Maxa, smiling a little.
That same moment the door was flung wide open. With a triumphant face as
if she wanted to say, "Just look whom I bring you here," Maezli stood on
the threshhold leading Apollonie in. The latter hastily retreated.
"No, no, Maezli," she said quite frightened, "you should have told me that
there was company."
Mrs. Knippel had risen to take her departure: "It seems to me that other
visitors are greeted very joyfully by your children. Well, I must say
they have rather odd tastes," she said, walking towards the door.
"Apollonie is a very old friend of ours. All the children love her very
much. They may have inherited this attachment, though," Mrs. Maxa
replied with a smile.
"I only want to say one more word," said the lady turning round before
stepping outside the door. "The scene your son Kurt enacted to-day in
front of Apollonie's cottage with his crowd of miscellaneous friends can
only be called a vulgar noise."
But Mrs. Maxa did not yet know what Kurt had done. The visitor turned
to go now, as it seemed not worth her while to waste words about it. As
soon as the field was clear, Maezli rushed out of a hiding-place, pulling
Apollonie with her. The old woman was terribly apologetic about having
gone into the room. When she had told Maezli that she wanted to see her
mother, the little girl had taken her there without any further ado. She
informed the Rector's widow that she had come to her with a quite
incredible communication.
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