You see, these are his shirts and stockings, and I have
only washed and mended them for him," Apollonie explained.
"Besides, Mr. Trius can't do as he pleases. Do you see the open windows
up there? No, you couldn't see them from here. Well, up there lives a
sick gentleman, a baron, who won't let anybody come into the garden. He
is the master there and can give orders, and people must not disobey him.
Look, one can see the open windows quite plainly now."
"Can we see the bad baron, too?" asked Maezli peeping up searchingly.
"I did not say that he was bad, Maezli, I only said that he can give
orders," Apollonie corrected. "And you can't see him because he is lying
sick in bed. Look, look! the fine, thick raspberry bushes used to be
there." Apollonie was pointing to wild-looking shrubs that were climbing
up the castle incline. "Oh, how different it all used to be! Two
splendid hedges used to run up there, then across and down again on the
other side. Both girls and boys used to feast on them for whole days at
a time, and there were always enough left for pots and pots full of jam.
And now how terrible it all looks! Everything is growing wild. Nobody
who has known the place the way I knew it could have ever thought that it
would look like this."
Maezli was not very deeply moved by the change. She had long been gazing
at the high gate which was to be their destination and which they were
nearing rapidly.
"Does Mr.
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