The Magic Nuts, Page 5

  CHAPTER IV

  ON THE WAY

  Oh, what is that country, And where can it be?--ROSSETTI.

  If Fraulein heard what Leonore said, she did not seem surprised, forthough she did not, of course, know about the little girl's curiousdream, she knew that Hildegarde's coming had been freely talked aboutthe evening before. But she _was_ very astonished a moment later whenHildegarde, looking up quietly, said with a smile--

  'I have come to meet you. I was sure I should.'

  'My dear child!' exclaimed Fraulein. 'How could you know? The fairiesmust have told you!'

  The little stranger smiled again.

  'This is Leonore,' she said, taking the other child's hand. 'Grandmammatold me her name, but grandmamma did not know I should meet you'; andshe shook her head with a funny little air of mystery.

  'It is wonderful,' said Fraulein; 'it is even wonderful that you shouldknow _me_ again. It is five years--_five years_--since you saw melast--half your life.'

  'Yes,' said Hildegarde, 'but I can remember longer ago than that.'

  She was still holding Leonore's hand, and though the little English girlfelt rather shy, and had not yet spoken to her new friend, yet she likedthe touch of the gentle fingers and pressed them in return, while shelooked at Hildegarde's pretty fair face in admiration.

  'I am coming soon to see Aunt Anna,' Hildegarde went on. 'Will you giveher my love, Fraulein Elsa, and tell her so? May I come this afternoon?'

  'Certainly, certainly,' said Fraulein; 'the sooner you and Leonore makefriends, the better pleased we shall all be.'

  At this Leonore took courage.

  'Yes,' she said, looking earnestly at Hildegarde with her serious darkeyes. 'I want _very much_ to be friends.'

  'It will not take long,' said Hildegarde, and then, for the first time,Leonore noticed that the little girl's eyes were not like any she hadever seen before. They were not blue, as one would have expected fromher light, almost flaxen hair and fair complexion, but a kind of brighthazel-brown--with lovely flashes, almost, as it were, of sunshine,coming and going.

  'They are _golden_ eyes,' thought Leonore; and when she repeated this toFraulein afterwards, her governess agreed with her that she was right.

  'I remember noticing their colour when she was a very tiny child,' saidFraulein, thinking to herself that the two little girls made a prettycontrast, for Leonore's hair was dark, as well as her eyes.

  Hildegarde held up her face for Fraulein to kiss, and then she ran offagain, saying as she did so--

  'Do not forget to tell Aunt Anna I am coming, and perhaps she will makesome of those dear little round cakes I love so--she knows which theyare. Leonore will like them too, I am sure.'

  The day was getting on by this time; it was past noon.

  'We will just stroll to the other end of the village,' said Fraulein;'from there we shall have the side view of the Castle--there is a shortcut down to the street at that end, by some steps, but they are roughand in need of repair, so we generally prefer the longer way. The oldBaron has spoken of shutting off the side entrance; he says it is onlyfit for goats to scramble up.'

  Leonore thought, though she did not say so, that it would be veryamusing for little girls all the same, and determined to ask Hildegardeabout it. She thought the Castle even more interesting seen sidewaysthan in front; it looked so very close to the thick dark trees behind,almost as if it touched them.

  'I shall have lots of things to talk to Hildegarde about,' she said toherself. 'These woods are _very_ fairy-looking. And I think I must tellher my strange dream about her and the nuts. I don't _think_ she wouldlaugh at it. I hope I have them quite safe.'

  Yes, they lay snugly in her pocket, wrapped up in the piece of paper--anice piece of pink paper that she had found among her things.

  'I will leave them where they are,' she thought, 'and then I shall besure to remember to tell Hildegarde my dream.'

  It was nearly dinner-time when they got back to Aunt Anna's, for in thatpart of the world big people as well as little dine in the middle of theday. Aunt Anna was most interested in hearing of Hildegarde's arrival,and quite as delighted as Fraulein had been.

