nfidence. She therefore decided to say nothing more and
quietly watched Mr. Trius as he walked up and down inside the garden.

Maezli in the meantime had eagerly pursued her way and was soon up on the
terrace. Glancing about from there, she saw the gentleman again,
stretched out in the shadow of the pine tree, as she had seen him first,
and the glinting cover was lying again on his knees. Maezli ran over to
him.

"How do you do, Mr. Castle-Steward? Are you angry with me because I have
not come for so long?" she called out to him from a distance, and a
moment later she was by his side. "It was only on account of Leonore,"
Maezli continued. "I should otherwise have come ages ago. But when the
others are all in school she can't be left alone. So I stay with her and
I like to do it because she is so nice. Everybody likes Leonore,
everybody likes her terribly; Kurt and Bruno, too. They stay home all
the time now because Leonore is with us. You ought to know how nice she
is. You would like her dreadfully right away."

"Do you think so?" said the gentleman, while something like a smile
played about his lips. "Is it your sister?"

"My sister? No, indeed," Maezli said, quite astonished at his error. "She
is Salo's sister, the boy who was with us and who had to go back to
Hanover. She has to go back to Hanover, too, as soon as she is well, and
mama always gets very sad when she talks about it. But Mea gets sadder
still and even cries. Leonore hates to leave us, but she has to. She
cried dreadfully once because she can never, never have a home. As long
as she lives she'll have to be homeless. The beggar-woman who came with
the two ragged children said that. They were homeless, and Leonore said
afterwards, 'I am that way, too,' and then she cried terribly, and we
were sent out into the garden. She might have cried still more if she
had thought about our having a home with a mama while she has none. She
has no papa or anybody. But you must not think that she is a homeless
child with a torn dress; she looks quite different. Maybe she can find a
home in Apollonie's little house under the hill. Then Salo can come home
to her in the holidays. But mama does not think that this can be. But
Leonore wants it ever so much. I must bring her to you one day."

"Who are you, child? What is your name," asked the gentleman abruptly.

Maezli looked at him in astonishment.

"I am Maezli," she said, "and mama has the same name as I have. But th