Mother and Auntie were mending stockings; Father was reading a large church paper.

Edi, his head supported on both hands, sat lost in his history book.

Sally had hardly opened the door when she cried out with much excitement: "Oh, Mother, you ought to have seen how friendly the lady was, and she is so beautiful and so gentle and so good, and quite an aristocratic lady; and Erick in his velvet suit is like a knight, and so fine and polite.

Edi could not find a nicer friend." They all looked surprised at Sally, and a pause followed this outburst.
Sally had quite forgotten that she was not to go to the strange people, and that she had given, as the object of her walk, the call on Kaetheli.
She now remembered everything and she grew very red.
"But, dear child," said the mother, "did you really, in spite of opposition from me, press into the home of the strange people?
How could you enter the house without an excuse ?" "Not without an excuse, Mamma," said Sally, somewhat embarrassed.
"'Lizebeth had given me a message for old Marianne." "Which the inquisitive Sally fetched in the kitchen for the purpose of carrying out her plan, that is clear," remarked Auntie.

When the whole truth lay open to the light of day, Sally felt relieved and she returned with new zeal to her communication.