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Show 21 gazed at him with such a look of admiration on her face that it made me angry. She held her hands clasped at her throat, and moved her head in tiny little jerks to the rhythm of the music, as though she were taken with the ague. After the song was finished, Gast bowed, helped her to climb the bank, and told her, "We will meet again." Then he came down to where I was standing. I gave one last stone a mighty heave that sent it halfway across the Weser. "You should learn to be more courteous to the gentler sex," he told me. "You never know when they may be able to do you some good." I continued to scowl to show him what I thought of Hilde and his interest in her, but he took me by the arm and led me to where his cloak was spread out underneath the arch of the bridge. It was the first time I had felt the touch of his fingers against my skin. They were as dry and cool as the crust of old bread. "Now down to business, Geist," he said. "What do you have to report? "Master Hermann says he will promise you any sum you ask, but he won't give you more than fifty schillings. He says you must start killing the rats right away. He was going to run you through with a sword if you wouldn't do what he wants, but I talked him out of that," I bragged. "How did you do that?" "I told him that if you were dead, you couldn't give us your secret for killing the rats. What is your secret?" I asked. He fingered his upper lip and looked at me from under half-lowered lids. "You met me only yesterday, Geist," he said, "so you know very |