of the rising generation. Mrs. Aalbom sat by the
window, pretending to listen to the Consul, who was describing with
great clearness, and in carefully chosen language, how the garden had
been arranged in his late father's time. But the lady was in reality
listening to her husband, for whom she had a most unbounded admiration.
Mrs. Aalbom was extremely tall, lean, bony, and angular; her lips were
thin, and her teeth long and yellow.

The pastor and the carriage from the town had not yet arrived. The
Consul's only daughter, Rachel, was standing by the old-fashioned stove,
talking merrily with Uncle Richard, and as the door opened, and the
pastor and the new inspector entered the room, she was laughing still
more gaily, and her mother gave her a reproving look.

As this was Mr. Johnsen's first visit to Sandsgaard, Mr. Martens took
him round and introduced him to each guest in succession, beginning with
the ladies. When they came to the fireplace, Uncle Richard received them
with his usual affability; but Rachel only gave a momentary glance at
the new acquaintance, and, almost without turning her head, continued
her conversation with her uncle. To her astonishment, however, she
remarked that the strange gentleman still remained standing by her side,
and, raising her calm blue eyes, she looked fixedly at him. What
followed was for her most unusual: she was obliged to withdraw her
glance, for, contrary to her expectation, she did not find Mr. Johnsen
shy, awkward, and impressed with the strange surroundings. It was plain,
however, that he was conscious that his behaviour was unconventional,
but he did not therefore desist. This caused Rachel to lose somewhat of
her usual self-possession.

"Have you been on the west coast before?" said Uncle Richard, coming to
her assistance.

"Never," replied the young man; "all I have as yet seen of the sea has
been Christiana Fjord."

"And what do you think of our scenery?" continued the old gentleman. "I
have no doubt that you have already seen some of the finest views in the
neighbourhood."

"It has made a deep impression on me," answered Mr. Johnsen; "but Nature
here is so grand and so impressive as to make one feel insignificant in
its presence."

"Perhaps you find it too dull here?" said Rachel, a little disappointed.

"Oh no, not exactly that," replied he, quietly. "The idea I wished to
convey is that Nature here has something--how shall I express
it?--something exacting ab