She could not express the thought which thrilled her so, because she did not know the Baron's intentions.

Mea's loud complaints at this moment conveniently hid her mother's silence.
"Oh, Leonore," she cried out, "if you go to Spain, we shan't see each other again for the rest of our lives; then you will never, never come back here any more!" "Do you really think so ?" Leonore asked, much downcast.

She felt that it would be hard for her to choose in such a case, and she suddenly did not know if she really wanted to go to Spain.
"It is not very easy to make a trip to Spain, children," said the mother, "and I am sure that it is not necessary to get excited about it." When Kurt, after the belated supper that night, renewed his examination about the single or the double Steward of Castle Wildenstein, their mother announced that bedtime had not only come for the little ones, but for all.

Soon after, the whole lively party was sleeping soundly and only the mother was still sitting in her room, sunk in deep meditation.
She had not been able to think over the Baron's words till now and she wondered what hopes she might build upon them.

He might only want to talk over Leonore's situation because he had realized how little she felt at home in Hanover.