"No, but Clara will be so delighted when I take her the kittens." "If I could just take one or two away with me! one for myself and one for Clara, may I?" "Well, wait a moment," said the man, and he drew the cat cautiously away into his room, and leaving her by a bowl of milk came out again and shut the door. "Now take two of them." Heidi's eyes shone with delight. She picked up a white kitten and another striped white and yellow, and put one in the right, the other in the left pocket. Then she went downstairs. The boy was still sitting outside on the steps. In a very short time they had reached the door with the large dog's head for a knocker. Heidi rang the bell. Sebastian opened it quickly, and when he saw it was Heidi, "Make haste! make haste," he cried in a hurried voice. Heidi sprang hastily in and Sebastian shut the door after her, leaving the boy, whom he had not noticed, standing in wonder on the steps. "Make haste, little miss," said Sebastian again; "go straight into the dining-room, they are already at table; Miss Rottermeyer looks like a loaded cannon. What could make the little miss run off like that?" Heidi walked into the room. The housekeeper did not look up, Clara did not speak; there was an uncomfortable silence. Sebastian pushed her chair up for her, and when she was seated Miss Rottermeyer said sternly: "Adelaide, you have behaved in a most unmannerly way by running out of the house as you did, without asking permission, without any one knowing a word about it; and then to go wandering about till this hour; I never heard of such behavior before." "Miau!" came the answer back. This was too much for the lady's temper; with raised voice she exclaimed, "You dare, Adelaide, after your bad behavior, to answer me as if it were a joke?" "I did not--" began Heidi--"Miau! miau!" "That will do," Miss Rottermeyer tried to say, but her voice was almost stifled with anger. "Get up and leave the room." Heidi stood up frightened, and again made an attempt to explain. "I really did not--" "Miau! miau! miau!" "But, Heidi," now put in Clara, "when you see that it makes Miss Rottermeyer angry, why do you keep on saying miau?" "It isn't I, it's the kittens," Heidi was at last given time to say. "How! what! kittens!" shrieked Miss Rottermeyer. "Sebastian! Tinette! Find the horrid little things! take them away!" And she rose and fled into the study and locked the door. When Sebastian entered the dining-room, Clara had the kittens on her lap, and Heidi was kneeling beside her, both laughing and playing with the tiny, graceful little animals. "Sebastian," exclaimed Clara as he came in, "you must help us; you must find a bed for the kittens where Miss Rottermeyer will not spy them out, for she is so afraid of them that she will send them away at once; but we want to keep them, and have them out whenever we are alone. Where can you put them?"