But Loneli
would not yield.
"Just wait a moment, Kurt," she entreated. "It is true that I did not
see him, but Clevi told me all about him. I know why he looked that way
and why he was so enormous. I also know where he got the armour, the
long blue mantle, and the high black plumes."
"What!" Kurt exclaimed, staring at Loneli as if she were a curious ghost
herself. How can you know anything about it?"
"Certainly I know about it," Loneli assured him. "Listen! You must
remember that grandmother lived a long time at the castle, so she has
told me everything that went on up there. In the lowest story there is a
huge old hall, and the walls are covered with weapons and things like
armour and helmets. In one corner there is an armoured knight with a
black-plumed helmet on his head. Whenever the young gentlemen from the
castle wanted to play a special prank, one of them would take the knight
on his shoulders, and the knightly long mantle would be hung over his
shoulders so as to cover him down to his high boot-tops. This figure
looked so terrible coming along the terrace that everybody always ran
away, even in bright daylight. Once the two young ladies shrieked loudly
when they suddenly saw the fearful knight. That pleased the young
gentlemen more than anything."
"Oh, then my mother saw him, too, and knows what he looks like," Kurt
exclaimed with a sudden start, for he had been breathlessly listening.
"Certainly, for she was one of the young ladies," Loneli said.
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