Whenever Loneli asked her a straight question needing a straight
answer, Clevi ran away, and Loneli got none. The report was sure to have
some foundation, and the most noticeable thing of all was that Kurt's
change had come since that night. That same day he had taken the load
off her heart and had been so gay and merry. So Loneli put two and two
together, and having made these observations, was filled with sudden
wrath.
As soon as school was ended, she rushed to the astonished Clevi: "Oh, I
know what you have done, Clevi. Kurt was your leader and you didn't obey
him; you all ran away because you were afraid. Oh, you have spoiled it
all for him."
"Yes, and what about him? He was afraid himself," Clevi cried out
excitedly, for the reproach had stung her. "I could see with what
terrified bounds he flew down the mountain-side."
"Was he afraid, too, do you really mean? But of what?" Loneli questioned
further.
"Of what? That is easily said: of what! You ought to have seen that huge
creature coming towards us from the castle."
Since it had come out that they had been so frightened, Clevi now told in
detail about the horribly tall armoured knight with the high boots and
the long cloak hanging down to his boot-tops.
"Was the mantle blue?" Loneli, who had been listening intensely,
interrupted.
"It was night-time, and you can imagine we did not see the color
clearly," Clevi said indignantly. "But the color has nothing to do with
it, it was the length, the horrible, horrible length of that thing! It
looked just too awful.
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