overboard. This would be robbing those who had get betrothed instead of him. Well; Hund is not actually injured her, whatever their intentions baulked for this time. Rolf must look to himself might have been. She thought that if the goods after to-day." were left upon some barren, uninhabited part of the shore, the pirates would probably be the first to find them and that if not, the rumor of such an extraordinary fact, spread by the simple country fears. people, would be sure to reach them. So Oddo carried on shore, at the first stretch of white beach they came to, the brandy flasks, the bear-skins, the tabacco-pouch, the muskets and powder-horns, and the tinder-box. He scattered these about, just above high-water mark, laughing to think how report would tell of the sprites' care in placing all these articles out of reach of injury from the

How long they had been on the water, how far they had deviated from their right course, they could not at all tell, when, at last, more by accident than skill, they touched the shore near home, and heard friendly voices, and saw the light of torches "O, ho! carried off Rolf! So here is the through the thick air. The fog had wrapped them secret of your wonderful courage to-night-you round so that they could not even see the water, or who durst not look round at your own shadow last each other. They had rowed mechanically, somenight! This is the secret of your not being tired, times touching the rock, sometimes grazing upon -you who are out of breath with rowing a mile the sand, but never knowing where they were till sometimes!" the ringing of a bell, which they recognized as the "That is in summer," pleaded Erica. "How-farm bell, roused hope in their hearts, and strengthever, you have my secret, as you say-a thing which is no secret at home. We all think that Hund bears such a grudge against Rolf, for having got the houseman's place

ened them to throw off the fatal drowsiness caused by cold and fatigue. They made towards the bell: and then heard Peder's shouts, and next saw the dull light of two torches which looked as if they could not burn in the fog. The old man lent a

"That," continued Erica, "he would be glad strong hand to pull up the boat upon the beach, and to lift out the benumbed rowers; and they

"To get rid of Rolf, and be a houseman, and were presently revived by having their limbs

chafed, and by a strong dose of the universal med-| brought home a boat-full of cod; and she might icine-corn-brandy and camphor-which in Nor- have given her welcome to the hunting-party. way, neither man nor woman, young nor old, sick nor well, thinks of refusing upon occasion.

When Erica was in bed, warm beneath an eider-down coverlid, her mistress bent over her and whispered,

"You saw and heard Hund himself?" "Hund himself, madame."

"What shall we do if he comes back before my husband is home from the bear-hunt?"

"If he comes it will be in fear and penitence, thinking that all the powers are against him. But O, madame, let him never know how it really

was !"

"He must not know. Leave that to me, and go to sleep now, Erica. You ought to rest well; for there is no saying what you and Oddo have saved us from. I could not have asked such a service. My husband and I must see how we can reward it." And her kind and grateful mistress kissed Erica's cheek, though Erica tried to explain that she was thinking most of some one else, when she undertook this expedition.

"Then let him thank you in his own way," replied Madame Erlingsen. "Meantime, why should not I thank you in mine?"

Stiorna here opened her eyes for an instant. When she next did so her mistress was gone; and she told in the morning what an odd dream she had had, of her mistress being in her room, and kissing Erica. It was so distinct a dream that if the thing had not been so ridiculous, she could almost have declared that she had seen it.

CHAPTER VI.-SPRING.

Erlingsen and Rolf came home sooner than might reasonably have been expected, and well laden with bear's flesh. The whole family of bears had been found and shot. The flesh of the cubs had been divided among the hunters; and Erlingsen was complimented with the feet of the old bear, as it was he who had roused the neighbors, and led the hunt. Busy was every farm-house (and none so busy as Erlingsen's) in salting some of the meat, freezing some, and cooking a part for a feast on the occasion.

