'Rollo,' she said, catching her brother's sleeve, 'it is a land of Christmas trees!'
Rollo gazed out for a moment or two without speaking. Then he gave a sigh of sympathy.
'Yes, Maia,' he said; 'I never could have imagined it. Fancy, only fancy, if they were all lighted up!'
'I don't think even the fairies themselves could do that,' she answered.
But here their soft-voiced talking was interrupted. Two attendants, an elderly man and a young, rosy-faced woman, whose eyes, notwithstanding her healthy and hearty appearance, bore traces of tears, had got down from their seat behind the carriage.
'Master Rollo,'--'My little lady,' they said, speaking together; 'yonder is the castle. The coachman has just shown it to us. This is the first sight of it.'
'The white walls one sees gleaming through the trees,' said the girl, pointing as she spoke. 'Marc cannot see it as plainly as I.'
'My eyes are not what they were,' said the old servant apologetically.
'I see it,'--'and so do I,' exclaimed Rollo and Maia. 'Shall we soon be there?'
'Still an hour,' replied Marc; 'the road winds about, he says.'
'And already we have been so many, many hours,' said Nanni, the maid, in doleful accents.
'Let us hope for a bright fire and a welcome when we arrive,' said old Marc cheerfully. 'Provided only Master Rollo and Miss Maia are not too tired, _we_ should not complain,' he added reprovingly, in a lower voice, turning to Nanni. But Maia had caught the words.
'Poor Nanni,' she said kindly. 'Don't be so sad. It will be better when we get there, and you can unpack our things and get them arranged again.'
'And then Marc will have to leave us, and who knows how they will treat us in this outlandish country!' said Nanni, beginning to sob again.
But just then the coachman looked round to signify that the horses were rested, and he was about to proceed.
'Get up, girl--quickly--get up,' said Marc, reserving his scolding, no doubt, till they were again in their places and out of hearing of their little master and mistress.
The coachman touched up his horses; they seemed to know they were nearing home, and set off at a brisk pace, the bells on their harness jingling merrily as they went.
The cheerful sound, the quicker movement, had its effect on the children's spirits.