"His Lordship is returned," said the Consul to me, "and I think that is for you."
"If it be so, they will fire again," I replied. The echo of the cable, as the men began to heave it, left the Consul's conjecture no longer chimerical; and after a little while, the flash and report of another gun leaped one after the other, from crag to crag, through the dusk of evening, and whirling above our heads, bounded over the summit of the mountain.
"Come, there's no doubt now," observed the Consul, turning round towards me.
"No," I answered; "but they don't suppose I can get on board without a boat."
"You can have mine, with pleasure;" and the Consul, addressing his little son, desired that a boat should be kept in readiness.
"Oh! there! look there," exclaimed two, or three ladies, pointing towards the cutter.
"Ay, the anchor's away," said the Consul; and the yacht, with flapping jib, began to move, like a colossal swan with erected crest, proudly through the water.
The main-sail being well brailed up, the two boats were hauled alongside to the davits, and while they were being hoisted on them, a third gun was fired. The ladies, delighted with the flash and thundering of the guns, begged me to linger a little longer, that another gun might be fired; but fearful that R—— would play some mad prank, and stand out of the fiord without me, I promised the fair dames, that the next time I came to Norway, I would comply with their request, and never leave them, or Larvig again.
The Consul's eldest son soon rowed me to the yacht. When I stood on deck, and looked towards the shore, I could see the white handkerchiefs of those whom I had just left, waving through the dusky air.
"There are some of your loves," said R—— to me.