great
consternation.

"That is when the rumors first spread that the restless spirit of the
brother murderer was seen wandering about the castle. All this happened
many years before my father and your grandfather moved into Nolla as
Rector. The rumor had somewhat faded then and all that we children heard
about it was that my father was very positive in denying all such reports
that reached his ears. Your grandfather was the closest friend of the
master of Wallerstaetten, whom everybody called the Baron. I can only
remember seeing him once for a moment, but he made an unusual impression
upon me. I remember him very vividly as a very tall man going with rapid
steps through the courtyard and mounting a horse, which was trying to
rear. He died before I was five years old, and I have often heard my
father say to my mother that it was a great misfortune for the two sons
to have lost their father. I felt so sorry for them that I would often
stop in the middle of play to ask her, 'Oh, mother, can nobody help
them?' To comfort me she would tell me that God alone could help. For a
long time I prayed every night before going to sleep: 'Dear God, please
help them in their trouble!' Both were always very kind and friendly with
me. I was up at the castle a great deal, because the Baroness
Maximiliana of Wallerstaetten was my godmother. My father instructed the
two sons and acted as helper and adviser to the Baroness in many things.
He went up to her every morning, holding me by one hand and Philip by the
other. My brother had lessons together with the boys, who were one year
apart in age, while Philip was just between them. Bruno, the elder--"

"I was named after him, mother, wasn't I?" Bruno interrupted here.

"Salo was a year younger--"

"I was called after him," Mea said quickly. "You wanted a Salo so much
and, as I was a girl, you called me Malomea, didn't you?"

The mother nodded.

"And I was called after father," Kurt cried out, in order to prove that
his name also had a worthy origin.

"I went up to the castle because my godmother wished it. She would have
loved to have a little daughter herself, therefore she occupied herself
with me as if I belonged to her. She taught me to embroider and to do
other fine handwork. Whenever she went with me into the garden and
through the estate, she taught me all about the trees and flowers. I was
often allowed to pick the violets that grew in great abundance beneath
the hedges and