Apollonie went indoors to get ready for the walk, as she always put on better clothes whenever she mounted to the castle, despite the fact that she might not see anyone.  Loneli was extremely eager to have a chance to find out who was the Castle-Steward whom Maezli had promised to visit.  She had tried to persuade her grandmother to let her go with Maezli, in which case her mother would not need to change her clothes, But the latter would not even hear of it, remarking, “You can sit on the bench under the pear tree with your knitting in the meantime, and you can sing a song.  We are sure to be back again in a little while.”

Soon they started off, Apollonie firmly holding Maezli’s hand.  Mr. Trius appeared at the door before they even had time to ring; it seemed as if the man really had his eyes on everything.  Throwing a furious glance at Maezli, he opened the door before Apollonie had said a word.  But he had taken great care to leave a crack which would only allow a little person like Maezli to slip through without sticking fast in the opening.  Maezli wriggled through and started to run away.  The next moment the door was closed again.  “Do you think I intend to squeeze myself through, too?  You do not need to bolt it, Mr. Trius,” Apollonie said, much offended.  “It is not necessary to cut off the child from me like that, so that I don’t even know where she is going.  I am taking care of her, remember.  Won’t you please let me in, for I want to watch her, that is all.”

“Forbidden,” said Mr. Trius.

“Why did you let the child in?”

“I was ordered to.”

“What?  You were ordered to?  By the master?” cried out Apollonie.  “Oh, Mr. Trius, how could he let the child go in and walk about the garden while his old servant is kept out?  She ought to be in there looking after things.  I am sure you have never told him how I have come to you, come again and again and have begged you to admit me.  I want to put things into their old order and you don’t want me to.  You don’t even know, apparently, which bed he has and if his pillows are properly covered.  You said so yourself.  I am sure that the good old Baroness would have no peace in her grave if she knew all this.  And this is all your fault.  I can clearly see that.  I can tell you one thing, though!  If you refuse to give my messages to the master as I have begged and begged you to so often, I’ll find another way.  I’ll write a letter.”

“Won’t help.”

“What won’t help?  How can you know that?  You won’t know what’s in the letter.  I suppose the Baron still reads his own letters,” Apollonie eagerly went on.

“He receives no letters from these parts.”

This was a terrible blow for Apollonie, to whom this new thought had given great confidence.  She therefore decided to say nothing more and quietly watched Mr. Trius as he walked up and down inside the garden.

Maezli in the meantime had eagerly pursued her way and was soon up on the terrace.  Glancing about from there, she saw the gentleman again, stretched out in the shadow of the pine tree, as she had seen him first, and the glinting cover was lying again on his knees.  Maezli ran over to him.