duct. Also
"Koenigskinder" was to be given for the first time at Covent Garden, and
I was one of the few who had sung the _Witch_ at that time. "The Flying
Dutchman" completed the list of operas I was to sing in.

After closing the contract we left for Bergen, Norway, where I had a
concert engagement. One great advantage of having my dear friends, the
Jones, back of me, was, that I could take a big journey like this; and
though it might eat up all of my profit I did not have to refuse it on
that account.

We were fascinated by Scandinavia, and though I went to sing with the
orchestra in one concert only, I remained in Bergen to give three
recitals by myself. The trip across the Finse railway, over the snowy
glaciers, I shall never forget. The line had only recently been opened,
and very few passengers shared the trip with us. We saw a herd of
reindeer, and I fed some of them with coarse salt at one of the
stations. Bergen itself was warm and muggy and smelt of fish. Everything
in the place smelt of fish, even the hotel towels. Two kindly women
managers took charge of my concerts, and I felt far away from America
till I saw a portrait of Miss Emma Thursby in their music shop.

The warm-hearted Norwegians were delightful to us, and we met many of
Grieg's relations, and heard tales of him. One of his cousins, I think,
came all the way to Berlin to study with me, but to my great regret I
had no time to give her.

I was interviewed on my first day by a nice little fellow, who could
hardly speak German, and no English nor French. Our conversation was
conducted under difficulties, but was most enjoyable none the less. The
next day I received a request for a photo from him, with a card saying:
"_Seit ich Ihnen sah bin ich sterblich verliebt._"--This bad German
means approximately, "Since I saw you I am mortally in love."

We loved our stay in Scandinavia. I remember when we first arrived in
Christiania we could not make out why the streets were thronged with
good looking men and women, from two o'clock till three in the
afternoon, and quite empty after that. We walked through the snowy,
glittering avenues, and met all these healthy red-cheeked pedestrians
talking and laughing and having a wonderful social time. We then
discovered their meal times are quite different from ours. You have an
early cup of coffee, then a light breakfast at eleven o'clock, then
dinner at three or four, preceded sometimes by this walk. Supper is