Jörgli looked up to the sky: “Oh, so far away,” he said skeptically; but he immediately began to speak more softly.
“He hears you still,” said Moni, confidently.
It was no longer Jörgli’s secret. If he didn’t know how to bring Moni to his side, all would be lost. He thought and thought.
“Moni,” he said suddenly, “I will promise you something that will delight you, if you will not say anything to a human being about what I have found; you really don’t need to take anything for it, then you will have nothing to do with it. If you will do as I say, I will make my father buy Mäggerli, so she will not be killed. Will you?”
A hard struggle arose in Moni. It was wrong to help keep the discovery secret. Jörgli had opened his hand. In it lay a cross set with a large number of stones, which sparkled in many colors. Moni realized that it was not a worthless thing which no one would inquire about; he felt exactly as if he himself should be keeping what did not belong to him if he remained silent. But on the other hand was the little, affectionate Mäggerli, that was going to be killed in a horrible way with a knife, and he could prevent it if he kept silent. Even now the little kid was lying so trustfully beside him, as if she knew that he would always keep it; no, he could not let this happen, he must try to save it.
