“No, the neighbors!” replied Otto quickly.
At this moment Miss Julle entered. She had been wandering from shop to shop, she said, until she could bear it no longer! She had had the stuffs down from all the shelves, and at length had succeeded so far as to become possessed of eight small pieces—beautiful patterns, she maintained. And now she knew very well where the different stuffs were to be had, how wide they were, and how much the yard. “And whom did I meet?” said she; “only think! down the middle of East Street came the actor—you know well! Our little passion! He is really charming off the stage.”
“Did you meet him?” said Laide. “That girl is always lucky!”
“Mr. Thostrup,” said the mother, presenting him, for the young lady seemed to forget him entirely, so much was she occupied with this encounter and her patterns.
Julle bowed, and said she had seen him before: he had heard Mynster, and had stood near the chair where she sat; he was dressed in an olive-green coat.
“Then you are acquainted with each other!” said the lady. “She is the most pious of all the children. When the others rave about Spindler and Johanne Schoppenhauer, she raves about the clergyman who confirmed her. You know my son? He became a student a year before you. He sees you in the club sometimes.”
“There you will have seen him more amiable than you will find him at home,” said Adelaide. “Heaven knows he is not gallant toward his sisters!”
“Sweet Laide, how can you say so!” cried the mother. “You are always so unjust toward Hans Peter! When you become better acquainted with him, Mr. Thostrup, you will like him; he is a really serious young man, of uncorrupted manners. Do you remember, Laide, how he hissed that evening in the theatre when they gave that immoral piece? And how angry he is with that ‘Red Riding Hood?’ O, the good youth! Besides, in our family, you will soon meet with an old acquaintance—in a fortnight a lady out of Jutland will come here. She remains the winter here. Do you not guess who it is? A little lady from Lemvig!”
“Maren!” exclaimed Otto.
“Yes, truly!” said the lady. “She is said to have such a beautiful voice!”