He showed great preference for her, and distinctly showed that he liked her better than others; but she did not make him less frightened. She begged him to leave off his sheepskin coat, and wear an ordinary coat. He consented at once, but the next day he had it on again. Then she hid it from him; but he then appeared in the man-servant's skin coat. So then they would rather let him keep his own. He was still as frightened as ever, and took great care no one came too near him. Even Ingrid was not allowed to sit quite close to him.
One day she said to him that now he must promise her something: he must give over curtsying to the cat. She would not ask him to do anything so difficult as give up curtsying to horses and dogs, but surely he could not be afraid of a little cat.
Yes, he said; the cat was a goat.
'It can't be a goat,' she said; 'it has no horns, you know.'
He was pleased to hear that. It seemed as if at last he had found something by which he could distinguish a goat from other animals.
The next day he met Miss Stafva's cat.
'That goat has no horns,' he said; and laughed quite proudly.
He went past it, and sat down on the sofa to listen to Ingrid playing. But after he had sat a little while he grew restless, and he rose, went up to the cat, and curtsied.
Ingrid was in despair. She took him by his arm and shook him. He ran straight out of the room, and did not appear until the next day.
'Child, child,' said her ladyship, 'you do exactly as I did; you try the same as I did. It will end by your frightening him so that he dare not see you any more. It is better to leave him in peace. We are satisfied with things as they are if he will only remain at home.'