Page:Heidi - Spyri - 1922.djvu/271

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A VISITOR

played; she could not speak the while for wonder and delight. Not till the doctor went up to her again and opened the large box to show Heidi the cakes that were for the grandmother to eat with her coffee, did she at last give a cry of joy, exclaiming, “Now grandmother will have nice things to eat,” and she wanted to pack everything up again and start at once to give them to her. But the grandfather said he should walk down with the doctor that evening and she could go with them and take the things. Heidi now found the packet of tobacco which she ran and gave to her grandfather; he was so pleased with it that he immediately filled his pipe with some, and the two men then sat down together again, the smoke curling up from their pipes as they talked of all kinds of things, while Heidi continued to examine first one and then another of her presents. Suddenly she ran up to them, and standing in front of the doctor, waited till there was a pause in the conversation, and then said, “No, the other thing has not given me more pleasure than seeing you, doctor.”

The two men could not help laughing, and the doctor answered that he should never have thought it.

As the sun began to sink behind the mountains the doctor rose, thinking it was time to return to Dörfli and seek for quarters. The grandfather carried the cakes and the shawl and the large sausage, and the doctor took Heidi’s hand, so they all three started down the mountain. Arrived at Peter’s home Heidi bid the others good-bye; she was to wait at grandmother’s till her grandfather, who was going on to Dörfli with his guest, returned to fetch her. As the doctor shook hands with her she asked, “Would you like to come out with the goats

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