of him who lay by the waves became
more and more indistinct. At last he was gone; the sea raised her mantle
and wiped him out, while the fog drifted inland thick as a wall, and,
reaching the first dwellings, swept round the corners of the houses, and
sent cold gusts in at the open doors and windows.

But swifter than the mist, closer and ever more penetrating, swept the
report of the chaplain's engagement through the town. It crept in
through cracks and keyholes, filled houses from cellar to garret, and
stood so thick in the street that it stopped the traffic.

"Have you heard the news? They are engaged? Guess! where? who? Miss
Garman; I heard it an hour ago! Have you heard the news? It's the
chaplain who is engaged! Well, I am surprised! They might have waited
till after the funeral. Are you sure? He has been at the jeweller's!
Have you heard the news?"

Thus it spread, buzz, buzz, from house to house; and when at length the
weary town went to its bed, there was certainly not a soul who had not
heard of the engagement from at least five separate people. It was a
wonderful time, rich in important events.

But just as one sometimes sees a little brawling and muddy brook flowing
into a clear stream, and following along in its course, but ever keeping
its little band of dirty brown water separate from the translucent
river, even so there followed with the news of the great event, a little
whisper of uncomfortable gossip. It always accompanied the main story,
cropping up everywhere, whispered, muttered, doubted, but never
contradicted; and this little bit of intelligence was, that Pastor
Martens wore a wig. It was scarcely credible, but it was undeniable;
Madame Rasmussen herself was the authority.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Like all wise rulers, who feel that they ought to mark the epoch of
their arrival at power with certain merciful actions, Morten had given
permission to Per Karl to drive the hearse with the old blacks, which
were, however, condemned to be shot on the following day.

The old coachman had got them into "funeral trim," as he said, and for
three days had groomed them incessantly. The last night he had passed in
the stable, so that they should not lie down and spoil their coats. They
were therefore shining as they never shone before, when, at eleven
o'clock on Saturday morning, they drew up with the hearse at the door.

There are three kinds of hearses, so that one has the option of driving
to the ch