a despicable light. He cringed and
howled with terror, which so flattered the vanity of the other that a
ferocious attack was the immediate consequence. Fortunately, a kick
from one of the horses laid Brusa's aggressor yelping in the mud, an
advantage of which Brusa promptly availed himself, and the pastor's
dog would have fared badly in the issue but for the interference of
Zoega, who separated the contending parties, and administered a grave
rebuke to the party of our part respecting the impropriety of his
conduct.

Though it occurred to me that I had seen the retreating figure of a
man as we rode up, I was at a loss to understand why nobody appeared
to ask us in or bid us welcome, and suggested to Zoega that I thought
this rather an unfriendly reception. Now, upon this point of Icelandic
hospitality Zoega was peculiarly sensitive. He always maintained that
the people, though poor, are very hospitable--so much so that they
made no complaint when a certain Englishman, whose name he could
mention, stopped with them for days, ate up all their food and drank
up all their coffee, and then went off without offering them even a
small present. "No wonder," said Zoega, "this man told a great many
lies about them, and laughed at them for refusing money, when the
truth was he never offered them money or any thing else. It was
certainly a very cheap way of traveling."

"But what about the pastor, Zoega? I'm certain I caught a glimpse of
him as he darted behind the door."

"Oh, he'll be here directly; he always runs away when strangers come."

"What does he run away for?"

"Why, you see, sir, he is generally a little dirty, and must go wash
himself and put on some decent clothes."

While we were talking the pastor made his appearance, looking somewhat
damp about the face and hair, and rather embarrassed about the shape
of his coat, which was much too large for him, and hung rather low
about his heels. With an awkward shuffling gait he approached us, and,
having shaken hands with Zoega, looked askant at me, and said
something, which my guide interpreted as follows:

"He bids you welcome, sir, and says his house is at your service. It
is a very poor house, but it is the best he has. He wishes to know if
you will take some coffee, and asks what part of the world you are
from. I tell him you are from California, and he says it is a great
way off, clear down on the other side of the world, and may God's
blessing be upon you.