“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 must visit you very often, if Mrs. Maxa will allow it.”

“Gladly, and I know that their happiness will be yours, too, when you see them all wandering through the house and garden.”

“Yes, all of us, and Salo, too,” Leonore exclaimed.  “Do you think Salo will soon be here, Uncle?”

Apollonie had approached the lively group under the pine tree, and as there happened to be a suitable pause, she announced that dinner was ready.

“I really ought to invite my dear friend, Mrs. Maxa, to come to the table with me; I shall ask, however, who is going to take me?” said the Baron.

All the children immediately cried, “I,” “I,” “I,” “I,” “I,” “I,” and hands caught hold of the back and both sides of the Baron’s chair.

“I am driving in a coach and six to-day!  How things have changed for me!” the gentleman said smilingly.  The meal Apollonie had planned was a great success and the open air on the terrace added to the children’s enjoyment.