But the Castle-Steward smiled, as if he had comprehended Maezli's words.
Mrs.Maxa was standing in front of her house, surrounded by her children, anxiously looking for the two missing ones.

Nobody could understand where Leonore and Maezli might have stayed so long.

Suddenly they caught a glimpse of two blue ribbons fluttering from Leonore's hat.
Quickly the children rushed to meet them.
"Where do you come from?
Where did you stay so long?
Where have you been all this time," sounded from all sides.
"In the castle," was the answer.
The excitement only grew at this.
"How could you get there?
Who opened the door?
What did you do at the castle ?" The questions were poured out at such a rate that no answer could possibly have been heard.
"I went to see the Castle-Steward before.

I have been to see him quite often," said Maezli loudly, for she was desirous of being heard.
Leonore had gone ahead with the mother's arm linked in hers, for she was very anxious to deliver her message.
Kurt was too much interested in Maezli's expedition to the castle to be frightened off by the first unintelligible account.

He had to find out how it had come about and what had happened, but the two did not get very far in their dialogue.
As soon as Maezli began to talk first about Mr.Trius and then about the Steward, Kurt always said quickly, "But this is all one and the same person.