Taking him by the hand, Maezli led him into the house and to the room where the inviting table was already set.  Kathy had been so many years in the house that she knew exactly how things ought to be.  Everyone sat down now and Uncle Philip was amusingly talking.  Everything he had ordered for the meal tasted so delightfully that it seemed like a feast to them and Salo said, “I should never have been able to conceive such a wonderful end of my holidays, if I had imagined the most marvellous thing in the world.”

“If Salo could only stay here a few days, if only one day more,” Bruno urged.  All the rest were of the same opinion and they loudly begged Uncle Philip to persuade him to spend the next day with them.  They thought that even one day together would be perfect for everyone.

“Yes, and for me most of all,” said Salo, “but I cannot.  My teacher and comrades are coming to fetch me at Sils to-morrow at ten o’clock.  This is absolutely settled and there is not the slightest chance for my staying here, even if I wished it more than anything in the world.”

“That is right, Salo, that is the way to talk,” Uncle Philip said.  “What has to be, has to be, even if we don’t like it.  Please do not beg him any more to stay.  Let us play a nice game now and let us enjoy ourselves while he is with us.”

Uncle Philip soon started the game, and their merry mood returned with the fun.

At the exact time when their mother always called the little ones for bed Lippo cried, “Uncle Philip, we must sing the evening song now and after that Maezli and I must go to bed.”

This did not suit Maezli at all, however, for she was full of the game just then.  Salo, who was sitting beside her, had been so funny, that it suited her better to stay here than to go to bed, Quickly climbing up the uncle’s chair from behind, she put both round arms caressingly about his neck and whispered in his ear, “Oh, darling Uncle Philip, to-day is a feast-day, isn’t it?  Can’t we stay up a little longer?  The game is such fun and it’s so tiresome to go to bed.”

“Yes, yes, it is a feast-day,” the uncle assented; “the little ones can stay up a little longer.  Let us all keep on playing.”

Maezli joyfully skipped back to her place, and the merriment was resumed.  The game, which was very amusing, was made more so by Uncle Philip’s funny remarks.  Nobody had noticed therefore how quiet Maezli had grown.

Salo suddenly remarked, “Oh, look!  Maezli is sound asleep.  She is nearly tumbling from her chair.”  And the little girl would have dropped had not Salo held her by quickly putting his arm about her.

Uncle Philip went to her.

“Come, Maezli, come,” he said encouragingly, “open your eyes quickly and Mea will take you to bed.”

“No, no,” Maezli lamented, and would not move.

“But you must!  Just look, we are all going,” the uncle said vigorously.  “Do you want to stay behind?”