and even Philip, who certainly was
not easily filled with enthusiasm, were extremely enthusiastic about our
new playmate. She was a girl of eleven years old, you see just a year
older than I was. She was far, far above me, though, in knowledge,
ability, and especially in her manners and whole behaviour, so that I was
perfectly carried away by her charm.

"Her name was Leonore. She was related to the baroness and had come down
from the far north, in fact from Holstein, where my godmother came from
and all her connections lived. Leonore, the daughter of one of her
relations, had very early lost her father and mother, as her mother had
died soon after the Baroness decided to adopt the child. She knew that
Leonore would otherwise be all alone in the world, and she hoped that a
gentle sister would have an extremely beneficial influence on the two
self-willed brothers. Now a time began for me which was more wonderful
than anything I could ever have imagined. Leonore was to continue her
studies, of course, and take up new ones. For that purpose a very
refined German lady came to the castle very soon after Leonore's arrival.
Only years afterwards I realized what a splendid teacher she had been.

"My godmother had arranged for me to share the studies with Leonore, and
therefore I was to live all day at the castle as her companion, only
returning in the evenings. So we two girls spent all our time together,
and in bad weather I also remained there for the night. Leonore had a
tremendous influence on me, and I am glad to say an influence for my
good, for I was able to look up to her in everything. Whatever was
common or low was absolutely foreign to her noble nature. This close
companionship with her was not only the greatest enjoyment of my young
years, but was the greatest of benefits for my whole life."

"You certainly were lucky, mother," Mea exclaimed passionately.

"Yes, and Uncle Philip was lucky, too, to have two such nice friends,"
Bruno added.

"I realize that," the mother answered. "You have no idea, children, how
often I have wished that you, too, could have such friends."

"Please go on," Kurt begged impatiently. "Where did they go, mother?
Doesn't anyone know what has become of them?"

"Whenever our brothers, as we called them, were free," the mother
continued, "they were our beloved playmates. We valued their stimulating
company very much and were always happy when through some chance they
were exempt from so