my house when all is quiet, and I
will see thee safely on board. At six in the morning, when she sails,
the quay will be crowded."

"I will do all this. Speak not of the matter, I ask thee."

"Thou may fully trust me."

Then Margaret went home with a light heart. Her way had been made very
plain to her; it only now remained to bind Elga to her interest. This
was not hard to do. Elga promised to remain for two years in charge of
the house if Margaret did not return before. She felt rich with an
allowance of five shillings a week, and the knowledge that Banker
Tulloch had authority to prevent either Peter or Suneva from troubling
her during that time. So that it was Elga's interest, even if it had
not been her will, to give no information which might lead to the
breaking up of the comfort dependent on Margaret's absence.

Nothing interfered with Margaret's plans. During the three intervening
days, she went as usual to Dr. Balloch's. Twice she tried to introduce
the subject of Snorro's singular journey, and each time she contrived
to let the minister see that she connected it in her own mind with
Jan. She noticed that on one of these occasions, the doctor gave her
a long, searching look, and that the expression of his own face was
that of extreme indecision. She almost thought that he was going to
tell her something, but he suddenly rose and changed the subject of
their conversation, in a very decided manner. His reticence pained and
silenced her, for she almost longed to open her heart to him. Yet, as
he gave her no encouragement, she was too shy, and perhaps too proud
to force upon him an evidently undesired confidence. She determined,
however, to leave letters for him, and for her father, stating the
object of her voyage, but entering into no particulars about it. These
letters she would put in Elga's care, with orders not to deliver them
until Saturday night. By that time Margaret Vedder hoped to be more
than a hundred miles beyond Lerwick.

In the meantime Snorro had reached Portsmouth, his journey thither
having been uneventful. "The Retribution" had arrived two days before,
and was lying in dock. At the dock office a letter which Lord Lynne
had given him, procured an admission to visit the ship, and her tall
tapering masts were politely pointed out to him. Snorro went with
rapid strides toward her, for it was near sunset and he knew that
after the gun had been fired, there would be difficulty in getting on
bo