"Tell the girl that I shall go to Mr. Rector myself and that she need
not wait for an answer," was her message entrusted to Lippo.
The thing she had dreaded so much was settled now. The Rector let her
know in his letter that he had realized the time had come for his pupils
to be put into different hands. He wrote that he had decided to
discontinue the studies with them next fall, but that he would be only
too glad to be of assistance to Mrs. Maxa in consulting about Bruno's
further education. He closed with an assurance that he would be the
happier to do so because Bruno had always been very dear to him.
Mrs. Maxa, sitting silently with folded hands, was lost in thought.
This was something that happened very seldom.
But Mea stood before her and trying to get her sympathy with passionate
gestures. "Just think, mother," she cried out, "Elvira is so angry now
that she will never have anything more to do with me, no never. But she
was most offended because I told her that it was wrong of her; not to
admit that she had chattered in school. She said quite sarcastically
that if I chose to correct her on account of that raggedy Loneli, I
should keep Loneli for a friend and not her."
"Let her be for once," said the mother. "Till now you have always gone
after her; so do what she wishes this time. It is wrong to call Loneli
raggedy; few people are as honest and agreeable as Apollonie and her
grandchild."
Mea was ready with many more complaints, for whenever anything bothered
her, she felt the need to tell her mother.
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