Just as Paula had finished putting up her hair, Mary, who would rush like a whirlwind even into her grandmother’s presence, knocked humbly at the door.  She did not fly into Paula’s arms as she did into those of Susannah or her daughter Katharina, but only kissed her white arm with fervent devotion, and colored with happiness when Paula bent down to her, pressed her lips to her brow and hair, and wiped her wet, glowing cheeks.  Then she took Mary’s head fondly between her hands and said: 

“What is wrong with you, madcap?”

In fact the sweet little face was crimson, and her eyes swelled as if she had been crying violently.

“It is so fearfully hot,” said Mary.  “Eudoxia”—­her Greek governess—­“says that Egypt in summer is a fiery furnace, a hell upon earth.  She is quite ill with the heat, and lies like a fish on the sand; the only good thing about it is. . .”

“That she lets you run off and gives you no lessons?”

Mary nodded, but as no lecture followed the confession she put her head on one side and looked up into Paula’s face with large roguish eyes.

“And yet you have been crying!—­a great girl like you?”

“I—­I crying?”

“Yes, crying.  I can see it in your eyes.  Now confess:  what has happened?”

“You will not scold me?”

“Certainly not.”

“Well then.  At first it was fun, such fun you cannot think, and I do not mind the heat; but when the great hunt had gone by I wanted to go to my grand mother and I was not allowed.  Do you know, something very particular had been going on in the fountain-room; and as they all came out again I crept behind Orion into the tablinum—­there are such wonderful things there, and I wanted just to frighten him a little; we have often played games together before.  At first he did not see me, and as he was bending over the hanging, from which the gem was stolen—­I believe he was counting the stones in the faded old thing—­I just jumped on to his shoulder, and he was so frightened—­I can tell you, awfully frightened!  And he turned upon me like a fighting-cock and—­and he gave me a box on the ear; such a slap, it is burning now—­and all sorts of colors danced before my eyes.  He always used to be so nice and kind to me, and to you, too, and so I used to be fond of him—­he is my uncle too—­but a box on the ears, a slap such as the cook might give to the turnspit—­I am too big for that; that I will certainly not put up with it!  Since my last birthday all the slaves and upper servants, too, have had to treat me as a lady and to bow down to me!  And now!—­it was just here.—­How dare he?” She began to cry again and sobbed out:  “But that was not all.  He locked me into the dark tablinum and left—­left me. . . .” her tears flowed faster and faster, “left me sitting there!  It was so horrible; and I might have been there now if I had not found a gold plate; I seized my great-grandfather—­I mean the silver image of Menas, and hammered on it, and screamed Fire!  Then Sebek heard me and fetched Orion, and he let me out, and made such a fuss over me and kissed me.  But what is the good of that; my grandfather will be angry, for in my terror I beat his father’s nose quite flat on the plate.”