"A life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep."

When the Lunda boat was out of sight Yaspard heaved a long sigh, and
said to Signy, who with him had stood watching their new friends until
the curves of the voe hid them from sight, "Well! I suppose I may stop
my raids when I like now. There is no feud, and no occasion to go on
the warpath."

"It seems almost too good to be true, brodhor," the girl made answer.
"You need not mind giving up your Vikinging for such a good reason."

"That's true," he answered cheerily; "only we were getting no end of
fun out of it. However, we must think of some other plan, as Mr.
Garson said. Oh! but isn't _he_ a brick, Signy?"

"He is just splendid," was the fervent answer.

"They are _all_ splendid," replied the lad, "except perhaps Tom
Holtum. I don't like him much. And to think of cousin Neeven taking
to _that_ one of all the lot! Well! if Tom is to be visiting
at Trullyabister, where even I have not more than a half-civil
'Good-day'-and-don't-stay-long sort of welcome, there will be hot times
in Boden, and plenty of rows."

"Oh, brodhor! don't set up a feud of your own, I beseech!" Signy cried,
with a comical look of dismay on her face, and lifting both hands in
appeal.

Yaspard burst into laughter. "Oh, Mootie, what a little goose you are!
I couldn't keep a feud going to save my life. I can fight! I dare
say, if that chap is much about, I shall knock him down if he cheeks
me, but we will shake hands on the spot every time, you bet! _I_ a
feud! No, Signy, I am not a fool just yet; though if I had stayed much
longer on Yelholme, I'd have lost the little wit I now possess."

They strolled away to the house, and did not know that Uncle Brues had
been lying sunning himself on the other side of the stone wall near
which they stood. As the brother and sister departed the old gentleman
muttered, "Not a fool yet! No, Yaspard is not such a fool now as his
uncle has been through a wasted long life. Heaven pardon me!"

[1] Young gulls.

[2] Oyster-catchers.

CHAPTER XXIV.

"MEET AND RIGHT IT IS, FAIR LORD, THAT I SHOULD GO."

The day before that on which the picnic was to take place a mysterious
communication passed between the young Laird of Lunda and Yaspard
Adiesen, the effect of which was to set our Viking into a fit of the
fidgets combined with a state of exhilaration of spirit that threatened
to effervesce in a dangerous manner at any