herself to believe that what she had for so long been picturing
to herself was not going to happen after all. She stood
motionless for a second or two, overcome by the unexpected
disappointment. The doctor said nothing further; all around lay
the silence, only the sighing of the fir trees could be heard
from where they stood. Then Heidi suddenly remembered why she had
run down there, and that the doctor had really come. She lifted
her eyes and saw the sad expression in his as he looked down at
her; she had never seen him with that look on his face when she
was in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi's heart; she could not bear to
see anybody unhappy, especially her dear doctor. No doubt it was
because Clara and grandmother could not come, and so she began to
think how best she might console him.
"Oh, it won't be very long to wait for spring, and then they
will be sure to come," she said in a reassuring voice. "Time
passes very quickly with us, and then they will be able to stay
longer when they are here, and Clara will be pleased at that. Now
let us go and find grandfather."
Hand in hand with her friend she climbed up to the hut. She was
so anxious to make the doctor happy again that she began once
more assuring him that the winter passed so quickly on the
mountain that it was hardly to be taken account of, and that
summer would be back again before they knew it, and she became
so convinced of the truth of her own words that she called out
quite cheerfully to her grandfather as they approached, "They
have not come to-day, but they will be here in a very short
time."
The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child had
talked to him so much about her friend. The old man held out his
hand to his guest in friendly greeting. Then the two men sat
down in front of the hut, and Heidi had her little place too, for
the doctor beckoned her to come and sit beside him. The doctor
told Uncle how Herr Sesemann had insisted on his taking this
journey, and he felt himself it would do him good as he had not
been quite the thing for a long time. Then he whispered to Heidi
that there was something being brought up the mountain which had
travelled with him from Frankfurt, and which would give her even
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