"We"re to have a whole holiday to-morrow, Nanni," they explained, "and we"re going to spend it in the woods. You"re to come with us, and carry something in a basket for us to eat."
"Very well, Miss Maia," replied Nanni, prudently refraining from mentioning the cottage, in hopes that they had forgotten about it, "that will be very nice, especially if it is a fine day, but if not, of course you would not go."
"I don"t know that," said Rollo mischievously; "green frogs don"t mind rain."
"Nor blue birds," added Maia. "They could fly away if they did."
At these fateful words poor Nanni grew deadly pale. "Oh, my children,"
she cried; "oh, Master Rollo and Miss Maia, don"t, I beg of you, joke about such things. And oh, I entreat you, don"t go looking for that witch"s cottage. Unless you promise me you won"t, I shall have to go and tell my Lady, however angry she is!"
"No such thing, my good girl," said a voice at the door. "You needn"t trouble your head about such nonsense. Rollo and Maia will go nowhere where they can get any harm. I know everything about the woods better than you or those silly servants downstairs. Lady Venelda would only tell you not to interfere with what didn"t concern you if you went saying anything to her. Go off to the woods with your little master and mistress without misgiving, my good girl, and if the air makes you sleepy don"t be afraid to take a nap. No harm will come to you or the children."
Nanni stood still in astonishment--the tears in her eyes and her mouth wide open, staring at the old doctor, for it was he, of course, who had followed the children upstairs and overheard her remonstrances. She looked so comical that Rollo and Maia could scarcely help laughing at her, as at last she found voice to speak.
"Of course if the learned doctor approves I have nothing to say," she said submissively; though she could not help adding, "and I only hope no harm will come of it."
Rollo and Maia flew to the doctor.
"Oh, that"s right!" they exclaimed. "We are so glad you have spoken to that stupid Nanni. She believes all the rubbish the servants here speak."
The doctor turned to Nanni again.
"Don"t be afraid," he repeated. "All will be right, you will see. But take my advice, do not say anything to the servants here about the amus.e.m.e.nts of your little master and mistress. Least said soonest mended. It would annoy Lady Venelda for it to be supposed they were allowed to go where any harm could befall them."
"Very well, sir," replied Nanni, meekly enough, though she still looked rather depressed. She could not help remembering that before he left, old Marc, too, had warned her against too much chattering.
The next morning broke fine and bright. The children started in the greatest spirits, which even Nanni, laden with a basket of provisions for their dinner, could not altogether resist. And before they went, Lady Venelda called them into her boudoir, and kissing them, wished them a happy holiday.
"It"s all that nice old doctor," said Maia. "You see, Rollo, she hasn"t told us not to go to the cottage--he"s put it all right, I"m sure."
"Yes, I expect so," Rollo agreed; and then in a minute or two he added: "Do you know, Maia, though of course I don"t believe in witches turning people into green frogs, or any of that nonsense, I do think there"s _something_ funny about that cottage."
"What sort of something? What do you mean?" asked Maia, looking intensely interested. "Do you mean something to do with fairies?"
"I don"t know--I"m not sure. But we"ll see," said Rollo.
"If we can find it!" said Maia.
"I"m _sure_ we shall find it. It"s just because of that that I think there"s something queer. It must be true that some people can"t find it."
"Naughty people?" asked Maia apprehensively. "For you know, Rollo, we"re not always _quite_ good."
"No, I don"t mean naughty people. I mean more people who don"t care about fairies and wood-spirits, and things like that--people who call all that nonsense and rubbish."
"I see," said Maia; "perhaps you"re right, Rollo. Well, any way, that won"t stop _us_ finding it, for we certainly do care _dreadfully_ about fairy things, don"t we, Rollo? But what about Nanni?" she went on, for Nanni was some steps behind, and had not heard what they were saying.
"Oh, as to Nanni," said Rollo coolly, "I shouldn"t wonder if she took a nap again, as the old doctor said. Any way, she can"t interfere with us after _his_ giving us leave to go wherever we liked."
They stopped a little to give Nanni time to come up to them, and Rollo offered to help her to carry the basket. It was not heavy, she replied, she could carry it quite well alone, but she still looked rather depressed in spirits, so the children walked beside her, talking merrily of the dinner in the woods they were going to have, so that by degrees Nanni forgot her fears of the mysterious cottage, and thought no more about it.
