ilingly expressed some doubt on the subject, the old man
said warmly--

"Why, does it not stand written in the Bible that all knees, as well
those that are in heaven and on the earth, and _under_ the earth, shall
bow at the name of the Lord? And who, indeed, can they be _under_ the
earth, if not the subterranean? And do you take care," continued he
gaily, with an arch look at Susanna, "take care when the 'Thusmoerk'
(twilight) comes, for then is the time when they are about; and they
have a particular fancy for young girls, and drag them gladly down to
their dwellings. Take care! for if they get you once down into their
church--for they have churches too, deep under ground--you will never
see the sun and God's clear heaven again as long as ever you live; and
it would not be pleasant, that you may believe, to dwell with Thuserne."

Susanna shuddered involuntarily at this jest. She cast a glance upon the
wild rock-shapes around her, which the Halling-peasant assured her were
all spectres, giants, and giantesses, turned into stone. Harald remarked
the impression which all this made on Susanna; but he, who had so often
amused himself by exciting her imagination, became now altogether
rectifying reason, and let his light shine for Susanna on the darkness
of superstition.

Higher yet ascended the travellers, and more desolate became the
country. The whole of this mountain region is scattered over with larger
and smaller blocks of stone; and these have assisted people as waymarks
through this country, when, without these, people must infallibly lose
themselves. Stones have, therefore, been piled upon the large blocks in
the direction which the road takes; and if a stone fall down, the
passer-by considers it a sacred duty to replace it. "Comfortable
waymarks," as Professor Hansten, in his interesting "Mountain Journey,"
calls these guides; "for," continues he, "they are upon this journey the
only traces of man; and if only once one has failed to see one such
stone of indication, the next which one discovers expels the awakened
anxiety by the assurance, 'thou art still upon the right way.'"

In dark or foggy weather, however, those friendly watchers are almost
useless, and the journey is then in the highest degree dangerous. People
become so easily bewildered and frozen in this desert, or they are
overwhelmed by the falls of snow. They who perish in this manner are
called after death "Drauge," and are supposed to haunt the gl