Now we come to the architect， the third brother， who had been first a carpenter'sapprentice， had worn a cap， and served as an errand boy， but afterwards went to theacademy， and risen to be an architect， a high and noble gentleman. Ah yes， the houses ofthe new street， which the brother who was a master builder erected， may have built hishouse for him， but the street received its name from the architect， and the handsomesthouse in the street became his property. That was something， and he was “something，” forhe had a list of titles before and after his name. His children were called “wellborn，” and whenhe died， his widow was treated as a lady of position， and that was “something.” His nameremained always written at the corner of the street， and lived in every one's mouth as itsname. Yes， this also was “something.”
And what about the genius of the family—the fourth brother—who wanted to inventsomething new and original? He tried to build a lofty storey himself， but it fell to pieces，and he fell with it and broke his neck. However， he had a splendid funeral， with the city flagsand music in the procession; flowers were strewn on the pavement， and three orations werespoken over his grave， each one longer than the other. He would have liked this very muchduring his life， as well as the poems about him in the papers， for he liked nothing so well asto be talked of. A monument was also erected over his grave. It was only another storey overhim， but that was “something，” Now he was dead， like the three other brothers.
the youngest—the critic—outlived them all， which was quite right for him. It gave him theopportunity of having the last word， which to him was of GREat importance. People alwayssaid he had a good head-piece. At last his hour came， and he died， and arrived at the gatesof heaven. Souls always enter these gates in pairs; so he found himself standing and waitingfor admission with another; and who should it be but old dame Margaret， from the house onthe dyke! “It is evidently for the sake of contrast that I and this wretched soul should arrivehere exactly at the same time，” said the critic. “Pray who are you， my good woman?” saidhe; “do you want to get in here too?”
And the old woman curtsied as well as she could; she thought it must be St. Peter himselfwho spoke to her. “I am a poor old woman，” she said， “without my family. I am oldMargaret， that lived in the house on the dyke.”
“Well， and what have you done—what GREat deed have you performed down below?”
“I have done nothing at all in the world that could give me a claim to have these doorsopen for me，” she said. “It would be only through mercy that I can be allowed to slip inthrough the gate.”
“In what manner did you leave the world?” he asked， just for the sake of sayingsomething; for it made him feel very weary to stand there and wait.
“How I left the world?” she replied; “why， I can scarcely tell you. During the last years ofmy life I was sick and miserable， and I was unable to bear creeping out of bed suddenly intothe frost and cold. Last winter was a hard winter， but I have got over it all now. There were afew mild days， as your honor， no doubt， knows. The ice lay thickly on the lake， as far onecould see. The people came from the town， and walked upon it， and they say there weredancing and skating upon it， I believe， and a GREat feasting. The sound of beautiful musiccame into my poor little room where I lay. Towards evening， when the moon rose beautifully，though not yet in her full splendor， I glanced from my bed over the wide sea; and there，just where the sea and sky met， rose a curious white cloud. I lay looking at the cloud till Iobserved a little black spot in the middle of it， which gradually grew larger and larger， andthen I knew what it meant—I am old and experienced; and although this token is not oftenseen， I knew it， and a shuddering seized me. Twice in my life had I seen this same thing，and I knew that there would be an awful storm， with a spring tide， which would overwhelmthe poor people who were now out on the ice， drinking， dancing， and making merry. Youngand old， the whole city， were there; who was to warn them， if no one noticed the sign， orknew what it meant as I did? I was so alarmed， that I felt more strength and life than I haddone for some time. I got out of bed， and reached the window; I could not crawl any fartherfrom weakness and exhaustion; but I managed to open the window. I saw the people outsiderunning and jumping about on the ice; I saw the beautiful flags waving in the wind; I heardthe boys shouting， 'Hurrah!' and the lads and lasses singing， and everything full ofmerriment and joy. But there was the white cloud with the black spot hanging over them. I criedout as loudly as I could， but no one heard me; I was too far off from the people. Soon wouldthe storm burst， the ice break， and all who were on it be irretrievably lost. They could nothear me， and to go to them was quite out of my power. Oh， if I could only get them safe onland! Then came the thought， as if from heaven， that I would rather set fire to my bed，and let the house be burnt down， than that so many people should perish miserably. I got alight， and in a few moments the red flames leaped up as a beacon to them. I escapedfortunately as far as the threshold of the door; but there I fell down and remained： I couldgo no farther. The flames rushed out towards me， flickered on the window， and rose highabove the roof. The people on the ice became aware of the fire， and ran as fast as possible tohelp a poor sick woman， who， as they thought， was being burnt to death. There was notone who did not run. I heard them coming， and I also at the same time was conscious of arush of air and a sound like the roar of heavy artillery. The spring flood was lifting the icecovering， which brake into a thousand pieces. But the people had reached the sea-wall，where the sparks were flying round. I had saved them all; but I suppose I could not survivethe cold and fright; so I came up here to the gates of paradise. I am told they are open topoor creatures such as I am， and I have now no house left on earth; but I do not think thatwill give me a claim to be admitted here.”