It was even a more beautiful day than the one, now nearly a week ago, on which they had first visited the woods. There was more sunshine to-day, and the season was every day farther advancing; the lovely little new green tips were beginning to peep out among the darker green which had already stood the wear and tear of a bitter winter and many a frosty blast.
"How pretty the fir-trees look!" said Maia. "They don"t seem the least dim or gloomy in the sunshine, even though it only gets to them in little bits. See there, Rollo," she exclaimed, pointing to one which got more than its share of the capricious gilding. "Doesn"t it look like a _real_ Christmas-tree?"
"Like a lighted-up one, you mean," said Rollo. "It would be a very nice Christmas-tree for a family of giants, and if I could climb up so high, I"d be just about the right size for the angel at the top. Let"s spread our table at the foot of this tree--it looks so nice and dry. I"m sure, Nanni," he went on, "you"ll be glad to get rid of your basket."
"It"s not heavy, Master Rollo," said Nanni; "but, all the same, it _is_ queer how the minute I get into these woods I begin to be so sleepy--you"d hardly believe it."
Rollo and Maia looked at each other with a smile, but they said nothing.
"We"d better have our dinner any way," observed Rollo, kneeling down to unfasten the basket, of which the contents proved very good indeed.
"What fun it is, isn"t it?" said Maia, when they had eaten nearly as much cold chicken and bread, and cakes and fruit as they wanted. "What fun it is to be able to do just as we like, and say just what we like, instead of having to sit straight up in our chairs like two dolls, and only speak when we"re spoken to, and all that--how nice it would be if we could have our dinner in the woods every day!"
"We"d get tired of it after a while, I expect," said Rollo. "It wouldn"t be nice in cold weather, or if it rained."
"_I_ wouldn"t mind," said Maia. "I"d build a warm little hut and cover it over with moss. We"d live like the squirrels."
"How do you know how the squirrels live?" said Rollo.
But Maia did not answer him. Her ideas by this time were off on another flight--the thought of a little hut had reminded her of the cottage.
"I want to go farther into the wood," she said, jumping up. "Come, Rollo, let"s go and explore a little. Nanni, you can stay here and pack up the basket again, can"t you?"
"Then you won"t be long, Miss Maia," began Nanni, rather dolefully. "You won"t----"
"We won"t get turned into green frogs, if that"s what you"re thinking of, Nanni," interrupted Rollo. "Do remember what the old doctor said, and don"t worry yourself. We shall come to no harm. And as you"re so sleepy, why shouldn"t you take a nap as you did the other day? Perhaps you"ll dream of the beautiful lady again."
Nanni looked but half convinced.
"It"s not _my_ fault, any way," she said. "I"ve done all I could. I may as well stay here, for I know you like better to wander about by yourselves. But I"m not going to sleep--you needn"t laugh, Master Rollo, I"ve brought my knitting with me on purpose," and she drew out a half stocking and ball of worsted with great satisfaction.
The children set off. They were not sure in what direction lay the cottage, for they had got confused in their directions, but they had a vague idea that by continuing upwards, for they were still on sloping ground, they would come to the level s.p.a.ce where they had seen the smoke of the burning leaves. They were not mistaken, for they had walked but a very few minutes when the ground ceased to ascend, and looking round they felt sure that they recognised the look of the trees near the cottage.
"This way, Rollo, I am sure," said Maia, darting forward. She was right--in another moment they came out of the woods just at the side of the cottage. It looked just the same as before, except that no fire was burning outside, and instead, a thin column of smoke rose gently from the little chimney. The gate of the little garden was also open, as if inviting them to enter.
"They must be at home, whoever they are," said Rollo. "There is a fire in the kitchen, you see, Maia."
Maia grew rather pale. Now that they were actually on the spot, she began to feel afraid, though of what she scarcely knew. Nanni"s queer hints came back to her mind, and she caught hold of Rollo"s arm, trembling.
"Oh, Rollo," she exclaimed, "suppose it"s true? About the witch, I mean--or suppose they have found out about the milk and are very angry?"
"Well, we can"t help it if they are," replied Rollo st.u.r.dily. "We"ve done the best thing we could in coming back to pay for it. You"ve got the little purse, Maia?"
"Oh, yes, it"s safe in my pocket," she said. "But----"
She stopped, for just at that moment the door of the cottage opened and a figure came forward. It was no "old witch," no ogre or goblin, but a young girl--a little older than Maia she seemed--who stood there with a sweet, though rather grave expression on her face and in her soft dark eyes, as she said gently, "Welcome--we have been expecting you."