anion by the name of Mr. Demetrius. The Baron
had naturally expected to find his mother, his brother and his erstwhile
playmates gathered there as before. When he heard from Apollonie
everything that had happened in his absence, he broke into a violent
passion, because he believed that the news had been purposely kept from
him. Apollonie was able to show him his late mother's letters where she
had given her exact orders in case of his return. He could also see from
them that she wrote to him frequently and had tried to reach him in vain.
Baron Bruno had lived an extremely unsettled existence and all the
letters had miscarried, despite the orders he had left in big cities to
have them forwarded. Full of anger and bitterness the Baron immediately
left, and till the present hour he has not been heard of. Mr.
Demetrius, later on called Mr. Trius by everybody, came back a few years
ago to the deserted castle. Apollonie had meanwhile lost her husband,
had closed up all the rooms at the castle, and had gone to live again in
the former gardener's cottage, where she is living now. From the time
when he reappeared till to-day, Mr. Trius has led a solitary life and
sees no one except Apollonie, and her only when he is in need of her.
However hard Apollonie tried to make him tell about his master, he would
not do it. You know now about my happy life in Wildenstein and will be
able to understand the reason why I moved here again after the death of
your father. Another inducement was that our dear Rector, an erstwhile
friend of my father's, promised to give Bruno instruction which he could
not get at a country school, so that I was able to keep him at home
longer, you see. Now you know why the deserted castle attracts me so
despite its sad aspect, for it brings back to me my most beautiful
memories."

"Oh, please, mother, tell us a little more," Kurt begged eagerly, when
his mother rose.

"Oh, mother," Mea joined in, "tell us more about your friend, Leonore."

"Oh, yes, tell us more, mother," Bruno supplicated. "There must be more
to know still. Did Baron Bruno keep on travelling in Spain?"

"I think most of the time, but I can't tell you for sure," the mother
replied. "I know everything only from Apollonie, who had these reports
from Mr. Trius, but he either does not choose to talk or does not know
very much himself about his master. I have told you everything now and
you must go to bed as quickly as you can. It was your bedtime