"Now, you see, Mäzli," said Lippo, not without showing great satisfaction at having so clearly proved that he had been in the right. Mäzli tried with all her might to prove to her mother that her intention had solely been to save her the work necessary to get the things together. But the mother now explained decidedly to the little girl that she never needed to undertake such actions in the future as she could not possibly judge which clothes she still needed and which could be given away. Mäzli was also told that such help on her part only resulted in double work for her mother. "Besides I can see Mäzli," the mother concluded, "that your great zeal seems to come from a wish to get rid of all the things you don't like to wear yourself. All your woolen things, which you always say scratch your skin. So you do not mind if other children have them, Mäzli?" "They might like them better than to be cold," was Mäzli's opinion. "Oh, mother, Mrs. Knippel is coming up the road toward our house; I am sure she is coming to see us," said Lippo, who had gone to the window. "And I have not even taken my things off on account of your disorder here," said the mother a little frightened. "Mäzli, go and greet Mrs. Knippel and take her into the front room. Tell her that I have just come from church and that I shall come directly." Mäzli ran joyfully away; the errand seemed to please her. She received the guest with excellent manners and led her into the front room to the sofa, for Mäzli knew exactly the way her mother always did. Then she gave her mother's message. "Very well, very well, And what do you want to do on this beautiful Sunday?" the lady asked, "Take a walk," Mäzli answered rapidly. "Are they still locked up?" she then casually asked. "Who? Who? Whom do you mean?" and the lady looked somewhat disapprovingly at the little girl. "Edwin and Eugen," Mäzli answered fearlessly. "I should like to know where you get such ideas," the lady said with growing irritation. "I should like to know why the boys should be locked up." "Because they are so mean to Loneli all the time," Mäzli declared. The mother entered now. To her friendly greeting she only received a very cold reply. "I only wonder, Mrs. Rector," the guest began immediately in an irritated manner, "what meanness that little poison-toad of a Loneli has spread and invented about my boys. But I wonder still more that some people should believe such things." Mrs. Maxa was very much astonished that her visitor should have already heard what had taken place the night before, as she knew that her sons would not speak of it of their own free will.