man about forty years of age, with a black skull-cap
on his head, a long queue behind, and a pair of spectacles on his
nose--his face very thin and of a cadaverous expression; just such a
man as you would expect to find upon a justice's bench of a country
district in Norway. Was it possible I bore any resemblance to this
learned man? The very idea was so startling, not to say flattering,
that I could hardly preserve my composure. I mumbled over something to
the effect that it was a good face--for scenic purposes; but every
time I tried to acknowledge the likeness to myself the words stuck in
my throat. Finally, I was forced to ask the landlady if she would be
so kind as to bring me a glass of brandy-wine, for I was afraid she
would discover the internal convulsions which threatened every moment
to rend my ribs asunder. While she was looking after the brandy-wine I
made a hasty copy of the portrait, and I now leave it to the impartial
reader to decide upon the supposed resemblance. It may be like me, but
I confess the fact never would have impressed itself upon my mind from
any personal observation of my own countenance taken in front of a
looking-glass.

[Illustration: JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.]

There was something so genial and cozy about the inn at Djerkin that I
partially resolved to stop all night. At dinner-time the landlord made
his appearance steaming hot from the kitchen. I no longer hesitated
about staying. I am a great believer in the physiognomy of inns as
well as of landlords. Traveling through a wild country like Norway,
where there is little beyond the scenery to attract attention, the
unpretending stations by the wayside assume a degree of importance
equaled only by the largest cities in other countries. The approach,
the aspect of the place, the physiognomy of the house, become matters
of the deepest interest to the solitary wayfarer, who clings to these
episodes in the day's journey as the connecting links that bind him to
the great family of man. I claim to be able to tell from the general
expression of an inn, commencing at the chimney-top and ending at the
steps of the front door, exactly what sort of cheer is to be had
within--whether the family are happily bound together in bonds of
affection; how often the landlord indulges in a bout of hard drinking;
and the state of control under which he is kept by the female head of
the establishment; nay, I can almost guess, from the general aspect of
the h