Ottilie replied quite composedly: ‘We have not yet sat the last examination.’ ‘Even so you’ll always be last!’ the girl cried, and ran off again.

To everyone else Ottilie appeared composed, but not to me. When she is resisting a violent and unpleasant inner agitation, the fact betrays itself in an unequal colouring of her face: the left cheek suddenly becomes red, the right one pale. I observed this symptom and was unable to restrain my sympathy. I took our headmistress to one side and spoke earnestly with her. The good lady recognized her error. We took counsel together, we discussed the matter at length and, not to be more prolix than I have been already, I should like to put our decision and our request before your Ladyship at once: it is that you should for a while take Ottilie back to live with you. The reasons for this will best become apparent to you yourself. If you do decide to do this, I shall say more about how the good child should be managed. If your Ladyship’s daughter does then leave us, as is to be expected, we should be delighted to see Ottilie return to us.

One thing more, which I might later forget: I have never seen Ottilie ask for anything, not to speak of demanding or pleading for it. On the other hand, there are instances, albeit rare ones, when she tries to refuse to do something she is being asked to do. She signifies this refusal with a gesture which, once you have grasped what it means, is irresistible. She presses the palms of her hands together and, raising them in the air, carries them to her breast, at the same time bowing very slightly and bestowing on whoever has made this urgent request such a glance that he is glad to desist. If your Ladyship should ever observe this gesture – which, in view of the way you will manage her, is not very probable – remember what I have said and spare Ottilie.

Eduard had to smile and shake his head as he read these letters to them and he could not help commenting on the people mentioned and on the state of things which became apparent.

‘Enough!’ he said when he had finished. ‘It is decided, she is coming! You will then be taken care of, my love, and we can now also venture to produce a proposal we have in mind. It is most necessary that I should move over to the Captain in the right wing. The best time for working together is the evening and the morning. You, for your part, will get on your side the finest room in the house for yourself and Ottilie.’

Charlotte did not object and Eduard went on to describe how they were going to live in future.

‘It is really most obliging of your niece to have a headache now and then on the left side,’ he said. ‘I sometimes have one on the right. If they come at the same time and we sit opposite one another, I leaning on my right elbow and she on her left, with our head on our hand on different sides, it will make a nice pair of contrasting pictures.’

The Captain said there might be danger in that, but Eduard exclaimed: ‘You just be careful of the D, my friend! What would B do if C were torn from him?’

‘I would have thought the answer to that was obvious,’ Charlotte replied.

‘It is!’ cried Eduard: ‘It would return to its A, to its A and O, its alpha and omega!’ he cried, leaping up and pressing Charlotte hard against his breast.

CHAPTER SIX

A CARRIAGE bringing Ottilie had driven up. Charlotte went out to meet her. The dear child hurried towards her, threw herself at her feet and embraced her knees.

‘Why this humility?’ said Charlotte, who was somewhat confused by it and tried to raise her up. ‘It is not meant to be so very humble,’ Ottilie replied without moving. ‘It is only that I want to remind myself of the time when I reached no higher than your knees and was already so certain of your love.’

She stood up and Charlotte embraced her. She was introduced to the men and was at once, as a guest, treated with especial respect. Beauty is everywhere a very welcome guest. She seemed attentive to the conversation although she took no part in it.

The following morning Eduard said to Charlotte: ‘She is a pleasant amusing girl.’

‘Amusing?’ Charlotte replied with a smile: ‘she has not yet opened her mouth.’

‘Oh?’ Eduard said, apparently trying to recall whether she had spoken or not: ‘what a remarkable thing!’

Charlotte needed to give Ottilie only a few indications of how the household was run. Ottilie quickly understood the whole order of things. She felt them intuitively. She easily grasped what she was supposed to take care of on behalf of them all and on behalf of each individual. Everything was done punctually.