they say----" and he looked sadly upon Gretel. "It is nothing," said Gretel. "I am often warm--too warm when I am skating. You are good, jufvrouw,[9] to think of it." [Footnote 9: Miss--Young lady (pronounced yuffrow). In studied or polite address it would be jongvrowe (pronounced youngfrow).] "No, no," answered Hilda, quite angry at herself. "I am careless, cruel; but I meant no harm. I wanted to ask you--I mean--if----" and here Hilda, coming to the point of her errand, faltered before the poorly clad but noble-looking children she wished to serve. "What is it, young lady?" exclaimed Hans eagerly. "If there is any service I can do? any----" "Oh! no, no," laughed Hilda, shaking off her embarrassment, "I only wished to speak to you about the grand race. Why do you not join it? You both can skate well, and the ranks are free. Any one may enter for the prize." Gretel looked wistfully at Hans, who tugging at his cap, answered respectfully. "Ah, jufvrouw, even if we could enter, we could skate only a few strokes with the rest. Our skates are hard wood you see," (holding up the sole of his foot), "but they soon become damp, and then they stick and trip us." Gretel's eyes twinkled with fun as she thought of Hans' mishap in the morning, but she blushed as she faltered out timidly: "Oh no, we can't join; but may we be there, my lady, on the great day to look on?" "Certainly," answered Hilda, looking kindly into the two earnest faces, and wishing from her heart that she had not spent so much of her monthly allowance for lace and finery. She had but eight kwartjes[10] left, and they would buy but one pair of skates, at the furthest. [Footnote 10: A kwartje is a small silver coin worth one quarter of a guilder, or 10 cents in American currency.] Looking down with a sigh at the two pairs of feet so very different in size, she asked: "Which of you is the better skater?" "Gretel," replied Hans, promptly.