rove him from his native land to be a
wanderer on the earth.

"But if," he continued, "the Lord permits me to preach His gospel of
truth and love and peace in Norway, I shall count the sufferings of this
present time as nothing compared with the glory yet to be revealed."

"Christian," said Astrid, who appeared to have been struck by some
reminiscence, "methinks I have heard Ulf talk of a religion which the
men of the south profess. He saw something of it when he went on viking
cruise to the great fiord that runs far into the land, [the
Mediterranean] and if my memory is faithful he said that they called
themselves by a name that sounds marvellously like thine own."

"I suppose Ulf must have met with Christians, after whom I call myself,
seeing that my own name is of consequence to no one," said the hermit.
"What said he about them?"

"That they were a bad set," replied Astrid,--"men who professed love to
their fellows, but were guilty of great cruelty to all who did not
believe their faith."

"All who call themselves Christians deserve not the name, Astrid; some
are hypocrites and deceivers, others are foolish and easily deceived."

"They all make the same profession, I am told," said Dame Astrid.

"The men of Norway are warriors," returned the hermit, "and all profess
courage,--nay, when they stand in the ranks and go forth to war, they
all show the same stern face and front, so that one could not know but
that all were brave; yet are they not all courageous, as thou knowest
full well. Some, it may be very few, but some are cowards at heart, and
it only requires the test of the fight to prove them. So is it with
professing Christians. I would gladly tell the story of Jesus if ye
will hear me, Dame Astrid."

The matron's curiosity was excited, so she expressed her willingness to
listen; and the hermit, reading passages from his manuscript copy of the
New Testament, and commenting thereon, unfolded the "old old story" of
God's wonderful love to man in Jesus Christ.

While he was yet in the midst of his discourse the door of the hall was
burst violently open, and one of the serving-girls, rushing in,
exclaimed that the Danes were approaching from the fiord!

The Danes referred to composed a small party who had been sent off in a
cutter by Skarpedin Redbeard to survey the coast beyond Horlingdal
fiord, as he had intended, after herrying that district, to plunder
still farther north. This party in returning