  'And was it not strange that she should have come to meet us?' saidFraulein. 'She must have had a presentiment about it.'

  'What is a presentiment?' asked Leonore.

  'A sort of knowing beforehand about something that is going to happen,'answered Fraulein. 'Many people have the feeling, but very often it doesnot come true, and then it is not a real presentiment. It is noteverybody that has real presentiments.'

  Aunt Anna smiled. Leonore was learning to love her smiles. They remindedher of some other smile--whose was it? Hildegarde's?--yes, a little,perhaps, but no, she had seen Hildegarde for the first time thatmorning, and this feeling about Aunt Anna's smile had come to heralready yesterday. Whose smile could it be?

  'Hildegarde is a dear child,' said Aunt Anna, 'and perhaps she is one ofthe few who know more than the everyday people. And she was born at theCastle and spent her babyhood there. How well I remember the day she waschristened!'

  'Oh, do tell me,' exclaimed Leonore impulsively. 'Did they have a grandfeast, and did they invite any fairies? Perhaps she had a fairygodmother.'

  'Leonore!' said Fraulein, beginning to laugh. 'You are getting toofanciful--you really----'

  'Nay, Elsa,' interrupted Aunt Anna. 'Let the child say out what is inher mind, and remember, we are here in our dear country, close on theborders of Fairyland----'

  'Yes, Fraulein,' Leonore interrupted in her turn. 'You said soyourself.'

  'And assuredly,' Aunt Anna went on, 'if Hildegarde has a fairygodmother, she has given her none but good gifts.'

  'You speak as if such things were possible, my dear aunt,' saidFraulein. 'We must not let Leonore grow too fanciful. I shall have youand her taking flight in an airy chariot drawn by white swans orsomething of that kind some fine day, if I don't take care.'

  'Well, you and Hildegarde can come after us in another chariot if wedo,' said Aunt Anna, laughing.

  But Leonore remained serious.

  'Please tell me, Aunt Anna,' she said, 'as you were at Hildegarde'schristening, was there any one there who _might_ have been a fairy?'

  Aunt Anna hesitated.

  'There was an odd story,' she replied, 'about a beautiful lady who wasmet coming away from the nursery, when the baby had been left alone inher cot for a moment or two. And when the nurse went back she found hersmiling and crowing and chuckling to herself as if she were six monthsinstead of only a few days old, and in her little hand she was tightlyclasping----'

  'What?' asked Leonore breathlessly.

  'Three nuts,' replied Aunt Anna impressively. 'Three common little brownhazel-nuts. That part of the story is true, for Hildegarde has the nutsto this day, I believe--at least she had them the last time she washere.'

  'She must have picked them up somehow,' said Fraulein.

  Aunt Anna shook her head.

  'A baby of a few days old cannot pick things up,' she said. 'No, it hasnever been explained. None of the servants had put them into herhand--indeed they would not have been so foolish, and they couldscarcely have had the chance of doing so. And it was said by the one ortwo who declared they had met her, that the beautiful lady was carryinga basket on her arm filled with common hazel-nuts, and some daysafterwards one of the foresters said that late that same evening alittle old woman whom he had never seen before stopped him up in thehigh woods to ask the way to some strange place of which he had neverheard, and she--the little old woman--was carrying a basket of nuts. Sheoffered him some, but he thought she was a witch and would not haveany.'

  'Dear me, Aunt Anna,' exclaimed her niece, 'I did not know all thesewonderful tales. Surely they grew out of finding the nuts in the baby'shands. I do remember hearing _that_, though I had forgotten it.'

  'Perhaps that was the origin of it all,' said her aunt quietly. 'Still,Hildegarde is an uncommon child. It certainly seems as if she hadreceived
some fairy gifts, however they came to her.'

  Leonore did not speak, but she listened intently. She would probablyhave not contented herself with listening but for knowing that she wasso soon to see Hildegarde herself again.

