It may or may not have been the cod‐liver oil which decided him, but the offer certainly made him smile and he said, ‘Then of course I must go, for then you’ll grow fat and rosy as Papa and I would like to see you. Have you decided when I am to start?’
‘Tomorrow morning, if possible,’ Clara replied. ‘She’s right,’ said her father. ‘It’s a pity to lose a single day of this beautiful weather when you might be up in the mountains.’
The doctor laughed a little wryly. ‘You’ll be telling me next that I ought to be there already! I see I’ll have to start getting ready at once.’
But Clara had still a great deal to tell him about what he was to look at specially for her, and the many messages he was to take to Heidi. She would have to send the presents round to his house as soon as Miss Rottenmeier had helped her pack them. The doctor then promised to set out, if not tomorrow, at least within the next few days and to bring her back a full account of everything he saw and heard.
Servants have a remarkable faculty of knowing what is going on in a house, long before they are actually told, and Sebastian and Tinette were particularly good at it. As Sebastian accompanied the doctor downstairs, Tinette went to answer Clara’s bell.
‘Go out and buy enough of those little cakes I like, to fill this,’ said Clara, holding out a large box. Tinette took it disdainfully by one corner and let it dangle from her hand.
‘Such a fuss,’ she muttered pertly, as she went out.
And as he showed the doctor out, Sebastian said, ‘Will you please give my regards to the little miss?’
‘What, Sebastian,’ said the doctor in his friendly way, ‘you already know I’m going away, then.’
Sebastian coughed. ‘I am — er — I have — er — I hardly know how… Oh yes, I remember. I was in the dining‐room and heard the name mentioned and you know how one thought leads to another…’
‘I do indeed,’ said the doctor with a smile. ‘And the more one thinks, the more one knows. I will certainly deliver your message. Goodbye.’ He turned to go, but was prevented by the arrival of Miss Rottenmeier, her shawl blown out like a sail by the strong wind. The doctor took a step back to let her pass, and she did likewise, being accustomed to treat him with respect and consideration. So they stood, each holding back for the other to pass, until an extra strong gust of wind blew her indoors with all sails set! The doctor just got out of the way in time as she was carried past him. Her temper had been somewhat ruffled by the wind’s unruliness, but as she came back to greet him with due decorum, the doctor smoothed her down as he knew very well how to do. He told her about the plans for his holiday, and, in the most flattering way, asked her to pack the parcel for Heidi as only she could. Then he took his leave.
Clara quite expected to have a tussle with Miss Rottenmeier about sending Heidi all the things she had collected for her, but all went well. That difficult woman was in an exceptionally good mood. She cleared the big table so that everything could be spread out for Clara’s inspection. The packing was no easy task for there were so many different things. First there was a thick coat with a hood, so that Heidi could go and visit Grannie during the winter whenever she wanted to, without having to wait until her grandfather was free to take her down, wrapped in the old sack. Next came a thick, warm shawl for Grannie to wrap herself in when cold winds howled round the hut. Then there was the box of little cakes for her to eat sometimes with her coffee as a change from the rolls. There was an enormous sausage, which Clara had originally intended to send to Peter, because he never had anything but bread and cheese to eat. On second thoughts, however, she decided to send it to Bridget to share out among all three of them, lest he might eat it all up at once. There was a pouch of tobacco for Grandfather, who enjoyed a pipe when he sat outside his hut in the evening, and finally, there were a lot of little surprise packets, which Clara had specially enjoyed getting for Heidi. Miss Rottenmeier surveyed the collection of articles thoughtfully, considering how best to pack them, and Clara looked on, imagining Heidi dancing and shouting with excitement when the great parcel arrived. The packing was soon done, and well done, and the parcel was ready for Sebastian to carry at once to the doctor’s house.
16
A Visitor for Heidi
Dawn was breaking over the mountains and a fresh breeze blew through the branches of the old fir trees, making the rustling sound Heidi loved so well. It woke her, and she jumped out of bed, so impatient to get to the trees that she could hardly wait to dress. But she had learnt now to like being neat and tidy, so she took the time to put her clothes on properly before she climbed down the ladder. Her grandfather’s bed was already empty, for he was outside, looking round as he did every morning to see what kind of day it was going to be. Rosy clouds were floating by in the clear blue morning sky, and the sun was just coming over the tops of the mountains, bringing a wash of gold to the rocky peaks and pastures.
‘Oh how beautiful!’ exclaimed Heidi, as she ran out into it. ‘Good morning, Grandfather. Isn’t everything lovely today?’
‘What, you awake already?’ he replied.
She ran over to the trees and skipped delightedly about under the waving branches, giving an extra little jump with each gust of wind which blew through them. Uncle Alp went into the stall and milked the goats. Then he washed them, and brushed them, and brought them outside ready for their daily journey. As soon as Heidi saw them she ran and put her arms round their necks and patted them. They bleated a greeting, and rubbed their heads against her shoulder as a sign of their affection.
They pressed so close she was almost squashed between them but she did not mind that a bit. Only when the brown goat got too boisterous, she cried, ‘Really, Dusky, you’re as bad as Turk,’ and Dusky immediately drew back. Daisy stood a little aloof, looking as though she hoped no one could accuse her of behaving like Turk. She was always the more sedate of the two.
Peter was whistling as he came up the path, and soon the whole herd appeared, led by frisky Finch. They immediately bounded up to Heidi, pushing her from one side to the other as they greeted her in their own obstreperous fashion. She made her way through them to Snowflake who, being timid, had not been able to get near Heidi. Peter wanted to talk to Heidi himself, so he gave a particularly piercing whistle, which drove the animals off for the moment.
‘You might come up with me today,’ he said to her.
‘I can’t, Peter. My nice people from Frankfurt might come any minute now, and I must be here when they do.’
‘You keep saying that,’ he grumbled.
‘I shall go on saying it until they arrive,’ she answered. ‘I daresay you don’t think it’s necessary, but how could I not?’
‘Uncle would be here,’ he persisted.
At that moment, Uncle Alp called loudly from the hut, ‘What’s the delay? Is it the Field‐Marshal or his troops?’
At that Peter turned and slashed his stick through the air. The goats recognized the signal and ran off at full tilt to their high pasture and he followed them.
Heidi had brought several new ideas back with her from Frankfurt. She made her bed every morning now, tucking in the clothes so that it looked smooth and trim. Then she tidied up the hut, setting each chair in its proper place and putting anything which might be lying about back in the cupboard. After that she fetched a duster, climbed on a stool and polished the table till it shone. When her grandfather came in, he used to look round at her work, well pleased, and say to himself, ‘We look like Sunday every day now! Heidi didn’t go away for nothing.’