was half an hour afterwards. I doubt whether any such
fright would make a liar into a truthful man, in a moment."

Erica now remembered and told the falsehood of Hund about what he was
doing when the boat was spirited away:--a falsehood told in the very
midst of the humiliation and remorse she had described.

"Why there now!" exclaimed Frolich, ceasing her stirring for a moment to
look round; "what a capital story that is! and how few people know it!
and how neatly you catch him in his fib! And why should not something
like it be happening now with Rolf? Rolf knows all the ins and outs of
the fiord: and if he has been playing bo-peep with his enemies among the
islands, and frightening Hund, is it not the most natural thing in the
world that Hund should come scampering home, and get his place, and say
that he is lost, while waiting to see whether he is or not!--O dear!"
she exclaimed after a pause, during which Erica did not attempt to
speak, "I know what I wish."

"You wish something kind, dear, I am sure," said Erica, with a deep
sigh.

"We have so many,--so very many nice, useful things,--we can go up the
mountains and sail away over the seas,--and look far abroad into the
sky. I only wish we could do one little thing more. I really think,
having so many things, we might have had just one little thing more
given us;--and that is wings. I grudge them to yonder screaming eagles,
when I want them so much."

"My dear child, what strange things you say?"

"I do so very much want to fly abroad, just for once, over the fiord.
If I could but look down into every nook and cove between Thor Islet and
the sea, I would not be long in bringing you news. If I did not see
Rolf, I would tell you plainly. Really, at such times it seems very odd
that we have not wings."

"Perhaps the time may come, dear."

"I can never want them so much again."

"My dear, you cannot want them as I do, if I dared to say such bold
things as you do. You are not weary of the world, Frolich."

"What! this beautiful world? Are you weary of it all, Erica?"

"Yes, dear."

"What! of the airy mountains, and the silent forests, and the lonely
lakes, and the blue glaciers, with flowers fringing them? Are you quite
weary of all these?"

"O that I had wings like a dove! Then would I flee away, and be at
rest." Erica hardly murmured these words; but Frolich caught them.

"Do you know," said she, softly, after a pause, "I doubt whether w