Erlingsen kept a keen and constant look-out upon the fiord, in the midst of all the occupations and gayeties of the rest of the winter. His wife's account of the adventures of the day of his absence made him anxious; and he never went a mile out of sight of home, so vivid in his imagination was the vision of his house burning, and his family at the mercy of pirates. Nothing happened, however, to confirm his fears. The enemy were never heard of in the fiord; and the cod-fishers who came up, before the softening of the snow, to sell some of their produce in the interior of the country, gave such accounts as seemed to show that the fishinggrounds were the object of the foreign thievesfor foreign they were declared to be; some said Russian, and others a mixture from hostile nations. This last information gave more impulse to the love of country for which the Norwegians are remarkable, than all that had been reported from the seat of war. The Nordlanders always drank success to their country's arms, in the first glass of cornbrandy at dinner. They paid their taxes cheerfully; and any newspaper that the clergyman put in circulation was read till it fell to pieces but the neighborhood of foreign pirates proved a more powerful stimulant still. The standing toast, Gamle Norgé, (Old Norway,) was drunk with such enthusiasm that the little children shouted and defied the enemy; and the baby in its mother's lap clapped its hands when every voice joined in the national song For Norgé. Hitherto the war had gone forward upon the soil of another kingdom; it seemed now as if a sprinkling of it—a little of its excitement and danger-was brought to their own doors; and vehement was the spirit that it roused; though some thefts of cod, brandy, and a little money, were all that had really happened yet.

GREAT was Stiorna's consternation at Hund's non-appearance, the next day, seeing, as she did with her own eyes, that the boat was safe in its proper place. She had provided salt for his cod, and a welcome for himself; and she watched in vain for either. She saw too that no one wished him back. He was rarely spoken of; and then it was with dislike or fear and when she wept over the idea of his being drowned, or carried off by hostile spirits, the only comfort offered her was that she need not fear his being dead, or that he could not come back if he chose. She was indeed obliged to suppose, at last, that it was his choice to keep away; for amidst the flying rumors that amused the inhabitants of the district for the rest of the winter-rumors of the movements of the pirate-vessel, and of the pranks of the spirits of the region, there were some such clear notices of the appearance of Hund-so many eyes had seen him in one place or another, by land and water, by day and night, that Stiorna could not doubt of his being alive, and free to come home or stayed, there was either no Nipen, or it was not angry, away as he pleased. She could not conceal from or it was powerless; for everything had gone well; herself that he had probably joined the pirates; and and he always ended with pointing to the deer-a heartily as these pirates were feared throughout good thing led to the very door-and to the result the Nordland coasts, they were not more heartily of the bear-hunt-a great event always in a Nordhated by any than by the jealous Stiorna. lander's life, and in this instance, one of most forHer salt was wanted as much as if Hund had tunate issue. There was no saying how many of

The interval of security gave Rolf a good opportunity to ridicule and complain of Erica's fears. He laughed at the danger of an attack from Hund and his comrades, as that danger was averted. He laughed at the west wind and fog sent by Nipen's wrath, as Erica had reached home in spite of it. He contended that, so far from Nipen being offend

the young of the farm-yard would live and flourish | accord. If this happened, the young ladies would this summer, on account of the timely destruction finish their waltz at once, and thank him, and his of this family of bears. So Rolf worked away, mistress would wish him good night; and when he with a cheerful heart, as the days grew longer-was gone, his master would tell old Peder that that now mending the boat-now fishing, now plough-grandson of his was a promising lad, and very diliing—and then rolling logs into the melting streams, gent; and Peder would make a low bow, and say to be carried down into the river, or into the fiord, it was greatly owing to Rolf's good example; and when the rush of waters should come from the then Erica would blush, and be kinder than ever heights of Sulitelma. to Oddo the next day.

spring in Nordland lasts only a month. In that short time had the snow first become soft, and then dingy, and then vanished, except on the heights and in places where it had drifted. The streams had broken their long pause of silence, and now leaped and rushed along, till every rock overhanging both sides of the fiord was musical with falling waters, and glittering with silver threads for the cataracts looked no more than this in so vast a scene. Every mill was going, after the long idleness of winter; and about the bridges which spanned the falls were little groups of the peasants gathered, mending such as had burst with the floods, or strengthening such as did not seem secure enough for the passage of the herds to the mountain.

