rk now if we
won't hear about the ghost of Wallerstaetten," he remarked at the end.
Kurt was mistaken, however. Everything was still and quiet long ago, the
little ones were in bed and the last lessons were done. But Bruno had
not yet returned. Over and over again the mother looked at the clock.

"You must not be afraid, mother, that they will have a quarrel, because
the rector is with them," Kurt said consolingly.

Now rapid steps sounded outside, the door was violently flung open and
Bruno appeared, pale with rage: "Those two mean creatures, those
malicious rascals; the sneaky hypocrites!--the--the--"

"Bruno, no more please," the mother interrupted. "You are beside
yourself. Come sit down with us and tell us what happened as soon as you
feel more quiet; but no more such words, please."

It took a considerable time before Bruno could tell his experience
without breaking out again. He told them finally that the rector had
mentioned the castle of High Ems in their lessons that day. After asking
his pupils if they had ever inspected the famous ruins they had all said
no, so the rector invited the three big boys to join him in a walk to see
the castle. It was quite a distance away and they had examined the ruins
very thoroughly. Afterwards the rector had taken them to a neighboring
inn for a treat, so that it was dark already when they were walking down
the village street. "Just where the footpath, which comes from the large
farmhouse crosses the road," Bruno continued, "Loneli came running along
with a full milk-bottle in her arm. That scoundrel Edwin quickly put out
his foot in front of her and Loneli fell down her whole length; the milk
bottle flew far off and the milk poured down the road like a small white
stream. The boys nearly choked with laughter and all I was able to do
was to give Edwin a sound box on the ear," Bruno concluded, nearly
boiling with rage. "Such a coward! He ran right off after the Rector,
who had gone ahead and had not seen it. Loneli went silently away,
crying to herself. I'd like to have taken hold of both of them and given
them proper--"

"Yes, and Loneli is sure to be scolded by her grandmother for having
spilled the milk," Mea interrupted; "she always thinks that Loneli is
careless and that it is always her own fault when somebody harms her.
She is always punished for the slightest little fault."

"But she never defends herself," Kurt said, half in anger, partly with
pity. "If those tw