A gleam of joy sparkled in Loneli's eyes. Flying away like an arrow, she sought out Mrs. Maxa's house. Kurt was standing at the hawthorn hedge in front of the garden with his schoolbag still slung around him. He had not rushed in ahead of the others according to his custom. With puckered brow he was pulling one leaf after another from the hedge. Then he flung them all away, as if he wanted with each to rid himself of a disagreeable thought. "Kurt," Loneli called to him, "please wait a moment. Don't go in yet, for I want to tell you something." When Loneli stood beside Kurt she was suddenly filled with embarrassment. She knew exactly what she had to say, but it would sound as if she was trying to examine Kurt. This kept her from beginning. "Tell me what you want, Loneli," Kurt encouraged her, when he saw her hesitation. So Loneli began: "I wanted to ask you if--if--oh, Kurt! Are you so sad on account of what happened at the castle and because you thought there was no ghost?" "I don't want to hear anything more about it," Kurt said evasively, pulling a handful of leaves from the hedge and throwing them angrily to the ground. "But it might only have been a man after all," Loneli continued quietly. "Yes, yes, that is easily said, Loneli. How can you talk when you haven't even seen him?" Kurt flung the last leaves away impatiently and tried to go. But Loneli would not yield. "Just wait a moment, Kurt," she entreated. "It is true that I did not see him, but Clevi told me all about him. I know why he looked that way and why he was so enormous. I also know where he got the armour, the long blue mantle, and the high black plumes." "What!" Kurt exclaimed, staring at Loneli as if she were a curious ghost herself. How can you know anything about it?" "Certainly I know about it," Loneli assured him. "Listen! You must remember that grandmother lived a long time at the castle, so she has told me everything that went on up there. In the lowest story there is a huge old hall, and the walls are covered with weapons and things like armour and helmets. In one corner there is an armoured knight with a black-plumed helmet on his head. Whenever the young gentlemen from the castle wanted to play a special prank, one of them would take the knight on his shoulders, and the knightly long mantle would be hung over his shoulders so as to cover him down to his high boot-tops. This figure looked so terrible coming along the terrace that everybody always ran away, even in bright daylight. Once the two young ladies shrieked loudly when they suddenly saw the fearful knight. That pleased the young gentlemen more than anything." "Oh, then my mother saw him, too, and knows what he looks like," Kurt exclaimed with a sudden start, for he had been breathlessly listening. "Certainly, for she was one of the young ladies," Loneli said.