CHAPTER XVII
OVER THE MOUNTAINS
Long before five o'clock the following morning, Rico was at thestation, impatient to be off. He had slept but little during thenight, for his mind was in a whirl at the thought that he was actuallygoing back to Stineli. How glad he was that he might bring her to hisgood friends on his return! When he found that sleep was out of thequestion, he dressed, and going to the station, paced back and forthalong the narrow platform until the train came in.
When Rico selected his place in the car, he was reminded of his ride,years ago, when he sat half-frightened in a corner of the seat, withonly his violin beside him. This time his luggage required more spacein the compartment than he himself did.
The stock dealer did not fail to join Rico at Bergamo, and they bothenjoyed the lovely daylight sail on Lake Como. The boy recognized theplace where they landed and also the inn where they took the stage. Helooked especially for the door of the stable, where the lantern hadshown him the way to the coachman on his former trip. He had not atthat time been able to see his surroundings very clearly.
The sun had set when the stage left the inn, so Rico entered the coachwith his companion. He fell asleep almost immediately and did not wakeuntil morning, when the sun was shining over the mountain tops. To hisgreat surprise and joy he found that they were going up the zigzagroad of the Maloja, so familiar to him. He could, however, see nothingbut the sharp angles in the road, until they arrived at the summit,where they alighted for breakfast and to give the horses a rest. Afterbreakfast Rico looked for the place where he sat years ago, when hewas a tired and hungry little boy. He remembered distinctly how he hadwatched the stage which later picked him up and took him down thevalley. Everything about him was of interest now, and he said to thecoachman, "Will it trouble you if I sit up there with you so that Ican see better?"
"Certainly not," said the man; "come up if you want to."
The passengers had already taken their places in the coach, and it wasbut a moment later when they started at a lively pace down the long,sloping grade. Rico presently saw the lake, the island with its pinetrees, and beyond, the white houses of Sils. Across the fields wasSils-Maria. The little church showed up most distinctly at thatdistance, but Rico's eyes were searching for something farther downthe hill; soon he saw, as he had hoped, the two familiar houses.
Rico's heart began to beat wildly. Where and how would he find thelittle girl he had not seen for years? Suppose she should not be thereany longer? Suppose she had forgotten him? It seemed but a momentbefore the stage stopped in Sils, and Rico alighted with his luggage.
Stineli had seen many hard days since Rico's disappearance. Thechildren had grown older, so that they were less care, but the work,especially since the grandmother had died, had fallen more than everupon her. The children were wont to say, "Stineli is the oldest, soshe can do that," and the parents often said, "Stineli is young andstrong, so she can do that"; thus the willing hands were kept busy.She sorely missed Rico and the grandmother, the only ones who had everregarded her comfort, but she tried hard to keep her cheerful natureuppermost, although she often thought, "The world is not the same nowthat they are gone."
On this sunny Saturday morning Stineli came out of the granary with abundle of straw which she intended to braid into a broom. As shereached the path leading to Sils, she let her eyes follow along thedry, smooth way until her glance was arrested by the appearance of astrange young man coming in her direction. She knew from his dressthat he was not a Silsan. He came more rapidly as soon as he noticedher and when quite close, stopped and looked at her. She glancedinquiringly at his face and immediately recognized her long-lostfriend. Dropping her bundle, she ran to him, exclaiming: "O Rico, youare not dead after all! How glad I am to see you! How very tall youhave grown! I would never have known you if it had not been for yourface; nobody else has a face like yours. O Rico, how glad I am thatyou are here again!"
Rico was pale,--the joy seemed too great,--and he had not been able tosay one word. Stineli stood blushing in her pride of him, and waitedfor him to speak.
"You have grown, too, Stineli," he said at length; "otherwise you arethe same as ever. The nearer I got to the house the more afraid Ibecame that you would be different, so that it would not seem the samehere."
"O Rico, if only grandmother could know!" said Stineli. "But I musttake you to the others; they will all be so astonished to see you."
When Stineli took Rico into the house the children, unaccustomed tostrangers, began to hide. The two older ones, Trudt and Sam, came in amoment later and shyly said "Good morning" in passing. The mothersimply inquired if there was anything she could do for the stranger.
"Don't any of you know him?" inquired Stineli. "Why, mother, it isRico."
They were just exclaiming in surprise when the father came in tobreakfast. Rico advanced to shake hands cordially, but the man lookedat him blankly and said: "Are you a relative? There are so many I maynot know them all."
