Sometimes I feel inclined to yawn, but I must always
swallow it down, for if I should yawn one single time,
Miss Eottenmeier would bring the cod-liver oil at
once, saying that I was fainting. Cod-liver oil is the
most horrible thing. So I rather swallow my yawns
than that stuff. But now it will be much pleasanter
for me as I can listen while you learn to read ! "

Heidi shook her head doubtfully when Clara
spoke of learning to read.
" Yes, yes, Heidi, you must learn to read. Every
lady must, and the tutor is very good and never
gets angry. He will explain everything to you.
But only think, when he explains anything to you,
and you do not understand any of it, you must wait
and say nothing, or he will begin to explain much
more, and you will understand still less. But after-
wards, when you have learned something and know
it, then you will understand what he meant."

By this time Miss Eottenmeier had come back into
the room. She had not been able to call Dete back
and was seemingly excited, for she had not been
able to talk in detail and explain to her that the
child was not at all according to the agreement. And
she knew not what was to be done to retract her
step ; she became the more excited, for she had con-



88 HEIDI.
trived the whole matter herself. So she went from
the study to the dining-room, and came ■nack again.
Then she immediately turned back again, and here
she made an attack on Sebastian, who just then was
thoughtfully examining the table he had laid to see
that no fault could be found with his work.
