At one time, Noah played his violin as he sauntered along. Occasionally, Zachariah was a short distance in advance, with the donkeys, and the peasants collected at the road side, would politely take their hats off to him, an honour Zachariah appeared much to appreciate. We reached Branvold,[43] and at a station on the road side, we found we could post our letters. The house was remarkably clean and comfortable, and had, apparently, excellent accommodation. The civil pige found us a pen and ink, and went to call her young mistress, who had not yet left her room. We met a gentleman staying there who had been passenger on board the steamer on the Mjösen Lake; he went out to look at the donkeys. The young post mistress took our letters; one letter was to the gipsies’ friends. She was a very agreeable, pleasant-looking girl, who spoke English with an admirable accent. We paid eight skillings, which she said the postage would amount to. Soon after we had left the station she came running to us, and said, “Mr. Smith, it is sixteen skillings;” and received the money. Shortly after, she came driving up in her carriole, and said, “Mr. Smith, I find it is sixteen skillings more.” In truth, we were not sorry to see her again, she was such a kind, pleasant, merry girl, withal neatly dressed, and good-looking. We laughed, as we held out the palm of our hand containing a number of Norwegian coins that she might count out what she wanted; nor did we omit to pay a just tribute to her knowledge of the English language. After the young post mistress had left us, we came along the road towards a large house, having more of those characteristics of the country gentleman’s residence than any we had yet seen. The house stood in its own grounds, at a short distance before we reached the turning from the main route to “Harpe Brö.” When we passed by it, the gentleman and his family were assembled near the entrance-gate to the grounds. He was a fine, tall, gentlemanly man, accompanied by a very good-looking young lady, who stood near him. She was the best-looking young lady we had yet seen in Norway. Two young gentlemen, we supposed to be sons, were also there.
The gentleman lifted his hat, and seemed to give us a kindly welcome; we returned his salutation. There was something pleasurable in such kindly feeling; we little think how much we can do in this world to lighten a lonely wayfarer’s heart.
CHAPTER XV.
“We remounted, and I rode on, thinking of the vision of loveliness I was leaving in that wild dell. We travel a great way to see hills and rivers, thought I; but, after all, a human being is a more interesting object than a mountain. I shall remember the little gipsy of Hadjilar long after I have forgotten Hermus and Sipylus.”
N. P. Willis.
THE VELOCIPEDE—ROADSIDE HALT—LOVELY SCENERY—DISAPPOINTED AUDIENCE—THE LITTLE GIPSY—THE LOST POCKET—THE SEARCH—GIPSY LAMENTATION—AMUSED PEASANT GIRLS—NORWEGIAN HONESTY—THE POCKET FOUND—A NOBLE HEART—PLEASANT VOYAGEURS—PATRINS—STORKLEVSTAD—TAMBOURINE LOST—NORWEGIAN HONESTY—ECCENTRIC VISITS—INTERROGATORY—THE CAPTAIN—THE INTERVIEW—THE VILLAGE MAGNATE—MEGET GODT—ESMERALDA IN CAMP—THE LAST VISIT—THE MOORLAND MAIDEN.
We had not gone far along the road, when we saw a blacksmith’s shop; a man suddenly appeared from it, and came towards us on a velocipede.
“Why,” said Esmeralda, “there’s a velocity”!
“What broad wheels,” said Zachariah.
“It’s Arthur coming to town,” answered Noah.
The man was working it along might and main, with his hair flying; he was a strong framed man, with an intelligent countenance. The velocipede was probably manufactured by himself; although very roughly made, he managed to go at a fair pace; when we came to the route turning from the main road to “Harpe Brö” our companion with the naturally white hair, who had occasionally ridden with us during the morning, and by whose assistance we had increased our vocabulary of Norwegian words, wished us good day.