  '_She_ will be the best person to ask,' thought Leonore. 'I will tellher about _my_ nuts and the little old woman who gave me them, and aboutthe pretty laugh I heard in the wood, and then, I feel sure, she willtell me all _she_ knows.'

  She could scarcely finish her dinner, so eager and excited did she feel.And she was more than delighted when, at the close of the meal, kindFraulein proposed to her that, as Hildegarde had come to meet _them_that morning, Leonore should show her new little friend the sameattention.

  'You can scarcely miss her,' she said. 'She is sure to come the same waythat I took you this morning. If you get ready now, and start in aquarter of an hour or so, you will be about right, I should say. Theydine early at the Castle. But I should like you to change your dress incase you should be presented to the Baroness--Hildegarde's grandmamma.'

  Leonore ran off to get ready. She was not long about it, but all thesame her new little friend must have been even quicker, for Leonore mether a very few steps only from Aunt Anna's gate. Hildegarde's facelighted up with a smile when she caught sight of the other little girl.

  'So you have come to meet me,' she said; 'that is very nice of you. Ihope I have not come too soon. Shall I go in now to see Aunt Anna?'

  Leonore looked a little disappointed, which Hildegarde seemed at once tounderstand.

  'I don't mean to _stay_ with Aunt Anna,' she added quickly; 'what I wantis for you and me to go out somewhere together. It is a lovely day, andI have leave to stay out till dusk. My grandmamma is going to pay somevisits, so she hopes to see you some other day--perhaps to-morrow. Ithink we shall get to know each other far the best by being alone byourselves--don't you think so?'

  'Yes, certainly,' said Leonore, her face clearing. 'I am so glad youunderstand. I have such a lot of things to talk to you about.'

  Hildegarde nodded her head. It was a little habit of hers to do sowithout speaking sometimes.

  'Then we must not lose any of our time,' she said, after a moment'spause. 'But first I will run in to give Aunt Anna a kiss, and then wecan go off somewhere together.'

  Aunt Anna's face was full of pleasure at the sight of her littlefriend--the two were evidently old acquaintances.

  'How well you are looking, my child,' she said, 'and how much you havegrown! Let me see, which is the taller, you or our little Leonore,' andshe drew the two children together. 'There is not a quarter of an inchbetween you,' she exclaimed. 'If you were ponies you would be a perfectmatch--one dark and one fair,' she added musingly. 'Yes, my dears, youare evidently intended to be friends.'

  'And that is just what we mean to be,' said Hildegarde. 'May we go now,Aunt Anna? You will not be anxious even if Leonore does not come hometill dark?'

  'Oh no,' said the old lady tranquilly, 'I know you are as safe as youcan be--you are going to the woods, I suppose?'

  'I think so,' Hildegarde replied.

  As soon as they found themselves out of doors again, she took Leonore'shand.

  'Let us run quickly through the village,' she said, 'and then when weget inside the Castle grounds we can go slowly and talk as we go. Orperhaps we can sit down--it is so mild, and there are lots of cosyplaces among the trees.'

  Leonore was quite pleased to do as Hildegarde proposed; indeed she had acurious feeling that whatever her new little friend wished she wouldlike. She did not speak much, for it seemed to her as if she were meantin the first place to listen.

  The woods were very lovely that afternoon. Hildegarde led the way roundthe Castle without approaching it quite closely, till they stood in alittle clearing, from which they looked upwards into the rows ofpine-trees, through which here and there the afternoon sunshine madestreaks of light and brightness.

  'Isn't it pretty here?' said Hildegarde. 'Hush--there's asquirrel--there are lots about here; they are so tame they like to benear the house, I think. Shall we sit down? It is quite dry.'

  Leonore was not troubled with any fears of catching cold--and indeed theday was as mild as summer.

  'Yes,' she said, 'it is a very pretty place. I have never seen such bigwoods before.'

  'They go on for miles and miles--up ever so far,' said Hildegarde,'though here and there the ground is quite flat for a bit. And overthere,' she pointed to the left, 'they are not pine woods, but all sortsof other trees. I don't know which I like best.'

