Now tell us, father, are you pleased with our idea? and will you
forgive us for making a mystery of it?"
I assured them of my forgiveness, and my cordial approbation of their
manly and useful enterprise; and made Ernest happy by declaring that it
should always be called the _Grotto Ernestine_.
"Thanks to you all, my dear children," said I; "your dear mamma will now
prefer Tent House to Falcon's Nest, and will have no occasion to risk
breaking a limb in descending the winding staircase. I will assist you
to enlarge the opening, and as we will leave it all the simplicity of a
natural grotto, it will soon be ready."
We all set to work; Jack carried away the loosened stones and rubbish,
and formed benches on each side the grotto. With what had fallen
outside, he also made two seats in the front of the rock, and before
evening all was complete. Fritz ascended to unfasten the ladder, and to
convey it by an easier road to Tent House; he then rejoined us, and we
returned to our castle in the air, which was henceforward only to be
looked on as a pleasure-house. We resolved, however, to establish here,
as we had done at our farm, a colony of our cattle, which increased
daily: we had now a number of young cows, which were most useful for our
support. We wished, however, for a female buffalo, as the milk of that
animal makes excellent cheese.
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