"We have enough," answered Sophie, slightly knitting her dark brows. "How many servants do you keep?" "But five, now that the little ones are grown up." "Have you a piano?" continued undaunted Di, while the others affected to be looking at the books and pictures strewn about by the hasty unpacking. "We have two pianos, four violins, three flutes, and an organ. We love music, and all play, from papa to little Franz." "My gracious, how swell! You must live in a big house to hold all that and eight brothers and sisters." "We are not peasants; we do not live in a hut. _Voilà_, this is my home." And Sophie laid before them a fine photograph of a large and elegant house on lovely Lake Geneva. It was droll to see the change in the faces of the girls as they looked, admired, and slyly nudged one another, enjoying saucy Di’s astonishment, for she had stoutly insisted that the Swiss girl was a poor relation. Sophie meanwhile was folding up her plain piqué and muslin frocks, with a glimmer of mirthful satisfaction in her eyes, and a tender pride in the work of loving hands now far away. Kind Fanny saw a little quiver of the lips as she smoothed the blue corn-flowers in the best hat, and put her arm around Sophie, whispering,-- "Never mind, dear, they don’t mean to be rude; it’s only our Yankee way of asking questions. I like _all_ your things, and that hat is perfectly lovely." "Indeed, yes! Dear mamma arranged it for me. I was thinking of her and longing for my morning kiss." "Do you do that every day?" asked Fanny, forgetting herself in her sympathetic interest. "Surely, yes. Papa and mamma sit always on the sofa, and we all have the hand-shake and the embrace each day before our morning coffee. I do not see that here," answered Sophie, who sorely missed the affectionate respect foreign children give their parents. "Have n’t time," said Fanny, smiling too, at the idea of American parents sitting still for five minutes in the busiest part of the busy day to kiss their sons and daughters. "It is what you call old-fashioned, but a sweet fashion to me; and since I have not the dear warm cheeks to kiss, I embrace my pictures often. See, I have them all." And Sophie unfolded a Russia-leather case, displaying with pride a long row of handsome brothers and sisters with the parents in the midst. More exclamations from the girls, and increased interest in "Wilhelmina Tell," as they christened the loyal Swiss maiden, who was now accepted as a companion, and soon became a favorite with old and young. They could not resist teasing her, however,--her mistakes were so amusing, her little flashes of temper so dramatic, and her tongue so quick to give a sharp or witty answer when the new language did not perplex her. But Fanny always took her part, and helped her in many ways. Now they sat together on the rock, a pretty pair of mermaids with wind-tossed hair, wave-washed feet, and eyes fixed on the approaching boat.