  'Pine woods _I_ should say,' Leonore replied. 'Perhaps because I havenever seen such beautiful high fir-trees before. And the way the sunpeeps through them is so pretty.'

  As she spoke, half unconsciously her hand strayed to her jacket pocket.There lay safely the little packet containing the three nuts.

  'Hildegarde,' she said, 'I heard the story about you when you were ababy, and what they found in your hand. And--it is very odd--do youknow--no, of course you couldn't--but just fancy, _I_ have three nutstoo!'

  Hildegarde nodded her head.

  'I _did_ know,' she said, smiling. 'And--look here.'

  From the front of her frock she drew out a little green silk bag drawnin at the top with tiny white ribbon. She opened it carefully, and tookout something which she held towards Leonore--on her pretty pink palmlay three nuts, common little brown nuts, just like Leonore's. AndLeonore unwrapped her own packet and in the same way held out itscontents.

  'Yes,' said Hildegarde, 'it is all right. I knew you had them.'

  Leonore stared at her in astonishment.

  'How could you know?' she exclaimed.

  'I suppose people would say I dreamt it,' Hildegarde replied, 'but Idon't call it dreaming. I have always known things like that since I wasa baby. And I knew that some day I should have a friend like you, andthat together we should have lovely adventures, and now it is going tocome true.'

  Leonore grew rosy red with excitement.

  'Do you mean,' she began, 'Hildegarde, _can_ you mean that perhaps weare going to find the way to Fairyland? _I_ have been thinking about itever since I can remember anything.'

  Hildegarde nodded.

  'Yes,' she said, 'I am sure you have. But I don't quite know aboutFairyland itself. I am not sure if any one ever gets _quite_ there--intothe very insidest part, you know. I almost think we should have to beturned into fairies for that, and then we never could be little girlsagain, you see. But I am sure we are going to see some wonderfulthings--there are the outside parts of Fairyland, you know.'

  'Fraulein says all this country is on the borders of Fairyland,' saidLeonore.

  'Well, so it is, I daresay, for fairies _do_ come about here sometimes.You've heard the story of the one that came to my christening feast?'

  'Yes,' said Leonore, 'and I am beginning to think that I have seen hertoo,' and she went on to tell Hildegarde about the little old dame inthe market-place at Alt who had given her the nuts, and about themischievous laugh she had heard in the wood on the way to Dorf, and allher own thoughts and fancies, including her dream of Hildegarde herself.

  Hildegarde listened attentively.

  'I feel sure you are right,' she said, 'and that the dame _was_ my ownfairy, as I call her. And I believe the laugh you heard in the wood waswhen you were hoping you hadn't lost the last three nuts. I don'tbelieve you could have lost them; if you had thrown them away they wouldhave come back to you. Just think how my three have always been keptsafe, even though I was only a tiny baby when they were put into myhand.'

  Both little girls sat silent for a moment or two, gazing at the sixbrown nuts.

  'And what do you think we are meant to do now?' asked Leonore at last.

  'To do,' repeated Hildegarde in some surprise; 'why, of course it'squite plain--to crack the nuts! Not all of them at once--one, or perhapstwo--one of yours and one of mine, I daresay.'

  'Oh,' exclaimed Leonore, 'do you really think we should? _How_ I wonderwhat we shall f
ind! Just supposing there is nothing but a kernelinside.'

  'There's no good in supposing it,' said Hildegarde; 'we shall soon see.As I have had the nuts the longest perhaps it's meant for me to crackone first--so----'

  She put the nut between her teeth. Of course if it _had_ been a commonnut this would not have been a sensible thing to do, as she wouldprobably have broken her teeth and not cracked the nut, but Hildegardeknew what she was about. The nut gave way with a touch, and in anothermoment the little girl had broken off enough of the shell to see whatwas inside, Leonore bending over her in breathless eagerness.