" Gome, my lad, come here, be quick ! don't be
afraid ! " called the grandmamma loudly, and
stretched her head a little towards the trees.
Terrified Peter stood there like a statue. He had
no power of resistance after what he had gone
through. He only felt this one thiag. *'Now it is
all up 1 " His hair stood on end : pale and disfigured
from the highest anxiety he came out from behind
the fir trees.
" Come here ! be quick I " said the grandmamma
encouragingly. " "Well, now tell me, my lad, did
you do this ? "

Peter did not lift up his eyes and did not see
where the grandmamma's forefinger was pointing.
He had seen that the TJncle had stood at the corner
of the hut, and that his gray eyes had been fastened
on him penetratingly, and by the Uncle's side stood
the most terrible one Peter had ever known, the



350 HKIDL

policeman from Frankfort. Trembling and shiver,
ing in his limbs, Peter uttered one single sound and
it was a " Yes." ,

" Well, now," said the grandmother, " what is
there that frightened you so much ? "

"That it — that it — ^that it had broken all to
pieces, and that it can never be fixed again." Peter
uttered these words with difficulty, and his knees
were shaking so that he could not stand up any
longer. The grandmamma went over to the corner
of the hut.
" My dear Uncle, has this poor boy really gone
crazy ? " she asked compassionately.
