e part of an accuser,
O, no, for such love affairs were common to all young men, at least he
thus assured his wife.

"Make no excuse for him, sir," interrupted Mistress Ulrica sharply,
"this indeed is excellent, and will become still richer if not prevented
in time. The reproaches of a mother on the one hand, and the curses of a
father on the other; a seduced girl, perhaps something worse; a criminal
investigation, and a scandal in which our house, and possibly
ourselves, will figure largely; all this we must expect. As true as my
name is Ulrique Eugenie, this matter shall have an end, and a speedy
end, too."

"But how will you accomplish that?" inquired Fabian.

"That I shall attend to myself. Gottlieb has said that he should like to
travel over the mountains into Norway. Now then he can go to Amal, and
from thence he may commence his journey. He shall have money, but must
obey me."

* * * * *

The following morning, after Mistress Ulrica had convinced herself by
her own eyes of the truth of her husband's report, for she followed
Gottlieb to the meadow that morning instead of taking her usual ride,
Gottlieb was summoned to her apartment, and underwent an examination
that nearly exhausted his entire stock of patience. The interview
resulted in his determination to accept his aunt's proposal, that he
should take a journey into Norway. He did not inform Nanna, however, of
the cause of his sudden departure, for he feared that it would grieve
her.

Their last interview was cheered by bright anticipations of the day when
Gottlieb should return and observe the improvement which Nanna should
make, both in her performance on the guitar, and in her education; for
when his aunt had made a contract of peace with him, Gottlieb had
insisted that Nanna should have the guitar, to which clause the old lady
consented.

The young couple parted in the hope of a joyful meeting, and Gottlieb's
farewell kiss did not assist Nanna to forget him.

The next day after Gottlieb had taken his departure, Jon Jonson's sloop
arrived in the bay opposite the little cottage in the valley.

CHAPTER XII.

GRIEF.

Nearly two months had elapsed since those remarkable days on which Nanna
had received her first kiss, and Magde had heard from her husband by the
arrival of Jon Jonson's sloop.

Great had been her joy when Ragnar's gifts arrived in safety.--She then
thought that everything had come to a good