The nearer they approached the sea-shore, the broader grew the dark-blue
line out to the westward, where the sea lay glittering in the sunshine.
Madeleine gazed and gazed, and thoughts of the past came surging up in
her heart.

The plovers had their young, and followed after the carriage, swooping
down in front of the horses with their well-known cry. Larks in hundreds
filled the air with their joyous warble, which went straight to her
heart, and the breeze began to waft to her the fresh salt flavour of the
sea. There was something in it of seaweed, something of fish, but all
was so wonderfully rich in recollection. Madeleine leant towards the
breeze and drew in a deep breath; it seemed like a greeting from the sea
she knew so well, and which recognized her in return; it was a
reminiscence of her short day of love and happiness. She longed to fill
her lungs with the pure fresh sea air, so that it might purify all the
dark and dusty corners in her fettered soul. All the time she had been
away from Bratvold a taint of impurity seemed to have rested on her; and
now that she found herself once again face to face with the ocean, she
seemed almost ashamed thus to return. Oh that she were lying out there
in its cool depths, with the fresh salt billows dashing over her!

The carriage now approached the top of the last hill, and the village of
Bratvold, with its lighthouse, burst upon her view. She hid her face in
her hands and groaned aloud.

It was probable that her husband had not noticed this sudden outburst.
He had kept his eyes turned to the landward side, for he did not yet
feel sufficiently strong to bear the sight of the waves as they came
rolling in.

"Where shall we put up?" asked the driver. "Per Bratvold's is the best
house, but there are several others that will do well enough."

"Let us go to Per's," said the clergyman.

For a long time Madeleine had not been certain whether Martens knew of
her adventure with Per; but after a short time of married life, she
found that a story does not travel very far, without reaching the
clergyman, and without looking up she felt that his eye was resting upon
her, with the smile with which he used to bend her to his will.

Per was in the peat-shed when they drove up, and saw her as he peeped
through a chink in the boards. The moment he did so, he involuntarily
took the quid of tobacco out of his mouth and threw it from him. After
waiting a long time, he had begun again to