Yet we did not go to seek him.

It would be like meeting the dead, and we were afraid.

We did not say it, but that was what we were feeling.

And so it gave us a shock when we turned a curve and came upon Nikolaus face to face.

He shouted, gaily: "Hi-hi! What is the matter?
Have you seen a ghost ?" We couldn't speak, but there was no occasion; he was willing to talk for us all, for he had just seen Satan and was in high spirits about it.
Satan had told him about our trip to China, and he had begged Satan to take him a journey, and Satan had promised.