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Show 20 •After you left last night I caught two other black hairy fish just like this one." "Hide it!" I whispered. "Master Hermann's daughter is right behind me." Hilde was trying to pick her way down the bank without soiling her cloth shoes. Although Master Hermann was unkind to her, he always saw to it that she was dressed nicely. To show off his own importance, I suppose. Gast reached up his hand to help her. When she was just a step above him, so that their heads were level, he gazed steadily into her eyes until she flushed and lowered her head. With a little color in her face, Hilde didn't look so bad, I noticed. "Who is this lady?" Gast asked. "I am not a lady," Hilde answered, her voice breathless and quavery. "I'm only the baker's daughter." "I would have sworn you were a lady born," he said quietly. Hilde's whole face flamed, and I thought she was going to swoon on the spot. Annoyed and a bit jealous, I said to Gast, "We can't talk while she's here," and to Hilde, "You said you were going to stay behind me. You didn't say you were going to come down and meet him." "Geist is right, my lady," Gast murmured. "We have to discuss business. But before you go, perhaps you would enjoy a bit of music?" Too pleased to speak, Hilde just nodded. While I scowled and hurled stones into the water, he played a lively little tune on his flute, one that lasted much too long as far as I was concerned. Hilde |