Busy as the maidens were with the cows that were calving, and with the care of the young kids, they found leisure to pry into the promise of the spring. In certain warm nooks, where the sunshine was reflected from the surrounding rocks, they daily watched for what else might appear, when once the grass, of brilliant green, had shown itself from beneath the snow. There they found the strawberry, and the wild raspberry, promising to carpet the ground with their white blossoms; while in one corner the lily of the val

Hard as Rolf worked, he did not toil like Oddo. So came on and passed away the spring of this Between them, they had to supply Hund's place-year at Erlingsen's farm. It soon passed; for to do his work. Nobody desired to see Hund back again; and Erlingsen would willingly have taken another in his stead, to make his return impossible; but there was no one to be had. It was useless to inquire till the fishing-season should be over; and when that was over, the hay and harvest seasons would follow so quickly, that it was scarcely likely that any youth would offer himself till the first frosts set in. It was Oddo's desire that the place should remain vacant till he could show that he, young as he was, was worth as much as Hund. If any one was hired, he wished that it might be a herd-boy, under him; and strenuously did he toil, this spring, to show that he was now beyond a mere herd-boy's place. It was he who first fattened, and then killed and skinned the rein-deer-a more than ordinary feat, as it was full two months past the regular season. It was he who watched the making of the first eider-duck's nest, and brought home the first down. All the month of April, he never failed in the double work of the farm-yard and islet. He tended the cattle in the morning, and turned out the goats, when the first patches of green appeared from beneath the snow; and then he was off to the islet, or to some one of the breeding stations among the rocks, punctually stripping the nests of the down, as the poor ducks renewed the supply from their breasts; and as carefully staying|ley began to push up its pairs of leaves; and from his hand, when he saw, by the yellow tinge of the down, that the duck had no more to give, and the drake had now supplied what was necessary for hatching the eggs. Then he watched for the eggs; and never had Madame Erlingsen had such a quantity brought home; though Oddo assured her that he had left enough in the nests for every duck to have her brood. Then he was ready to bring home the goats again long before sunset-for, by this time, the sun set late-and to take his turn at mending any fence that might have been injured by the spring-floods; and then he never forgot to wash and dress himself, and go in for his grand"The winter and I are going together, my mother's blessing; and after all, he was not too dear," said she one day, when Erica placed on tired to sit up as late as if he were a man-even her pillow a green shoot of birch which she had till past nine sometimes-spending the last hour of taken from out of the very mouth of a goat. the evening in working at the bell-collars which" The hoary winter and hoary I have lived out Hund had left half done, and which must be finished before the cattle went to the mountain; or, if the young ladies were disposed to dance, he was never too tired to play the clarionet; though it now and then happened that the tune went rather oddly; and when Orga and Frolich looked at him to see what he was about, his eyes were shut, and his fingers looked as if they were moving of their own

the crevices of the rock, the barberry and the dwarf birch grew, every twig showing swelling buds, or an early sprout.

While these cheerful pursuits went on out of doors during the one busy month of spring, a slight shade of sadness was thrown over the household within by the decline of old Ulla. It was hardly sadness; it was little more than gravity; for Ulla herself was glad to go; Peder knew that he should soon follow; and every one else was reconciled to one who had suffered so long going to her rest.

our time, and we are departing together. I shall make way for you young people, and give you your turn, as he is giving way to spring; and le nobody pretend to be sorry for it. Who pretends to be sorry when winter is gone?"

"But winter will come again, so soon and so certainly, Ulla," said Erica, mournfully; "and when it is come again, we shall still miss you."

"There will be little Henrica," observed Erica. Ah, yes there is nothing I think of more than that. That dear child died on my shoulder. Fain would her mother have had her in her arms at the last; but she was in such extremity that to move her would have been to end all at once; and so she died away, with her head on my shoulder. I thought then it was a sign that I should be the first to meet her again. But I shall take care and not stand in the way of her mother's rights."

