“Oh, yes, and this is why my husband has sent me here, to let you know how glad he is to do it for you,” the attorney’s wife said soothingly.  “He was positively sure that you would be glad if he decided and ordered everything to suit himself and you.”

“But, Mrs. Knippel, I am not prepared for this.  I have not even spoken to my brother about it.  You know very well that he is the children’s guardian.”

Mrs. Maxa was quite unable to hide her excitement.

“You can be reassured, for we have thought of that, too,” the visitor said with a slightly superior smile.  “My husband’s sister does not live very far from Mr. Falcon in Sils.  So he planned to visit your brother and talk the plan over with him.”

This calmed Mrs. Maxa a trifle, for her brother knew already how it stood between the three comrades and how little she wanted them to live together.  But she could not help wondering why these people were trying to force the boys to live together.

“I do not really understand why the boys should have to live together,” she said with animation; “they do not profess to feel much friendship for each other, and never seek each other out.  You yourself, Mrs. Knippel, do not seem to get a very good impression from my children’s ways.  I do not see why you wish your sons to live with mine at all.”

“It is a matter of decorum,” the attorney’s wife replied, “and my husband agrees with me.  What would people in town say if the sons of the two best families here, who have always studied together, should not live together?  Everybody would think that something special had happened between the families.  Both parties will only gain in respect by joining.”

“I do not believe that people in the city will be interested in what the three boys are doing,” said Mrs. Maxa, smiling a little.

That same moment the door was flung wide open.  With a triumphant face as if she wanted to say, “Just look whom I bring you here,” Maezli stood on the threshhold leading Apollonie in.  The latter hastily retreated.

“No, no, Maezli,” she said quite frightened, “you should have told me that there was company.”

Mrs. Knippel had risen to take her departure:  “It seems to me that other visitors are greeted very joyfully by your children.  Well, I must say they have rather odd tastes,” she said, walking towards the door.

“Apollonie is a very old friend of ours.  All the children love her very much.  They may have inherited this attachment, though,” Mrs. Maxa replied with a smile.

“I only want to say one more word,” said the lady turning round before stepping outside the door.  “The scene your son Kurt enacted to-day in front of Apollonie’s cottage with his crowd of miscellaneous friends can only be called a vulgar noise.”

But Mrs. Maxa did not yet know what Kurt had done.  The visitor turned to go now, as it seemed not worth her while to waste words about it.  As soon as the field was clear, Maezli rushed out of a hiding-place, pulling Apollonie with her.  The old woman was terribly apologetic about having gone into the room.  When she had told Maezli that she wanted to see her mother, the little girl had taken her there without any further ado.  She informed the Rector’s widow that she had come to her with a quite incredible communication.