The boy ran into the house, while Loneli hastened home with leaps and bounds, for her heart was thrilling with great joy.
“Where is mother, where is mother?” Kurt impetuously asked Lippo, whom he met in the hall carrying a large water-pitcher entrusted to him by Kathy.
“One knows well enough where mama must be when it is nearly lunch-time. You came home late from school,” Lippo answered, carefully trotting away with his fragile burden.
“Yes, I did, you little sentinel of good order,” Kurt laughed out, passing Lippo in order to hasten to the dining-room.
Now Kurt could laugh again.
“Oh, are you as far as that already,” he cried out in surprise when he found everybody settling down to lunch. “What a shame! I wanted to tell you something, mother.”
She gazed at him questioningly. He had not had any urgent news for her lately, and she was glad to hear his clear voice and see his merry eyes again.
“You must wait now till after lunch, Kurt,” she said kindly, “for you were rather late to-day.”
“Yes, I was rather slow at first,” Kurt informed her. “Then Loneli ran after me to tell me something she has found out. I have often said before that Loneli is the most clever child in all Nolla, besides being the most friendly and obliging one could possibly find. Even if she is only brought up by simple Apollonie, she is more refined at bottom than a girl I know who adorns her outside with the most beautiful ribbons and flowers. I would rather have a single Loneli than a thousand Elviras.”
Lippo had been anxiously looking at Kurt for some time.
“Here come the beans and you have your plate still full of soup,” he said excitedly.
“Kurt, I think that it would be better for you to eat your soup instead of uttering such strange speeches. Besides, we all agree with you about Loneli. I think that she is an unusually nice and sympathetic child.”
“Oh, Kurt,” the observant little Maezli exclaimed, “do you have to talk so much all at once because you talked so little yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before that?”
“Yes, that is the exact reason, Maezli,” Kurt said with a laugh. His soup was soon eaten, for his spirits had fully come back now, and in the shortest time he had emptied his plate.
Kurt was only able to get his mother to himself after school. The elder children were busy at that time and the two little ones had taken a walk to Apollonie. His mother, having clearly understood his wish to have a thorough talk with her, had reserved this quiet hour for him. Kurt made an honest confession of his disobedience without once excusing himself by saying that he had only done it to destroy all foolish superstition and by this means to become her helper. He could therefore tell her without reserve how terribly he had been cast down the last few days. The weight had been very heavy on his heart before his confession, because he had been so ashamed of the miserable end of the undertaking. He had, moreover, been very much afraid that she would tell him that no ghost of Wildenstein existed, after he himself had seen the incredible apparition. What Loneli had told him had relieved him immensely. Now his mother, who had seen the terrible sight herself, could understand his fright.