Ⅶ
"Now get that play－acting out of your head，"saidHerr Gabriel the next morning，"andlet's get busy withsome science．
Peer had come near to thinking like young Madsen，that afellow was wasting his delightful youth，being shutinand sitting with a book in his hand．But when he satwithhis book，there shone from it so many noble andgoodthoughts that Peer found himself quite absorbed init．Helearned of the world's great men and theirachievements；somany had been the children of poorpeople：Themistocles，the hero，son of a potter；Shake－speare，a poorweaver's boy，who as a young man heldhorses outside thedoor of the theater，where later he wasthe mightiest manin poetic art of all countries and alltime．He learnedof the singing contest at Wartburg，where the poetscompeted to see who would produce themost beautiful poem-a contest like the oldtrial of theGrecian poets at the great public feasts．HerrGabrieltalked of these with especial delight．Sophoclesin his oldage had written one of his hest tragedies and won theaward over allthe others．In this honor and fortune hisheart brokewith joy．Oh，how blessed to diein the midstof one's joy of victory！What could be morefortunate！Thoughts and dreams filled our little friend，but he hadno one to whom he could tell them．Theywould not beunderstood by young Madsen or by Primus-nor by Madam Gabriel，either she was either in a very good hu-mor，orwas the sorrwing mother，in which case she wasdissolvedin tears．
Her two little girls looked with astonishment at her．Neitherthey nor Peer could discover why she was so over－whelmedwith sorrow and grief．
"The poor children！"she said．"A mother is al－ways thinking of theirfuture．The boys can take care ofthemselves．Caesar fslls，but he gets up again；the twoolder ones splash in the water tub；theyought to be inthe navy，and would surely marry well．But my two littlegirls！What will theirfuture be？They will reach the agewhen the heart feels，and then I am sure that whoevereach of them falls in love with willnot be at all afterGabriel's liking；he will choosesomeone they'll despise，and that will make them sounhappy．As a mother，Ihave tothink about these things，and that is my sorrowand grief．You poor children！You will be so unhappy！"She wept．
The little girls looked at her．Peer looked at her andfeltrather sad；he could think of nothing to say，so hereturned to his little room，sat down atthe old piano，andtones and fantasies came forth as theystreamed throughhis heart．
In the early morning he went to his studies with aclear mind and performed hisduties，for someone waspaying for his schooling．He was a conscientious，right－minded fellow．In his diary he recorded eachday what hehad read and studied，and how late he had satup playingthe piano-always mutely，so that he wouldn'tawakenMadam Gabriel．It never said in his diary，except onSunday，the day of rest，"Thought of Juliet，""Wasatthe pharmacist's，""Wrote a letter to Motherand Grand－mother．"Peer wasstill Romeo and a good son．
"Very industriously！"said Herr Gabriel．"Followthat example，young Madsen！Or you'll fail！"
"Scoundrel！"said young Madsen to himself．
Primus，the Dean's son，sufferedfrom sleepingsickness．"It is a disease，"said the Dean's wife；he wasnot to betreated with severity．
The deanery was only eight miles away；wealth andcomfortwere there．
"That man will die a bishop，"said MadamGabriel．"He has good connections at the court，and the Deanessis a lady of noble birth．Sheknows all about heraldry-that means coats of arms．
It was Whitsuntide．A year had passed since Peercame toHerr Gabriel's house．He had gained muchknowledge，but his voice had not come back；would itevercome？
The Gabriel household was invited to the Dean's toa great dinner and a dalllater in the evening．A goodmany guests came from thetown and from the manorhouses about．The pharmacist'sfamily was invited；Romeo would see his Juliet，perhaps dance the first dancewith her．
The deanery was a well－kept place，whitewashed，and without any manure heaps inthe yard，［and it had a dovecot painted green，around which twined an ivy vine．］The Deanesswas tall，corpulent woman；"Athene，Glaucopis，"Herr Gabriel called her；"the blue－eyed，"not"theox－eyed，"as Juno wascalled，thought Peer．Therewas acertain distinguished kindness about her，and aneffortto have an invalid look；she probably hadsleepingsickness just like Primus．She was in alight-blue silkdress and wore great curls；the one onthe right side wasfastened with a large medallion portrait of hergreat-grand-mother，a general's wife，and the one on the left with anequally large bunch of grapes made ofwhite porcelain．
The Dean had a ruddy，plump face，with shiningwhite teeth，well suited tobiting into a roast fillet．Hisconversation alwaysconsisted of anecdotes．He could con－verse with everybody，but no one eversucceeded in carry－ing on a conversation with him．
