continued, "they were our beloved playmates. We valued their stimulating
company very much and were always happy when through some chance they
were exempt from some of their numerous lessons. They always asked us to
join them in their games and we were very happy that they wanted our
company. Baroness von Wallerstätten had guessed right. Since Leonore
had come into our midst, the brothers fought much more seldom, and
everybody who knew Bruno well could see that he tried to suppress his
outbursts of rage in her presence. Once Leonore had become pale with
fright when she had been obliged to witness such a scene, and Bruno had
not forgotten it. Four years had passed for us in cloudless sunshine
when a great change took place. The young barons left the castle in
order to attend a university in Germany, and Philip also left for an
agricultural school. So we only saw the brothers once a year, during
their brief holidays in the summer. Those days were great feast days
then for all of us, and we enjoyed every single hour of their stay from
early morning till late at night. We always began and ended every day
with music, and frequently whole days were spent in the enjoyment of it.

"Both young Wallerstättens were extremely musical and had splendid
voices, and Leonore's exquisite singing stirred everybody deeply. The
Baroness always said that Leonore's voice brought the tears to her eyes,
no matter if she sang merry or serious songs. It affected me in that
way, too, and one could never grow weary of hearing her. I had just
finished my seventeenth and Leonore her eighteenth year when a summer
came which was to bring grave changes. We did not expect Philip home for
the holidays. Through the Baroness' help he was already filling the post
of manager of an estate in the far north. The young barons had also
completed their studies and were expected to come home and to consult
with their mother about their plans for the future. She fully expected
them to travel before settling down, and after that she hoped sincerely