to Mr. Trius," replied Apollonie. "We are going all the
way up to the castle, as far as the great iron door. When I pull the
bell-knob, Mr. Trius comes and gets this basket. You'll be able to peep
in through the door till he comes back again with the empty basket."

"Can one look into the garden from there and see the big
mignonette-bushes that mama liked so much?" Maezli asked.

"Yes, yes, the garden is there," Apollonie replied with a profound sigh,
"but the great rose and mignonette beds are gone. It would take a long
time nowadays to find even a couple of the flowers."

"We could surely find them inside," Maezli said with great certainty.

"But Maezli, what are you thinking of? Nobody is allowed to go in. You
see, Mr. Trius lets nobody either into the garden or into the castle,"
Apollonie repeated with great emphasis. "I should have gone in long ago
if he had let me. Oh, how I should have loved to go, and I know how
badly needed I am. What a dreadful disorder all the rooms must be in! If
I could only go a single time to do the most necessary things!" Apollonie
in her great trouble had quite forgotten that she was speaking to little
Maezli.

"Why should you bring him so many shirts and stockings if he doesn't let
you in? Don't bring him anything," Maezli cried out indignantly.

"No, no, Maezli. You see, these are his shirts and stockings, and I have
only washed and mended them for him," Apollonie explained.

"Besides, Mr. Trius can't do as he pleases. Do you see the open windows
up there? No, you couldn't see them from here. Well, up there lives a
sick gentleman, a baron, who won't let anybody come into the garden. He
is the master there and can give orders, and people must not disobey him.
Look, one can see the open windows quite plainly now."

"Can we see the bad baron, too?" asked Maezli peeping up searchingly.

"I did not say that he was bad, Maezli, I only said that he can give
orders," Apollonie corrected. "And you can't see him because he is lying
sick in bed. Look, look! the fine, thick raspberry bushes used to be
there." Apollonie was pointing to wild-looking shrubs that were climbing
up the castle incline. "Oh, how different it all used to be! Two
splendid hedges used to run up there, then across and down again on the
other side. Both girls and boys used to feast on them for whole days at
a time, and there were always enough left for pots and pots full of jam.
And now how terrible it all looks! Ever