and for
this, Errington, though almost mad with impatience, was forced to wait.
And in the meantime, he roamed about the streets of Hull, looking
eagerly at every fair-haired woman who passed him, and always hoping
that Thelma herself would suddenly meet him face to face, and put her
hands in his. He wrote to Neville and told him to send on any letters
that might arrive for him, and by every post he waited anxiously for one
from Thelma but none came. To relieve his mind a little, he scribbled a
long letter to her, explaining everything, telling her how ardently he
loved and worshipped her--how he was on his way to join her at the
Altenfjord,--and ending by the most passionate vows of unchanging love
and fidelity. He was somewhat soothed when he had done this--though he
did not realize the fact that in all probability he himself might arrive
before the letter. The slow, miserable days went on--the week was
completed--the steamer for Christiansund started at last,--and, after a
terribly stormy passage, he and the faithful Britta were landed there.

On arrival, he learned that a vessel bound for the North Cape had left
on the previous day--there would not be another for a fortnight. Cursing
his ill-luck, he resolved to reach the Altenfjord by land, and began to
make arrangements accordingly. Those who knew the country well
endeavored to dissuade him from this desperate project--the further
north, the greater danger, they told him,--moreover, the weather was,
even for Norway, exceptionally trying. Snow lay heavily over all the
country he would have to traverse--the only means of conveyance was by
carriole or _pulkha_--the latter a sort of sledge used by the
Laplanders, made in the form of a boat, and generally drawn by reindeer.
The capabilities of the carriole would be exhausted as soon as the
snow-covered regions were reached--and to manage a _pulkha_
successfully, required special skill of no ordinary kind. But the
courageous little Britta made short work of all these difficulties--she
could drive a _pulkha_,--she knew how to manage reindeer,--she
entertained not the slightest doubt of being able to overcome all the
obstacles on the way. At the same time, she frankly told Sir Philip that
the journey would be a long one, perhaps occupying several days--that
they would have to rest at different farms or stations on the road, and
put up with hard fare--that the cold would be intense,--that often they
would find it difficult