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Show 100 and he had planned. He told them that you'd practiced knocking the bun across the square so that the dog could catch it to make them laugh." I was staring at Hilde as though she were a ghost. "Don't be angry with him, Geist. I'm the only person who knows that he really hit you, and even I don't know what your quarrel was about." My mouth was dry as ashes, but I was able to choke out the words. "Are you all right, Hilde? How do you feel?" "Fine! Why shouldn't I? You look awful, though, Geist. Did you have a bad night? My father told me about the mad dog. It must have frightened you. It's a good thing my father was able to kill it." Had it been a dream, I wondered. There really was a dog, though, if Master Hermann told Hilde about it. Had Master Hermann really killed it? I thought it had died by itself. Was I having fantasies again, the way I had when Gast gave me the leaves? "You really do look ill, Geist. I'll try to help you as much as I can today. It's too bad you didn't stay for the dancing last night - we had such a wonderful time." She paused near the door. "I have to go inside now, but I will come back soon. And Geist... don't be angry with Gast. Please?" I must have nodded, because she left. I fell down to the floor and clutched my head in my arms. So the dog really had been mad- it had nothing to do with the bun I made. Such a feeling of relief flooded over me that I began to weep again. For someone nearly grown to manhood, I was weeping as much lately as a helpless infant. It was Gast's doing - he thrust me up to such heights of gladness and then the next moment |