ly it flashed
across his mind that Pastor Lindal had told him about Kapellan Holm,
and that Karl had repeated what Mathilde Jensen had said about his
buying Rosandal. As he sat thinking, he looked all the time at Helga.
At length he said, "I am going home to my mother, Froken, but I hope
to be here in May; earlier I cannot come, because it would be cold for
my mother to travel."

"We shall be glad to see you, Herr Hardy; and I long to see your
mother," said Helga.

Then Hardy knew that Kapellan Holm was nowhere, and his face grew
bright, and he was ready for the map of Jutland.

Hardy explained his idea of driving to Esbjerg, and the extraordinary
proposition was that he proposed to take not only Karl, but Helga
Lindal herself and Axel.

"I should so like it," said Helga, "but----"

"I know," said Hardy, "that there are likely to be several 'buts.' The
serious one is that the Pastor would not like to leave his parish for
five days. Can this be arranged? Can he get any one to come here?"

"He will write the Provost" (the dean), replied Helga. "But he has
already arranged to go to Esbjerg to see Karl off to England, and as
we thought you might go to England earlier, a Hjaelpe-praest is ready to
come here at any time; a day more or less will make no difference."

"The next 'but' is, whether the Herr Pastor would like it," said
Hardy.

"That I am sure he will; but he must consider the expense," replied
Helga, "and there would be the extra railway expense of my returning
here."

"Then we leave at midday for Silkeborg," said Hardy. "Will you,
Froken, tell your father about it? he is in his study; and now we can
tell the boys;" and he called them, sent Axel for Garth, and told Karl
to be ready at midday.

The Pastor immediately bustled in. "What a scheme you have hatched!"
he said.

"Yes; but you cannot have had time to have heard it," said Hardy,
"much more to condemn it."

"Helga came into my study and said, 'Little father, Herr Hardy wants
to drive us all by stages to see Karl off; can we go?' Now, is that
the scheme?"

"Certainly," replied Hardy. "We want you to send our heavy luggage to
the station for Esbjerg, and a telegram to Silkeborg to order dinner
at five and beds, and leave here at midday. The next day we can get to
Horsens, and then to Veile, or farther. I have taken out the different
places and distances by Mansa's map, which you can check. Here is also
the English guide-book for Jutland. We c