ssession of that house, and
become betrothed and marry: and no one, not even her watchful mistress,
should see a trace of repining in her countenance, or hear a tone of
bitterness from her lips. It should be her part to see that others were
happier than she had been. However weary her heart might be, she would
dance at every wedding,--of fellow-servant or of young mistress. She
would cloud nobody's happiness, but would do all she could to make
Rolf's memory pleasant to those who had known him, and wished him well.
She thought she could do all this in prospect of the day when her grave
should be dug beside those of Peder and Ulla, and when her spirit should
meet Rolf, and learn at length how he had died, and be assured that he
had watched over her as faithfully as she had remembered him.

As these thoughts passed through her mind, making her future life appear
shorter and less dreary than she could have imagined possible a few
hours before, her fingers were busily at work, and her eyes rested on
the lovely scene before her. From the elevation at which she was, it
appeared as if the ocean swelled up into the very sky, so high was the
horizon line: and between lay a vast region of rock and river, hill and
dale, forest, fiord, and town, part in golden sunlight, part in deep
shadow, but all, though bright as the skies could make it, silent as
became the hour. As Erica found that she could glance at the sun itself
without losing sight of the cattle, which still lay within her indirect
vision, she carefully watched the descent of the orb, anxious to observe
precisely when it should disappear, and how soon its golden spark would
kindle up again from the waves. When its lower rim was just touching
the waters, its circle seemed to be of an enormous size, and its whole
mass to be flaming. Its appearance was very unlike that of the
comparatively small, compact, brilliant luminary which rides the sky at
noon. Erica was just thinking so, when a rustle in the thicket, within
the pine grove, made her involuntarily turn her head in that direction.
Instantly remembering that it was a common device of the underground
people for one of them to make the watcher look away, in order that
others might drive off the cattle, she resumed her duty, and gazed
steadfastly at the herd. They were safe--neither reduced to the size of
mice, nor wandering off, though she had let her eye glance away from
them.

The sky, however, did not look lik