to be his last trip for the year, the following spring was
fixed for their marriage; and when he took his leave, it was with the
gloomy presentiment that he had a dreary winter before him.

Certainly, for the development of a morbid state of mind, no conditions
could have been more favourable than the enforced inactivity to which,
with many another, he was condemned for the long dark months during
which the ice put a stop to navigation. To his restless, energetic
nature, such prolonged inaction was little suited under any
circumstances, and in his present condition of mind it was little less
than disastrous.

"If she was only here!" he would sometimes inwardly exclaim, as if
crying out for help against himself and the thoughts which he felt to be
unworthy, but which nevertheless he could not shake off.

He often thought of writing to her, but was so afraid of saying
something which he might afterwards regret, that he kept putting it off
from time to time, until at last he could restrain himself no longer.

His letter ran as follows:--

"To much esteemed Miss Elizabeth Raklev--

"As concerning the Apollo, she lies in a row of other ships up in Selvig
Sound, and the ice is about a foot thick, and will be late in breaking
up this year, they all prophesy: she is well looked after, and has a
watchman on board, and storage room has been taken for her rigging in
Pettersen's rigging-loft. But as touching her captain, to whom you said
in Amsterdam you had given your full and first heart so firmly that it
couldn't be moved by any might or power in the world whatsoever--he has
thought much and often about this, and would like to hold out and see
you again before all his shore cable is chafed away. It seems as if it
was holding by its last threads, and these half-scraped through. But if
I could see you, it would become so strong again that it could hold
against any stream; and you must forgive me for my weakness when you
think of those five years; but I won't say that it is your fault,
neither make myself out better than I am, for I have confidence in you,
Elizabeth, if I have not the same reliance upon myself, and I can't help
it if I haven't. When you read this letter, Elizabeth, you must remember
the poor sailor who is frozen up here, and not forget it afterwards till
we meet again, which I would give half my life-blood or more for, if it
was any use, as I am consuming away with impatience up here--I have such
a longing