d to love you. When you told me that my
uncle in Spain was sick and miserable, I wished he could be just like
you. I really can't quite believe that Salo and I may live with you in
this wonderful castle, where I can be so near Aunt Maxa and everybody I
love. I wonder what Salo will say. May I write to him today and let him
know that we shall have a home with you?"

"How do you do, Mr. Castle-Steward,"

Maezli said that moment, thrusting a plump, round hand between Leonore's
and the Baron's. Maezli had actually made use of the first moment her
hand was free.

"Now Kurt can see for himself that you and Mr. Trius are two people;
can't he, Mr. Steward?"

"This certainly must be cleared up," the Baron answered, shaking Maezli's
hand. "We shall prove to them all that Maezli knows what she has seen.
Leonore, I want to meet your friends now. Won't you bring them to me?"

The children were all standing around their mother and Apollonie, who
were clearing up the mystery for them. The mother had barely been able
to check their violent outbreak, but could not quite quench all
enthusiasm. When they heard that Leonore had come to introduce them to
her uncle, they were a little scared, but Leonore understood their
hesitation and declared, "Just come! You have no idea how nice he is."
Pulling Mea with her, she compelled the others to follow, and arriving at
her uncle's side, she immediately began, "This is Bruno, my brother's
best friend, and this is Mea, my best friend. I never had a friend like
her in all my life. This is Kurt--"

"Kurt is my friend," said the uncle; "I know him because he is the poet.
I hope he'll make songs about us all now; I know the one about Mr.
Trius."

Quite taken aback, Kurt looked at the Baron. How could he know that
song? His mother had strictly forbidden him to show it to anyone, and he
had only read it aloud at home. How could a stranger hear about it?

"You can say in your new song that Mr. Castle-Steward and Mr. Trius are
two persons and not one; you can see that yourself," Maezli declared
aloud.

Kurt then suddenly understood that his impudent small sister had probably
been the informer and he did not know what to answer.

But Leonore helped him over his embarrassment by continuing, "This is
Lippo, Uncle, who has asked me to live with him when he is grown up.
Isn't he a wonderful friend, Uncle? He knew I had no home."

"You have quite marvellous friends, Leonore," said the Baron; "they mu