"Do not say 'hush!'"' said M. Kollsen, sternly. "Whatever is said of this kind I ought to hear, that I may meet the delusion. I must have conversation with this poor woman, to prevent her very last breath being poisoned with superstition. You are a member of the Lutheran church, Ulla?"

With humble pleasure, Ulla told of the satisfaction which the bishop of Tronyem, of seventy years ago, had expressed at her confirmation. It was this which obtained her a good place, and Peder's regard, and all the good that had happened in her long life since. Yes; she was indeed a member of the Lutheran church, she thanked God.

"And in what part of the Scriptures of our church do you find mention of - of- (I hate the very names of these pretended spirits.)— Where in the Scriptures are you bidden or permitted to believe in spirits and demons of the wood and the mountain?"

use, if it pleased.

Peder observed, that we all believe so many things that are not found mentioned in the Scripture, that perhaps it would be wisest and kindest, by a dying bed, where moments were precious, to speak of those high things which the Scriptures discourse of, and which all Christians believe. These were the subjects for Ulla now; the others might be reasoned of when she was in her grave.

The pastor was not quite satisfied with this way of attending the dying; but there was something in the aged man's voice and manner quite irresistible, as he sat calmly awaiting the departure of the last companion of his own generation. M. Kollsen took out his Bible, and read what Ulla gladly heard, till her husband knew by the slackened clasp of her hand that she heard no longer. She had become insensible, and before sunset had departed.

Ulla declared that her learning in the Scriptures was but small. She knew only what she had been taught, and a little that she had picked up; but she remembered that the former bishop of Here Ulla grew so earnest in imagining her Tronyem himself had hung up an axe in the formeeting with Henrica, still fancying her the de-est, on Midsummer-eve, for the wood-demon's pendent little creature she had been on earth, that she was impatient to be gone. Erica's idea was that this child might now have become so wise and so mighty in the wisdom of a better world, as to be no such plaything as Ulla supposed; but she said nothing to spoil the old woman's pleasure. When Peder came in, to sit beside his old companion's bed, and sing her to sleep, she told him that she hoped to be by when he opened his now dark eyes upon the sweet light of a heavenly day; and, if she might, she would meantime make up his dreams for him, and make him believe that he saw the most glorious sights of old Norway-more glorious than are to be seen in any other part of this lower world. There should be no end to the gleaming lakes, and dim forests, and bright green valleys, and silvery waterfalls that he should see in his dreams, if she might have the making of them. There was no end to the delightful things Ulla looked forward to, and the kind things she hoped to be able to do for those she left behind, when once she should have quitted her present helpless state; and she thought so much of these things, that when M. Kollsen arrived, he found that instead of her needing to be reconciled to death, she was impatient to be gone. The first thing he heard her say, when all was so dim before her dying eyes, and so confused to her failing ears, that she did not know the pastor had arrived, was that she was less uneasy now about Nipen's displeasure against the young people. Perhaps she might be able to explain and prevent mischief; and if not, the young people's marriage would soon be taking place now, and then they might show such attention to Nipen as would make the spirit forgive and forget.

“Hush, now, dear Ulla! said Erica. is the pastor."

Rolf had continued his kind offices to the old couple, with the utmost respect and propriety, to the end, refusing to go out of call during the last few days of Ulla's decline; but he had observed, with some anxiety, that there was certainly a shoal of herrings in the fiord, and that it was high time he was making use of the sunny days for his fishing. In order to go about this duty without any delay, when again at liberty, he had brought the skiff up to the beach for repair, and had it nearly ready for use by the day of the funeral. The family boat was too large for his occasions, now that Hund was not here to take an oar; and he expected to do great things alone in the little manageable skiff.

