“It belongs to Feklitus.  He is learning to play on it; and he was glad enough to lend it to me, because while it’s gone he can’t be made to practise!”

Mother and aunt agreed that the flute must not be packed without the consent of Feklitus’ parents.

Fred came now with an armful of articles of various kinds for his bag, and behind him appeared Kathri, saying:—­

“Mrs. Bickel wants to see Mrs. Stein.”

“This isn’t a very good time to choose,” said Mrs. Stein, with a sigh.  “I shall have to leave this all to you,” she added, turning to her sister; “and, children, you really must make up your minds what is necessary to take, and not bring all sorts of useless stuff, that only has to be carried back again.”

With these words Mrs. Stein went into the room where her guest was sitting.  It was easy to see that Mrs. Bickel had something very important on her mind.  She had on her fine red and yellow shawl, and on her hat a bunch of large white feathers, higher and bushier than Mrs. Stein had ever seen in her life.  The doctor’s wife greeted her guest with the fervent though unspoken hope that that lady would immediately unfold the object of her coming, so that the visit might speedily come to a close, and she herself go back to her children’s packing.  Not so; Mrs. Bickel opened the conversation with a remark upon the weather, which she thought was growing worse and worse.  Mrs. Stein agreed with her.  Then followed “the cherries”; they had not ripened well this summer.  From “cherries” she came to “apples,” a natural association of ideas.  Mrs. Stein burned with impatience.  Her mind would run on the travelling-bags.  Could aunty pack them alone?  Would not the most important things be left out, after all, and a great many useless ones put in?  That reminded her of the flute, and she hastened to ask whether Feklitus had his parents’ permission to lend it.  This gave Mrs. Bickel the opening she had been wanting.  She said that it was a good thing that Oscar wanted to take the flute; for her husband had decided to let Feklitus take the trip to the Rhine; and he could play on the flute to Mrs. Stanhope; all the more, because none of the doctor’s children were musical.

She and Mr. Bickel thought, too, that it would be pleasant for their son to be there with the others, and that it would show people that the doctor’s children had other and better acquaintances at home than the two poor children whom Mrs. Stanhope had taken with her.

But here Mrs. Stein interrupted the stream of words to say that there was no occasion for that, as Mrs. Stanhope had seen for herself that Fani and Elsli were her children’s most intimate friends.  She then inquired whether Mrs. Bickel wished Feklitus to go with her children.