NOTE: The play Sylvia und Sybille is based on parts 4: IV, 4: V, 4: VII, 4: IX.
Like a gentleman-server, Fritz said good evening to Fräulein von Helling and her friend, the old Frau Professor Metzner, and led the three of them to a small table in the next room, where he helped the two ladies order tea and cakes. Then he took Lela by the hand and said very simply, "Come, Mama is waiting for us." It was a terrible crowd. People were jammed in the doorways. In stalls, things given and donated were sold for the benefit of poor children. Fritz held Lela's hand and pulled her behind him. Often he had to stop because some old gentleman slapped him on the shoulder and said, "Well done, my boy!", or an old lady, "This is a talent, a talent . . ." Lela was proud of Fritz. But all this only stopped him, and he wanted to move on.
"Mama sells flowers," he said. And they both looked for the flower stall among the crowd. Right, there! But she didn't wait for the children at all. She was surrounded and had her hands full. The two crawled behind her into her stall. There was barely enough room on one box for Lela to sit. But she felt safe and was glad to be out of the hustle and bustle and glad that Frau Lennartz did not have time right away. Lela sat among huge piles of flowers. Small tied bouquets were on the table in front. Three roses or three carnations. Then Frau Lennartz reached for the wet flowers and the string.
Not knowing what she was doing, Lela pushed her hand back.
"No," she said firmly, "I'll do that."
Smiling at the energetic little girl and amazed at the help she was getting, Fritz's Mother bent down and— her hand under Lela's chin—lifted her bowed head towards her.
"This is Manuela von Meinhardis, Mama," Fritz said shyly.
For a moment Lela saw those blue eyes above her, held her breath and then returned the smile that met her.
"That's wonderful that you want to help me, but I can't accept this; surely you want to run around and have fun."
Lela shook her head vigorously.
"No, Mama, Lela would stay here gladly. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Yes, be so good and change the money for me." Frau Lennartz gave Fritz a handful of bills, and Fritz turned to leave. His mother brushed his hair out of his forehead before dismissing him. Lela made an effort to make sure that her hair hung down in her face and waited to see whether Frau Inge—as she had heard her called—would also brush her hair out of her forehead. She tore wildly at the rusty wire, so that her fingers ached; without care, she grabbed the thorns of the thick-stemmed roses. She bit the unruly bast apart with her teeth. She reached into the ice-cold water until her fingers became clammy and stiff. She inhaled the bitter scent of leaves deeply into her lungs and didn't dare look up at Frau Inge. She only listened to her voice and her laughter.