When he had assisted Peder to lay Ulla's head in the grave, and guided him back to the house, "Here Rolf drew Erica's arm within his own, and led her away as if for a walk. No one interfered

with them; for the family knew that their hearts must be very full, and that they must have much to say to each other, now that the event had happened which was to cause their marriage very They would now wait no longer than to pay proper respect to Ulla's memory, and to improve the house and its furniture a little, so as to make it fit for the bride.

soon.

"Ay, there. If again."

"If it shall please the Powers above us not to separate us, by death or otherwise." "Death! at our age! And separation! when we have lived on the same farm for years! What have we to do with death and separation ?"

Erica pointed to the child's grave, in rebuke of his rash words. She then quietly observed that they Rolf would have led Erica to the beach; but had enemies-one deadly enemy not very far off, she begged to go first to see the grave again, while if nothing were to be said of any but human foes. they knew that no one was there. The grave was -Rolf declared that he had rather have Hund dug close by the little mound beneath which Hen- for a declared enemy than for a companion. Erica rica lay. Henrica's was railed round, with a pal-understood this very well; but she could not ing which had been fresh painted—a task which forget that Hund wanted to be houseman in Erlingsen performed with his own hands every Rolf's stead, and that he desired to prevent their spring. The forget-me-not, which the Nordland-marriage. ers plant upon the graves of those they love, "That is the very reason," said Rolf, "why overran the hillock, and the white blossoms of the we should marry as soon as we can. Why not wild strawberry peeped out from under the thick fix the day, and engage the pastor while he is grass; so that this grave looked a perfect contrast here?" to that of Ulla, newly made and bare. The lovers looked at this last with dissatisfaction.

"It shall be completely railed in before to-morrow night," said Rolf.

"But cannot we dress it a little now? I could transplant some flower-roots presently, and some forget-me-not from Henrica's hillock, if we had sods for the rest. Never mind spoiling any other nook.

The grass will soon grow again." Rolf's spade was busy presently; and Erica planted and watered till the new grave, if it did not compare with the child's, showed tokens of care, and promise of beauty.

66

Now," said Rolf, when they had done, and put away their tools, and sat down on the pine log from which the pales were to be made, so that their lengthening shadows fell across the new grave-" Now, Erica, you know what she who lies there would like us to be settling. She herself said her burial-day would soon be over; and then would come our wedding-day."

66

"When everything is ready," replied Erica, we will fix; but not now. There is much to be done ;—there are many uncertainties."

"Uncertainties? What uncertainties? I know of none except indeed as to-——"

Rolf stopped to peel off, and pull to pieces, some of the bark of the pine-trunk on which he was sitting. Erica looked wistfully at him; he saw it, and went on.

"It is often an uncertainty to me, Erica, after all that has happened, whether you mean to marry me at all. There are so many doubts, and so many considerations, and so many fears! I often think we shall never be any nearer than we are." "That is your sort of doubt and fear," said Erica, smiling. "Who is there that entertains

worse?"

"Because it would hurt Peder's feelings. There will be no difficulty in sending for the pastor when everything is ready. But now, Rolf, that all may go well, do promise not to run into needless danger."

According to you," said Rolf, smiling, one can never get out of danger. Where is the use of taking care, if all the powers of earth and air are against us! You think me as helpless, under Nipen's breath, as the poor infant that put out into the fiord the other day in a tub."

"I am not speaking of Nipen now-(not because I do not think of it ;)—I am speaking of Hund. Do promise me not to go more than four miles down the fiord. After that, there is a long stretch of precipices, without a single dwelling. There is not a boat that could put off-there is not an eye or an ear that could bear witness what had become of you, if you and Hund should meet there."

"If Hund and I should meet there, I would bring him home, to settle what should become of him."

"And all the pirates? You would bring them all in your right hand, and row home with your left! For shame, Rolf, to be such a boaster ! Promise me not to go beyond the four miles." "Indeed, I can only promise to go where the shoal is. Four miles! Suppose you say four furlongs, love."

"I will engage to catch herrings within four furlongs."