"
When she gazed up at the gentleman with such sparkling eyes, it seemed to
him that he ought to consider his reply carefully.
Suddenly he said positively, "No, no, you can never seek him out. Your
uncle is an old, sick man, and no young people could possibly live with
him. He must remain alone in his old owl's nest. You could not go to
him there."
"But we should go to him so much more, if he is old and ill. He needs us
more then than if he had a family," Leonore said eagerly. "He could be
our father and we his children and we could take care of him and love
him. If he only were not so dreadfully far away! If you could only tell
us where he lives, we could write to him and get his permission to go
there. Without him we can't do anything at all, because Mr. von Stiele
in Hanover wants Salo to study for years and years longer. We have to do
everything he says, unless our uncle should call us. Oh, please tell me
where he lives!"
"Just think of all the deprivations you would have to suffer with your
old uncle! Think how lonely it would be for you to live with a sick man
in a wild nest among the rocks! What do you say to that?" he said curtly.
"Oh, it would only be glorious for Salo and me to have a real home with
an uncle we loved," Leonore continued, showing that her longing could not
be quenched. "There is only one thing I should miss there, but I have to
miss it in Hanover, too. I shall never, never feel at home there!"
"Well, what is this?" the gentleman queried.
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