“No,” the man answered curtly.

“Maybe Mr. Trius knows, but one can’t ask him.  Are you afraid of Mr. Trius, too?” Maezli asked.

“No.”

“But he always goes about with a big stick.  Kurt has made a song about him where he tells everything that Mr. Trius does,” Maezli chattered on.  “It begins like this: 

   Old Trius lives in our town,
   A haughty man is he,
   And every one that he can catch
    He beats right heartily.

I don’t remember the rest, but it is quite long.  But he wants to make a song about Salo now, because he is so awfully nice.  He said it as soon as Salo went away today.  We all like him, and Bruno said that if he made a stupid song he would tear it up.”

“Is everybody here called Salo and Bruno?” the gentleman burst out angrily.

“No, nobody except Bruno, you know; he is my big brother,” Maezli explained.  “Salo only came yesterday and went away again to-day.  But he did not want to go and we wanted to keep him.  But he was not allowed to.  If his sister is well again, she has to go away, too.  But we don’t know her yet.  Her name is Leonore.”

“Who sent you here?” the gentleman ejaculated harshly.  But Maezli only looked at him in astonishment.

“Nobody has sent me.  Nobody knows where I am, not even Apollonie,” Maezli began to explain.  “I only ran away because Apollonie had to tell Mr. Trius so many things and I wanted to see the mignonette.  I am visiting Apollonie because mama has to nurse Leonore, who is ill and can’t come down.  Because I don’t obey Kathy very well and she has to cook, I spend the days with Apollonie.  Oh, here he comes!” Maezli interrupted herself suddenly, for she was frightened.  Coming close to her new acquaintance, as if to seek his protection, she whispered confidentially.  “Oh, won’t you help me, please, if he tries to hurt me?”

Mr. Trius was rushing towards them, holding out his stick in front like an emblem of his profession.  The gentleman only made a light gesture with his hand, and Mr. Trius disappeared as he had come.

“Won’t he hurt me if I come down to the door where he stands?” Maezli asked.  She retreated slightly from her protector, whom she had held tightly in her fear of the stick.

“No,” he replied curtly, but his voice did not sound as severe as before, a fact which Maezli noticed immediately.  She was very grateful to him for chasing Mr. Trius away and she now felt desirous of doing him a service in return.

“Do you always have to sit alone here all the time?  Does no one come to see you?” she asked, full of sympathy.

“No.”

“Oh, then I must come to you another time and I’ll keep you company,” Maezli said consolingly.  “Does the bad baron never come down to you here?” she asked anxiously.

“Where is he?” came a second question.

“Don’t you know that?” Maezli said in great surprise.  “He is up there where the windows are open.”  With this Maezli looked up, and walking close to the chair, whispered cautiously, “A sick baron lies up there.  Apollonie says that he is not bad, but I know that one has to be afraid of him.  Are you afraid of him?”