It was quite true that Bruno had declared from the beginning that he would not make friends with the two who were to share his studies, and every time they came together fights and quarrels were the result.
But Mea had a heart which craved friendship.

She was overcome with happiness by the advances of the Knippel family, and immediately gave herself to her new friend with absolute confidence and warm love.

Soon many differences of opinion and of natural disposition showed themselves in the two girls, but Mea, in her overflowing joy of having found a friend, was little troubled by this at first.

She thought that all these things would come right by and by when they came closer to each other.
She hoped that the desired harmony would come when they became better acquainted.

But the more the two girls got to know know each other, the deeper their differences grew, and every attempt at a clear understanding only ended in a wider estrangement.
Mrs.Maxa had always tried to fill her children with a contempt not only of all wrong, but also of low and ugly actions.