"And Heidi," put in Clara quickly, "has not once tried to quarrel." "That's all right, I am glad to hear it," said her father, as he rose from his chair. "But you must excuse me, Clara, for I have had nothing to eat all day. Afterwards I will show you all the things I have brought home with me." He found Miss Rottermeyer in the dining-room and when he had taken his place she sat down opposite to him, looking so gloomy that he turned to her and said, "What is the matter?" "Mr. Sesemann," began the lady in a solemn voice, "we have been frightfully imposed upon." "Indeed, in what way?" asked Mr. Sesemann as he went on calmly drinking his wine. "Well, I supposed I was getting a well-behaved and nicely brought up little Swiss girl for Clara's companion but I have been shockingly, disgracefully imposed upon." "But how? what is there shocking and disgraceful? I see nothing shocking in the child," remarked Mr. Sesemann quietly. "If you only knew the kind of people and animals she has brought into the house during your absence! The tutor can tell you more about that." "Animals? what am I to understand by animals, Miss Rottermeyer?" "It is past understanding; the whole behavior of the child would be past understanding, if it were not that at times she is evidently not in her right mind." At that moment the door opened and the tutor was announced. "Ah! here is some one," exclaimed Mr. Sesemann, "who will help to clear up matters for me. Take a seat," he continued, as he held out his hand to the tutor. "And now tell me, what is the matter with this child that has come to be a companion to my daughter?" The tutor started in his usual style. "If I must give my opinion about this little girl, I should like first to state that, if on one side, there is a lack of development which has been caused by the more or less careless way in which she has been brought up--" "My good friend," interrupted Mr. Sesemann, "you are giving yourself more trouble than you need. I only want to know what your opinion is as to her being a fit companion or not for my daughter?" "I should not like in any way to prejudice you against her," began the tutor once more; "for if on the one hand there is a certain inexperience of the ways of society, owing to the uncivilized life she led up to the time of her removal to Frankfurt, on the other hand she is endowed with certain good qualities, and, taken on the whole--" "Excuse me, my dear sir, do not disturb yourself, but I must--I think my daughter will be wanting me," and with that Mr. Sesemann quickly left the room and went into the study to talk to Clara. "And now, my dear," he said, drawing his chair nearer and laying her hand in his, "what kind of animals has your little companion brought into the house, and why does Miss Rottermeyer think that she is not always in her right mind?"