"We must be friends，"said Felix."You have becomethe lion of the town!All the young ladies，and the oldones，too，for that matter，you have taken by storm.Youare lucky with everything.I envy you，especially in thatyou can go in and out over there at the theater，among allthe little girls."
To Peer that did not seem anything very worthy of envy.
He received a letter from Madam Gabriel.She wasin a state of ecstasy over the splendid accounts in thepapers of his debut and over what he would become asan artist.She and the girls had drunk a toast to him withpunch.Herr Gabriel also had a share in his honor，andwas quite sure that he，beyond most others，could pro-nounce foreign words correctly.The pharmacist ran abouttown and reminded everyone that it was at their little the-ater they had first seen and admired his talent，which nowfor the first time was recognized in the capital."The phar-macist's daughter would surely be irritated，"addedMadam，"now that he could propose to baronesses andcountesses."The pharmacist's daughter had been in toomuch of a hurry and given in too soon，for a month earliershe had become，betrothed to the fat Councilor.The bannshad been published，and they were to be married on thetwentieth of the month.
It was just the twentieth of the month when Peer re-ceived this letter.He felt as if he had been piercedthrough the heart.At that moment it became clear to himthat，during all the vacillation of his soul，she had beenhis steadfast thought.He cared more for her than anyoneelse in the world.Tears came into his eyes;he crumpledthe letter in his hand.It was the first great grief of hearthe had known since he had heard，with Mother and Grandmother，that his father had fallen in the war.Hethought that all happiness was gone，that his future wouldbe empty and sorrowful.The sunlight no longer beamedfrom his youthful face;the sunshine was put out in hisheart.
"He doesn't look well，"said Mother and Grand-mother."It is the hard work at that theater."
They could both see that he was not the same as be-fore，and the singing master saw it，too.
"What is the matter?"he said."May I not knowwhat troubles you?"
At that his cheeks turned red，his tears flowedafresh，and he told him about his sorrow，his loss.
"I loved her so deeply!"he said."Only now，whenit is too late，is it really clear to me!"
"Poor，grieved friend!I understand you so well.Weep freely，and as soon as you can，hold onto thethought that whatever happens in the world happens forthe best.I，too，have known and felt what you now arefeeling.I，like you，once loved a girl;she was intelli-gent，pretty，and fascinating;she was to be my wife.Icould offer her good circumstances，and she cared for me;but one condition had to be met before the marriage;her parents required it，and she required it：I must be-come a Christian!"
"And that you would not?"
"I could not.One cannot，with an honest con-science，jump from one religion to another without sinningeither against the one he takes leave of or the one hesteps into."
"Have you no faith?"said Peer.
"I have the God of my fathers.He is a light for myfeet and my understanding."
They sat in silence for a while.Then the hands ofthe singing master touched the keys，and he played anold folk song.Neither of them sang the words;perhapseach was deep in his own thoughts.
Madam Gabriel's letter was not read again.Shenever dreamed what sorrow it had brought.
A few days later a letter arrived from Herr Gabriel;he also wished to offer his congratulations and"a commis-sion，"which perhaps was the real reason for the letter.He asked Peer to buy a little porcelain figure，namely，Amor and Hymen，Love and Marriage."It is all sold outhere in town，"he wrote，"but can easily be bought inthe capital.The money is enclosed with this.Send thething as quickly as possible;it is a wedding present forthe Councilor，at whose marriage I was with my wife."Moreover，Peer was told："Young Madsen never will be-come a student;he has left the house and has painted thewalls with embarrassing remarks against the family.Abad subject，that young Madsen.Sunt pueri pueri，pueripuerilia tractant!i.e.，'Boys are boys，and boys doboyish things.'I translate it since you are not a Latinscholar."
And with that Herr Cabriel's letter closed.