Pelle the Conqueror, Vol. 4

he fa?ade ran the remains of some fluted pilasters through the two upper stories, making a handsome frame to the small windows. The name "Palace" had not been given to the house entirely

dens went right into Council House Square. Two ancient, worm-eaten apple-trees,

ighborhood of Vesterbro-narrow, poor-men's streets, which sprang up round the scattered country-houses, and shut out the light; and poor people, artist

in the smoke-blackened stucco and deep windows of the attics; but the large rooms had been broken up into

of the side building, and was not unlike the ruins of a former banqueting-hall. The heavy, smoke-blackened ceiling went right up

endor. The children of the property at any rate thought it was grand, and picked out the last remains of panelling for kindling-wood, and w

nd ask by gestures to be allowed to come to the water-tap. At first she was afraid of them and barricaded the door with her wardrobe cupboard; but the thought of Pelle in prison made her sympathetic and helpful. They were poor, needy beings, whom misery and m

he property-an old peasant from Glostrup-was so miserly that he could not find it in his heart to spend money on it, notwithstanding the great advan

she could, but one day they came and carried her bits of furniture down into the street. It was the old story: Pelle had heard it several times before. There she stood with the children, mounting guard over her belongings until it grew dark. It was pouring with rain, and they did not know what to do. People stopped as they hurried by, asked a few questions and passed

men was at the pole of the cart, while the other pushed behind and, when the pace was at its height, flung himself upon his stomach on the cart, putting on the brake with the toes of his boots upon the road so as to twist the cart into the gutter. Upon the empty cart sat a middle-age

ederik, and as he spoke the vehicle pull

of the men; then, staring straight into

e said, pushing him aside. "Can't you see they've been turned out? Is it your

s turned us out!"

hristian, take and load these things on the cart, and then they can stand unde

egs have actually begun to take root!"

ings were piled upon the cart, "and I'll find you a place to sleep

ling Ellen's dress; but Ellen did not care now, if only she could avo

to find her little flat, and got her washing to do for the girls of the neighborhood. It was not very much, though

*

oked tired and as if she needed to live a more comfortable life. It was as though she fell away now that he was there and able once more to assume the res

ck-out; it had killed the little independent businesses that had formerly worked with one or two men, and put wind into the sails of large industries. The few who could manage it had procured machines and become manufacturers; the rest were crowded out and sat in out-of-the- way basements doing repairs. To set to work again, on the old conditions was what

im. He had fought and sacrificed everything to improve the conditions in his branch; and

ad been pushed out by the machines and could not get in again. "There must be something wrong with them," Pelle thought while he stood and listened to always the same story of how they had suddenly been dropped, and saw the rest of the train steaming away. It must have been their

the worse had overtaken the artisan; and to make it still more serious the large businesses stood in the way of his establishing himself and becoming independent. There was not even a back door left open now!

was useless to close his eyes. He was willing enough to mind his own affairs and did not seek for anything; but the on

thing had become dearer, and they still lived from hand to mouth. He could see that the social development had not kept pace with the mechanical; the machines wedged themselves quietly but inexorably in between the workmen and the work, and threw more and more men out of employment. The hours of labor were not greatly shortened. Society did not seem to care to protect the workers, but it interested itself more in disabled

emed as if the workmen would quietly allow themselves to be left out of the game, if only they received money for doing nothing! What had become of their former pride? They must have acquired the morals of citizens, since they willingly agreed to accept a pension f

uded itself upon him, and there were forces at work, both within and without, trying to push him into the Move

clothes and turn the mangle. One must pocket one's pride and be glad she had something

looking at him with eyes which said h

a hurry. Neither of them had a facility in speaking, but they found their way to an understanding through the pauses, and drew nearer to

as shy as the first time they met; behind all her goodness and care lay the same touch of maidenly reserve as at that time. She received his caresses silently, she herself giving chiefly by being something fo

hing for his inner being as she had done in their earliest time together? It was as though she were calling to something within him, but would not reveal herself. It was thus that mother might sit and gaze searchingly into her child'

. He and Ellen would begin now, for now she was everything! Life had taught him seriousness, and it was well. He was horrified at the thoughtless way in which he had taken Ellen and made her a mother without first ma

ally waiting still, or was she co

-acquired a wonderfully warm hue, and filled his mind with sweetness. A glance or a touch made him dizzy with happiness, and his heart went out to her in waves of ardent longing. It awoke no response; she smiled ge