Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 4).djvu/229

 PEER
 * Not yet-. Crazy? Heaven forbid!
 * [A commotion. The Minister HUSSEIN forces his way
 * through the crowd.]

HUSSEIN
 * They tell me a Kaiser has come to-day.
 * [To PEER GYNT.]
 * It is you?

PEER [in desperation].
 * Yes, that is a settled thing!

HUSSEIN
 * Good.-Then no doubt there are notes to be answered?

PEER [tearing his hair].
 * Come on! Right you are, sir;-the madder the better!

HUSSEIN
 * Will you do me the honour of taking a dip?
 * [Bowing deeply.]
 * I am a pen.

PEER [bowing still deeper].
 * Why then I am quite clearly
 * a rubbishy piece of imperial parchment.

HUSSEIN
 * My story, my lord, is concisely this:
 * they take me for a sand-box, and I am a pen.