"Now father doesn't know him either!" exclaimed Stineli. "It is Rico,papa."
"Why, Rico, to be sure," the father said, gazing at him from head tofoot. "You look prosperous, my boy; I suppose you have learned a goodtrade. Let us sit down to breakfast, and then you must tell us aboutyourself."
When Rico noticed that the grandmother did not come to breakfast, heasked for her. It was the father who answered that they had buried herbeside the teacher a year ago. Rico said nothing, for the news came asa shock to him. He had counted upon the pleasure of seeing the dearold lady who had always shown him so much kindness.
Rico was immediately urged to tell about his wanderings and how hehappened to go away. He began his story from the night he left, but hespoke in detail only when he told of Mrs. Menotti and of Silvio'shome. This led him easily to tell them the object of his visit to thehills, and to beg them to let him take Stineli back with him when hereturned.
Stineli opened her eyes wide in astonishment, for she had not evendreamed of such a possibility. How delightful it would be if she wereallowed to go with Rico to that beautiful place! The best part of it,of course, would be to have him with her or near her again, and howshe would love Silvio for sending Rico back to her! Thoughts likethese kept surging through her brain while the father was consideringthe matter.
"It would, no doubt, be a good thing for Stineli," he said. "I shouldlike to have her get out among people and learn their ways; but thereis no use to talk about it, for she can't be spared. We could letTrudt go just as well as not."
"Yes," agreed the mother; "I couldn't possibly get along withoutStineli. I am willing that Trudt should go if she wants to."
"Goody! goody! I am going and I am glad," and Trudt clapped her handsand danced about.
Stineli's face had clouded, but she made no protest, preferring tohave Rico say what was needful.
"It so happens," said Rico, calmly, "that Silvio wants Stineli and noone else. If Trudt went down there, he would only send her away, sothat is out of the question. Mrs. Menotti told me to tell you that ifStineli got along well with Silvio, she could send home two dollarsand a half every month. I am just as sure that Stineli will get alongwith Silvio as if I had already seen them together."
Stineli's father pushed his chair away from the table and put on hiscap,--a habit of his whenever he wished to think seriously aboutanything. The money was an important factor to him. How hard he had towork to earn a dollar, and here was an opportunity to get two dollarsand a half every month without the least effort on his part! It wasnot long before he hung up his cap and said: "She can go if that isthe case. I suppose one of the others can learn to do things here."
Stineli's face beamed, but the mother sighed as she realized what itwould mean to her.
In a moment the father put his cap on again. "I had forgotten," hesaid, "that Stineli has not been confirmed; she will have to waituntil after that."
"But, father," exclaimed Stineli, "I was not planning to be confirmedfor two years. I can go now an
d come back when the two years areover."
This plan was at last approved, and the parents consoled themselves bythinking that they could then keep her at home if they wished.
"Just as soon as she gets back, I am going," said Trudt. They alllaughed at this, while Rico and Stineli exchanged glances and werehappy.
"Now, Stineli, I want to tell you something," said the father. "I knowthat pandemonium will reign here until you two are gone, so I say thesooner it is accomplished the better; then we can have peace andquiet." It was accordingly decided that they should leave thefollowing Monday.
Rico realized how busy a day Stineli would have, so he asked Sam toaccompany him about Sils-Maria and the neighborhood. They stoppedfirst of all to look at the house across the way, that had at one timesheltered Rico. He was informed that strangers lived there, that theaunt had been gone several years, and that no one knew where she was.
Wherever Rico and Sam went that day they failed to find a singleperson who recognized the "foreign-looking young man," as they calledhim. On their return Rico wished to visit the grandmother's grave, butthey could not find it.
It was evening before they came back to the house, carrying with themRico's luggage from the station. They found Stineli at the well,scrubbing the pails used about the barn. "I can't believe yet that Iam going, Rico," she said as they passed her.
"I can," said Rico; "but you haven't thought about it so long as Ihave."
Stineli was delighted with the change in Rico. "How well and forciblyhe speaks," she thought. "He was timid and shy before he went away. Heseems to inspire confidence, and he looks wonderfully strong andcapable."
A bed was prepared for Rico in the attic. He did not unpack his lunchuntil the following morning, when it provided a real feast for thechildren. The figs were a novelty to them, and the abundance of goodthings assured the parents that Rico was among friends in the valley.They had no further fears about letting Stineli go with him.