THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 15

   

a

door and wagging his tail,
Hi) even before the old gentleman

had knocked. | !

On the evening of the 24th of |

December, just as the twilight was iv
approaching, Fritz and Mary, who ai
had not been allowed to enter the i
drawing-room all day, were huddled |
together in a corner of the dining-
parlour. Miss Trudchen, the go-
verness, was knitting near the win-
dow, to which she.had moved her
chair, in order to catch the last rays
of day-light. The children were
seized with a kind of vague fear, |

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

   

Se
aaa

because candles had not been
brought into the room, according |

 

 

 

 

 

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