The castle walls moved;they glided toward eachother.They closed about him.He was inside，and theworld of man was outside.He then felt anguish，astrange fear，as never before.There was no exit to befound，but from the floor way up to the roof，and fromall the walls，there smiled at him lovely young girls;they were so lifelike to look at，and yet he thought：Arethey but paintings?He wanted to speak to them，but histongue found no words;his speech was completely gone;not a sound came from his lips.Then he threw himselfupon the earth，more miserable than he had ever been.
One of the elfin maidens approached him;surely shemeant well，for she had taken the shape he would mostlike to see;she looked like the pharmacist's daughter;he was almost ready to believe that it was she，but soonhe saw that she was hollow in back and had only abeautiful front-open in the back，with nothing at allinside.
"One hour here is a hundred years outside，"shesaid."You have already been here a whole hour.Ev-eryone you know and love outside these walls is dead.Stay with us!Yes，stay you must，or the walls willsqueeze you until the blood flows from your brow!"
And the walls trembled，and the air became likethat of a glowing bake oven.He found his voice.
"O Lord，O Lord，have You forsaken me?"he criedfrom the depths of his soul.
Then Grandmother stood beside him.She took himin her arms;she kissed his brow;she kissed his mouth.
"My own sweet little one!"she said."Our lordwill not forsake you;He forsakes none of us，not eventhe greatest sinner.God be praised and honored for alleternity!"
And she brought forth her psalmbook，the same onefrom which she and Peer had sung on many a Sundny.How her voice rang!How full were her tones!All theelfin maidens laid their heads down for a well-neededrest.Peer sang with Grandmother，as before he had sungevery Sunday;how wtrong and powerful， yet how soft，hisvoice was all at once!The walls of the castle moved;theybecame clouds and mist.Grandmother walked with himout of the hill into the tall grass，where the glowwormsgleamed and the moon shone.But his feet were so tirednow he could not move them;he sank down on the turf;it was the softesd bed;there he rested well and awoke tothe sound of a psalm.
Grandmother sat beside him，sat by his bed in thelittle chamber in Herr Gabriel's house.The fever wasover;health and life had returned.He had been deathlyill.They had found him in a faint on that evening downin the garden;a violent fever had followed.The doctorhad thought that he would not get up from it，but woulddie，and they had written to his mother about it.She andGrandmother had wanted to，and felt they must，go tohim;both had not been able to leave，and so the oldgrandmother had gone，and gone by the railway.
"That I would only do for Peer，"she said."I did itin God's name;otherwise I would have had to believethat I flew with the evil ones on a broomstick on Midsum-mer Eve!"
Ⅹ
The journey home was made with a glad and lightheart.Grandmother deeply thanked our Lord that Peerwas to outlive her.She had delightful traveling compan-ions in the railway carriage-the pharmacist and hisdaughter;they talked about Peer，and loved Peer as ifthey were of the same family.He was to become a greatactor，said the pharmacist.His voice had now returned，too，and there was a fortune in such a throat as his.
What a pleasure it was to the grandmother to hearsuch words!She lived on them;she believed them thor-oughly.And then they arrived at the station in the capi-tal，where the mother met her.
"God be praised for the railway!"said Grandmoth-er，"and be praised，too，that I quite forgot I was on it!I owe that to these splendid people."And she pressed thehands of the pharmacist and his daughter."The railway isa blessed discovery when one is through with it!One is inGod's hands!"
And then she talked of her sweet boy，who was outof all danger，and who lived with well-to-do people，whokept two servant girls and a manservant.Peer was like ason in the house，and on the same footing with two chil-dren of distinguished families，one of whom was a dean'sson.The grandmother had lodged at the post inn;it wasterribly expensive，but then she had been invited toMadam Gabriel's;there she had stayed five days，andthey were simply wonderful people，particularly the wife;she had urged her to drink punch，splendidly made butstrong.
With God's help，Peer would be strong enough tocome home to the capital in a month.
"He must have become very elegant and spoiled，"said the mother.