Malfred on the Højenloft, supposed that, as Hilda was dead, his father's ghost indicated that he should marry her. Meanwhile Hilda lived in the chamber under ground. Her three hand-maidens died of hunger, and she killed and ate her little dog Issegrim. There is an example here, in the Eventyr, of the imagery employed. The passing of time is described, as well as Hilda's distress of mind.

De Uger henrinde,

De Maaneder svinde,

De Ulve tude,

Det fryser saa haardt

I Skoven derude;

Hvor est du Kær Fader?

Ak! vidste du hvad jeg maa lide?

The weeks pass,

The months vanish,

The wolves howl,

It freezes so hard in the forest;

Where art thou, dear father?

Ah! dost thou know what I suffer?

This depicts the passing of the winter.

summer is as follows:-
:-

De Uger henrinde,

De Maaneder svinde;

I grønne Lunde,

That of the

Høit galer Gøjen ved Midsommer's Stunde:

Hvor est du, min Rerik?

Ak! vidste du hvad jeg maa lide?

The weeks pass,

The months vanish;

In the green groves

The cuckoo calls at midsummer:
Where art thou, my Rerik?

Ah! dost thou know what I suffer?

But relief was at hand. A hungry wolf, attracted by the smell of the dead bodies of the three hand-maidens, dug a hole into the chamber under ground; but it was frightened at seeing Hilda, and fled to the forest. Hilda crept out of the hole made by the wolf, but nearly perished from hunger. The sound of a hunter's horn was welcome. The name of the hunter was Hagbart. After acquainting her with the death of her father and of King Alkor, he told her of her own supposed death, and of Rerik's intended marriage with Malfred, to whom he (Hagbart) had been secretly married. Hilda swooned at this intelligence, and was carried to Rerik's Borg, or palace, and cared for by Hagbart's sisters. Malfred, who dreaded the discovery of her secret marriage to Hagbart, prevailed on Hilda to be dressed as bride in her place, and to be hidden in the bridal veil. At the marriage Hilda gave Rerik the ring he had given her when she had secretly betrothed herself to him under the Lindens. Supposing her to be Malfred, King Rerik returned the ring to her, and commanded her never to part with or lose it. Hilda thus realised that he yet loved her. After the wedding feast she went up to the Højenloft, and King Rerik followed and insisted on again seeing the ring and the

removal of the bridal-veil. Hilda laughed joyfully, so that the king's hall rang again, and Rerik, to his intense surprise, recognised her. There are more incidents in this Eventyr," added the Amtmand, "but I daresay you have had enough of it."

"By no means," said Fanny Stirling; "my interest in the story has been great."

CHAPTER XIII.

Kom upp, kom upp, fraa den tronge Dal upp aa Fjellet.

Come, come, from the drowsy valley up to the Fjelds.
CHRISTOPHER JANSEN.

THE distance from Nordby to Opheim, the little station at the foot of the high Fjelds, was twenty-eight English miles. The station consisted of a little inn with its out-buildings. A few houses belonging to Bøndefolk

were near.

"This is the station, Tyssen," said Stirling as they approached it. "We have taken, as I told you we should, twelve hours to walk the twenty-eight miles from Nordby. It is never well to press a Norwegian, or a Norwegian pony, the first day; and the two hours' rest we had half-way, and going at a moderate pace, enables us to come in at Opheim fresh and ready, after a night's rest, for a stiffer walk to-morrow. But here is Jacob Oppedal, whose orders were to stay by the tent until we came."

"I conclude," said Tyssen, "he has something to communicate, or he would not have disobeyed your orders."

"He does not obey orders at all times," said Stirling. "Well, Jacob," he added in the Bonde dialect, "what in the name of the Devil's grandmother brings you here?"

"Stirling would like to hear," replied Jacob, talking as if he was addressing another person than Stirling, "that there are no deer on the Fjelds at present, but there are some Fjeld Ryper between this and the Sæter; and if he turns to the left at a place where I will show him, he may shoot many."

"I like orders being adhered to best, Jacob," said Stirling. "It cannot be far from the tent, and, if there are no deer, we might make a better day at the Ryper from the tent, with Kristofer and his dog with us, than just coming across them on the way up."

Jacob Oppedal said nothing, but rubbed his teeth with a thin bit of birchwood fashioned like a broad toothpick.

"Now, Jacob," added Stirling, "get into the station. We want fried eggs and meat cakes, or anything they have got, and we start at three to-morrow for the tent, rain or shine, and see the horse well fed to-night.”

The Landhandler at the station was interested in their expedition, and did his best to make their stay with him