m here solely on your account. I want to tell you that all
these years I have been looking forward to this moment. My dear
Magnhild!"

She spoke an intermixture of three languages: English, the dialect of
the parish, and a little of the common book language of Norway.

"I have been trying to speak Norse only a couple of months, and do not
succeed very well yet."

Her countenance had developed: the eyes glowed with more warmth than of
yore; the full lips had acquired facility in expressing every varied
shade of humor, friendliness, and will. Her form was even more
voluptuous than it had formerly been, but her rapid movements and the
elegant traveling suit she wore softened the effect. Her broad hands,
which bore the impress of her working days, closed warmly about
Magnhild's hand, and soon they were sitting side by side while Roennaug
told her strange experiences of the past four or five years. She had not
wanted to write about them, for no one would have believed her story if
she had. The reason why she had not kept her promise to write
immediately upon reaching her journey's end was simply because even
during the voyage she had risen from the steerage to the first cabin,
and what had caused this promotion would have been misinterpreted.

When she sailed from Liverpool she was sitting forward on the gunwale of
the large ship. A gentleman came up to her and in broken Norwegian
claimed acquaintance with her, for just as she was sitting now, he said,
she had sat a month before on the back of his cariole. Roennaug, too,
remembered him, and they talked together that day and many other days.
After a while he brought a lady with him. The next day he and the lady
came again and invited Roennaug to go with them to the first cabin. Here
the lady and she, with the aid of the gentleman, entered into an English
conversation, which created much amusement. Others soon gathered about
the group and the upshot of it all was that Roennaug was compelled to
remain in the first cabin, she really did not know at whose expense. She
took a bath, was provided with new clothes from top to toe, several
ladies contributing, and remained as a guest among the passengers. All
were kind to her.

She left the ship with the lady, who proved to be an aunt of the
gentleman who had first spoken to Roennaug and at whose expense, as she
soon learned, she had traveled. He afterwards had her provided with
instruction and the handsomest support, and it was