Ⅻ
Madam Hof was expecting Peer at her house，andnow he arrived there.
"Now you will meet my Hof，"she said，and youwill meet my fireside corner.I never dreamed of thiswhen I danced in Circe and The Rose Elf in Provence.Indeed，there are not many now who think of that balletand of little Frandsen.Sic transit gloria in the moon!-that's what my Hof，who is a witty fellow，calls it inLatin，and he uses that phrase when I talk about my timeof glory.He likes to poke fun at me，but he does it witha good heart."
The"fireside corner"was an inviting room with a lowceiling，a carpet on the floor，and portraits suitable for abookbinder to have.There were pictures of Gutenberg，and of Franklin，of Shakespeare，Cervantes，Molière，andthe two blind poets，Homer and Ossian.Lowest down hungone，enclosed in glass and a broad frame，of a danseuse，cut out of paper，with great gold spangles on a dress ofgauze，the right leg lifted toward heaven，and with a versewritten beneath：
Who captures all hearts by her dancing?
Who wears her wreath of art entrancing?
Miss Emilie Frandsen!
It was written by Hof，who wrote charming verse，es-pecially comic verse.He had clipped the picture out him-self and pasted and sewed it before he had married his firstwife.For many years it had lain in a drawer;now it wasdisplayed here in the poet picture gallery-"my firesidecorner，"as Madam Hof called her little room.Here Peerand Hof were introduced to each other.
"Isn't he a wonderful man?"she said to Peer."Tome he is just the most wonderful."
"Yes，on Sunday，when I am well bound in my newclothes，"said Herr Hof.
"You are wonderful without any binding，"shesaid，and then she tipped her head down as if she real-ized that she had spoken a little too childishly for one ofher age.
"Old love does not rust，"said Herr Hof."An oldhouse on fire burns down to the ground."
"It is as with the phoenix bird，"said Madam Hof;"one rises up young again.Here is my paradise.I don'tcare to be any other place-except for an hour or so atyour mother's and grandmother's."
"And at your sister's，"said Herr Hof.
"No，Angel Hof;that is no longer a paradise.I musttell you，Peer，they live in small circumstances，and amidbig complications.One doesn't know what he dares sayin that house.One doesn't dare mention the word'darky，'for the eldest daughter is engaged to one whohas some Negro blood in him.One doesn't dare say'hunchback，'for that one of the children is.Onedoesn't dare talk about 'deficit'-my brother-in-lawhas heen involved in such a mishap.One doesn't evendare say that he has been driving in the wood;wood hasan ugly sound，for Wood was the name of the fellow whobroke his engagement with the youngest daughter.Idon't like to go out and sit and keep my mouth shut.Ifl don't dare talk，I want to be in my own house and sitin my fireside corner.Were it not too sinful，as theysay，I would gladly ask our Lord to let us live as long asmy fireside corner holds out，for here one grows better.Here is my paradise，and this my Hof has given me."
"She has a gold mill in her mouth，" he said.
"And you have gold grains in your beard，"she said.
Grind，grind what the bag will hold.
Emilie is as pure as gold!
He said，as she tickled him under the chin.
"He wrote that verse at this very moment!It'sgood enough to be printed!"
"Yes，and handsomely bound!"he said.
That's how these two old folks amused each other.
A year passed before Peer began to study a role atthe theater.He chose Joseph，but he exchanged it forthe role of George Brown in the opera The White Lady.He quickly learned the words and music，and from Wal-ter Scott's novel，which had furnished the material forthe opera，he obtained a clear，full picture of theyoung，spiried officer who visits his native hills andcomes to his ancestral castle without knowing it;an oldsong awakens recollections of his childhood;luck is withhim，and he wins a castle and a wife.
What he read became like something he himself hadlived—a chapter of his own life's story.The richly melo-dious music was entirely in keeping.A long，long timepassed before the first rehearsals began.The singing masterdid not think that there was any hurry for him to make hisappearance，but finally the day to start arrived.He was notmerely a singer;he was an actor，and his whole personalitywas thrown into the role.The chorus and the orchestra ap-plauded him loudly at the outset，and the opening nightwas looked forward to with the greatest expectation.
"One can be a great actor in a dressing gown athome"said a good-natured companion，"can be very greatby daylight，but only so-so before the footlights in a packedhouse.Time，will tell."
Peer had no fear，but had a burning desire for theeventful evening.The singing master，on the contrary，wasextremely nervous.Peer's mother had not the courage to goto the theater;she would be ill with fear for her dear boy.Grandmother was sick and must stay at home，the doctorhad said;but the faithful friend，Madam Hof，promised tobring news the very same evening of how it all went.Sheshould and would be at the theater，even if she were dy-ing.