The Councilor，too，was there，and among the strangers from the manors was Felix，the merchant's son；he had been confirmed andwas now a most elegant younggentleman，both in clothesand manners；he was a mil－lionaire，they said．Madam Gabriel did not have courageenoughto speak to him．
Peer was overjoyed at seeing Felix，who came tohim in avery genial manner and said that he had broughtgreetings from his parents，who read all the letters Peerwrote home to his mother andgrandmother．
The dancing ．The pharmacist's daughter was to dance thefirst dance with the Councilor；that was apromise shehad made at home to her mother and to theCouncilor．Thesecond dance had been promised to Peer；but Felix cameand took her with a good－natured nod．
"Permit me to have this one dance；the youngladywill give her permission only if you say so．
Peer kept a polite face；he said nothing，and Felixdanced with the pharmacist's daughter，the most beautifulgirl at the ball．He alsodanced the next dance with her．
"You will grant me the supper dance？"askedPeer，with a pale face．
"Yes，the supper dance，"sheanswered with her mostcharming smile．
"You surely will not take my partner from me？"saidFelix，who stood close by．"That's not beingvery friend－ly．We two oldfriends from town！You say that you are soglad to see me．Then you must allow me the pleasure oftaking the lady to supper！"And he put his arm aroundPeer and laid his forehead jestinglyagainst him．"Granted，isn'tit？Granted！"
"No！"said Peer，hiseyes sparkling with anger．
Felix gaily raised his arms and set his elbows akimbo，asif he were trying to look like a frog ready to leap．"YouarePerfectly right，young man！Iwould say the same if thesupper dance were promised me，sir！"He drew back witha graceful bow to the young lady．
But shortly after，when Peer stood in a corner andad-justed his necktie，Felix returned，put his arm around hisneck，and，with the most coaxing look，said，"Be big-hearted！My mother and yourmother and old grandmotherwill all say that is just like you．I am leaving tomorrow，and I will be terriblybored if I do not take the young ladyto supper．My ownfriend，my only friend！"
Peer，as his only friend，couldnot resist that；hepersonally led Felix to the youngbeauty．
It was bright morning of the next day when the guestsdrove away from the Dean's．The Gabriel household was inone carriage，andthe whole family went to sleep，exceptPeer and Madam．
She talked about the young merchant，the nich man'sson，who was really Peer's friend；she had heardhim say，"Skaal，my friend！To Mother and Grandmother！"Therewassomething so"uninhibited，gallant in him，"she said；"one saw at once that heis the son of rich people，or acount's child．That，the rest of us can't acquire．Onemust bow to that！"
Peer said nothing．He was depressed all day．Atnight，when bedtime had come and he lay inbed，sleepwas chased away，and hesaid to himself，"One has tobow；one has to please！"That's what he haddone；hehad obeyed the rich young fellow；"because one is bornpoor，he is placedunder obligation and subjection to theserichly born people．Are they then better than we？And whywerethey created better than we？"
There was something vicious rearing up in him，some－thing that his grandmother would he grieved at．He thoughtof her．"Poor Grandmother！You have also known whatpoverty is．Why hasGod permitted that？"And he feltanger in his heart，and yet at the same time he was con－sciousof having sinned in thoughts and words against thegood God．He was grieved to think he had lost his child'smind；and his faith returned，as wholesome and richas be-fore．Happy Peer！
A week later a letter came from Grandmother．Shewrote inthe only way she could，mixing up big letters andsmallletters，but all her heart's love was in everything，big and small，that concerned Peer：
My own sweet，blessed boy：
I am thinking of you；I am longing for you，and sois your mother．She is getting alongwell；she takes wash－ing．And the merchant's Felix came up to see us yesterday，with a greeting from you．You had both beendt the Dean'sball，and you had been such a gentleman，but that youwill always be，and make your oldgrandmother and yourhardworking mother happy．She hassomething to tell youabout Miss Frandsen．
And then followed a postscript from Peer's mother：
Miss Frandsen is going to be married，the oldthing．The bookbinder，Herr Hof，has been appointedcourt bookbinder，inaccordance with his petition．Hehas a great new sign，"Court Bookbinder Hof．"And shewillbecome Madam Hof．It is an old love that does notrust，my sweet boy．
YOUR MOTHER Second Postscript：Grandmother has knittedyou sixpairs of woolen socks；you will get them at thefirst opportu－nity．I am alsosending you a pork pie，your favorite dish．I know that you never get pork at Herr Gabriel's，since hiswife is so afraid of what I have difficulty in spelling－"trichines．"You must not believein these，but just goahead and eat．
YOUR OWN MOTHER Peer read the letter，and it made himhappy．Felixwas so good；what agreat injustice he had done him！Theyhad separated atthe Dean's without saying good－by to eachother．
"Felix is better than I，"said Peer．
联系客服
