icturesque region which would bear a
striking resemblance to Switzerland if an artificial arm of the sea
should ever conduct the waters of the blue Mediterranean to the foot
of the Alps.

A magnificent avenue of ash trees leads to the town.

The houses, with their fantastic, pointed gables, are as dazzling
in their whiteness as the habitations of Arabian cities, and are all
congregated in an irregular triangle that contains a population
of about thirty thousand souls. Its churches date from the twelfth
century. Its tall cathedral is visible from afar to vessels returning
from sea, and it is the capital of commercial Norway, though
situated off the regular lines of travel, and a long distance
from the two cities which rank first and second in the kingdom,
politically--Christiania and Drontheim.

Under any other circumstances the professor would have taken great
pleasure in studying this important city, which is Dutch rather than
Norwegian in its aspect and manners. It had been one of the cities
included in his original route, but since his adventure on the
Maristien and his subsequent sojourn at Dal, his plans had undergone
important changes.

Sylvius Hogg was no longer the traveling deputy, anxious to ascertain
the exact condition of the country from a commercial as well as a
political point of view. He was the guest of the Hansens, the debtor
of Joel and Hulda, whose interests now outweighed all else in his
estimation--a debtor who was resolved to pay his debt of gratitude at
any cost, though he felt that what he was about to attempt for them
was but a trifle.

On his arrival in Bergen, Sylvius Hogg landed at the lower end of
the town, on the wharf used as a fish-market, but he lost no time in
repairing to the part of the town known as the Tyske Bodrone quarter,
where Help, Junior, of the house of Help Bros., resided.

It was raining, of course, for rain falls in Bergen on at least three
hundred and sixty days of every year; but it would be impossible
to find a house better protected against the wind and rain than the
hospitable mansion of Help, Junior, and nowhere could Sylvius Hogg
have received a warmer and more cordial welcome. His friend took
possession of him very much as if he had been some precious bale of
merchandise which had been consigned to his care, and which would be
delivered up only upon the presentation of a formal order.

Sylvius Hogg immediately made known the object of his visit to Help,