you to get ready for your wedding in his absence; it will be
better so. And here is a little packet. It will meet any expense; it
is not from John, it is from me;" and Mrs. Hardy kissed her
affectionately and was gone.

CHAPTER XXIV.

"_Piscator._--But, my worthy friend, I would rather
prove myself a gentleman by being learned and humble, valiant
and inoffensive, virtuous and communicable, than by any fond
ostentation of riches."
--_The Complete Angler._

Pastor Lindal accepted the invitation to join the yacht. He was
anxious to know more of Mrs. Hardy, in whose hands he felt so much of
his daughter's future lay.

Mrs. Hardy had, as she had done before every Sunday, attended the
parish church, and Helga thanked her for the contents of the packet of
Danish bank notes. It was more in amount, she said, than she wanted,
and would return Mrs. Hardy three-fourths of it.

"It is very kind," said Helga; "but I can only accept what is
positively necessary, and I accept that because it would relieve my
father from an expense that he cannot well bear, and because John
might wish to see me well dressed when I am married to him."

"Would you not like to make Kirstin and your father's other servants a
present when you are married?" said Mrs. Hardy.

"Yes, I shall; but I cannot use your money to do that, Mrs. Hardy. I
shall give them what I have of my own, and what they know I have
valued; it is not much, but they would like it best."

This conversation had ended when they reached the parsonage, where
Robert Garth was waiting with the carriage to drive Mrs. Hardy and her
son to Rosendal.

"John," said Mrs. Hardy, as they drove away, "she is worthy of your
best affection. There is not a day passes but that something arises
which makes me love her more and more." Mrs. Hardy loved again with
her son's love.

"Mother," said John, "she is so dear to me; there is nothing that is
not truth with her."

"You are right, John," said his mother. "Give her all your heart, and
she will give you hers."

"I know it, mother," said John.

Pastor Lindal accompanied them to Aarhus, and when they came on board
the yacht, John Hardy spread out the chart of the Danish islands
before him.

"We can reach Nyborg to-night, Herr Pastor," said he, "and call and
stop at Svendborg, and run round Moen's Klint to Copenhagen, and
passing Elsinore to Aarhus again, stopping at any place on the way."

"But the time?" a