en I can easily do it, but there I am at a
distance from the best aid. I am disposed to "_top up_," with a
sea voyage, but this is No. 3--Nos. 1 and 2 being rest and then
treatment.

The sea voyage that was to "top up" the rest of the treatment began on
August 8, when the Gladstones became the guests of Sir Thomas and Lady
Brassey on the _Sunbeam_. They sailed from Greenhithe to Norway, and after
a three weeks' cruise, were set ashore at Fort George on September 1. Mr.
Gladstone made an excellent tourist; was full of interest in all he saw;
and, I dare say, drew some pleasure from the demonstrations of curiosity
and admiration that attended his presence from the simple population
wherever he moved. Long expeditions with much climbing and scrambling were
his delight, and he let nothing beat him. One of these excursions, the
ascent to the Voeringfos, seems to deserve a word of commemoration, in the
interest either of physiology or of philosophic musings after Cicero's
manner upon old age. "I am not sure," says Lady Brassey in her most
agreeable diary of the cruise,(135) "that the descent did not seem rougher
and longer than our journey up had been, although, as a matter of fact, we
got over the ground much more quickly. As we crossed the green pastures on
the level ground near the village of Saeboe we met several people taking
their evening stroll, and also a tourist apparently on his way up to spend
the night near the Voeringfos. The wind had gone down since the morning,
and we crossed the little lake with fair rapidity, admiring as we went the
glorious effects of the setting sun upon the tops of the precipitous
mountains, and the wonderful echo which was aroused for our benefit by the
boatmen. An extremely jolty drive, in springless country carts, soon
brought us to the little inn at Vik, and by half-past eight we were once
more on board the _Sunbeam_, exactly ten hours after setting out upon our
expedition, which had included a ride or walk, as the case might be, of
eighteen miles, independently of the journey by boat and cart--a hardish
day's work for any one, but really a wonderful undertaking for a man of
seventy-five, who disdained all proffered help, and insisted on walking
the whole distance. No one who saw Mr. Gladstone that evening at dinner in
the highest spirits, and discussing subjects both grave and gay with the
greatest animation, could fail to admire his marvellous pluck and energy,
or, knowi