Only
when Kurt lay safely and quietly in bed could he think over what had
happened and how cowardly he had acted.
After all, his mother had clearly told him that there was no ghost in
Wildenstein. Whom then, had he seen in armor and helmet and with a long
mantle? It could not have been Mr. Trius, because he was a short, stout
person, whereas the apparition was a tree-high figure. Might it be a
sentinel at the castle who was ordered to go about? May be the old
castle-barons had always wished an armed sentinel to keep watch. If only
he had not run away! He could have let the sentinel walk up to him and
then he could have told him of his intention. The sentinel could only
have been pleased by his endeavor to get rid of such an old superstition.
If only he had not run away!
Oh, yes, now that Kurt was safely under cover and Bruno's breathing
beside him spoke of his big brother's nearness, it seemed easy enough to
act bravely! If only he had done it! The thing he could not explain to
himself was how anybody could be so horribly tall. That was hardly
credible. Kurt felt at bottom quite sure that it was impossible for
anybody to look like that.
"If only I could have told mother about it!" he sighed. But he felt
dreadfully ashamed. She had absolutely forbidden him troubling himself
about this matter. Even with his intention to get rid of the talk he had
acted against her command. Well, and what had he accomplished? More than
ever the whole village would say to-morrow that the ghost of Wildenstein
was wandering about again.
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