lace on the Fjord; she
had returned while he was absent on his explorations. Gathering together
his rug and painting materials, he blew a whistle sharply three times;
he was answered from the yacht, and presently a boat, manned by a couple
of sailors, came skimming over the water towards him. It soon reached
the shore, and, entering it, he was speedily rowed away from the scene
of his morning's experience back to his floating palace, where, as yet,
none of his friends were stirring.

"How about Jedke?" he inquired of one of his men. "Did they climb it?"

A slow grin overspread the sailor's brown face.

"Lord bless you, no, sir! Mr. Lorimer, he just looked at it and sat down
in the shade; the other gentleman played pitch-and-toss with pebbles.
They was main hungry too, and ate a mighty sight of 'am and pickles.
Then they came on board and all turned in at once."

Errington laughed. He was amused at the utter failure of Lorimer's
recent sudden energy, but not surprised. His thoughts were, however,
busied with something else, and he next asked--"Where's our pilot?"

"Valdemar Svensen, sir? He went down to his bunk as soon as we anchored,
for a snooze, he said."

"All right. If he comes on deck before I do, just tell him not to go
ashore for anything till I see him. I want to speak to him after
breakfast."

"Ay, ay, sir."

Whereupon Sir Philip descended to his private cabin. He drew the blind
at the port-hole to shut out the dazzling sunlight, for it was nearly
three o'clock in the morning, and quickly undressing, he flung himself
into his berth with a slight, not altogether unpleasant, feeling of
exhaustion. To the last, as his eyes closed drowsily, he seemed to hear
the slow drip, drip of the water behind the rocky cavern, and the
desolate cry of the incomprehensible Sigurd, while through these sounds
that mingled with the gurgle of little waves lapping against the sides
of the _Eulalie_, the name of "Thelma" murmured itself in his ears till
slumber drowned his senses in oblivion.

CHAPTER III.

"Hast any mortal name,
Fit appellation for this dazzling frame,
Or friends or kinsfolk on the citied earth?"
KEATS.

"This is positively absurd," murmured Lorimer, in mildly injured tones,
seven hours later, as he sat on the edge of his berth, surveying
Errington, who, fully dressed, and in the highest spirits, had burst in
to upbraid h