ent upstairs to Henrietta, who made no answer to what she
said, except, "I will not, I will not. I have sworn it." She was ill
and feverish.

Sarah undressed her and put her to bed, but her mother wished to
nurse her herself, and Sarah was obliged to leave, even more
depressed and unhappy than before.

As the weeks passed on, her heart became more and more hardened.

Fennefos recovered his clear, pure looks, and, when in her company,
seemed to ignore her presence.

One day it was rumoured that he was about to become a missionary.
Sarah heard of it, and she grew more and more gloomy. She hated her
mother, and detested her husband, comporting herself, however, with
such calmness that no one could have imagined what thoughts were
surging through her brain.

Jacob Worse had now entered upon an earnest struggle with the devil.
By degrees it became evident to him that the evil one was always at
work, both inside and outside his innermost heart.

They strove together, the devil and Worse, from morning until
evening, and at night when he dreamt. Generally the captain got the
worst of it.

When he became aware of his snares in time, he occasionally outwitted
the crafty fiend. Thus it occurred one day, when he was with Skipper
Randulf, who had induced him to take a turn through the town, talking
and leading him farther and farther towards the wharves, that he
suddenly discovered his danger. He heard a couple of boys who passed
him say that a ship was about to be launched, and it was easy to
perceive in this a stratagem of the evil one. It was an old trick of
the devil to lead his thoughts to the sins of his early life, by
means of things pertaining to ships and the sea.

He had, therefore, long since laid aside the half-finished model of
the _Hope_ up in the garret; and when he saw that the devil tempted
him through Thomas Randulf, he turned round suddenly, and hastened
home to Sarah. Randulf grieved over his friend, and, in the evening
at the club, said "It is all up with Jacob Worse; take my word for
it, he is not long for this world. I saw it to-day."

"I don't think so," said another; "he looks a little pale and poorly,
but--"

"Yes, I tell you I saw it to-day, by his trousers."

"What rubbish you talk, Randulf!" said the chief pilot, who was
seated at the card-table.

"Rubbish!" said Randulf, pugnaciously. "Your word is better than
mine, is it? I tell you that when a man is doomed, his trousers hang
loosely