succeeded in arriving at last
before a very neat and comfortable cottage. An old woman, clean in dress
and comely in her person, came to the door, having, on either side of
her, two youths evidently her sons, for their features bore a strong
resemblance to her own; and between the lad on her right hand, and the
dame's black gown, a large dog, mongrel in his breed, thrust his
inquisitive nose. Out of the four windows, which I attributed to the
bed-rooms, the heads of four girls popped. Three half-naked savages, or
the Graces, could not have caused more excitement in the streets of
London, than we did to the amiable inmates of this lonely cottage; for I
do not suppose there was another house, or hovel, within twenty miles.
King, who had come with us, endeavoured to explain the object of our
visit by a request, made in the Norwegian language, for milk, and by
holding up the empty jug; but the old woman shook her head, and glancing
at the two lads, they shook their heads, and the four girls above shook
their heads too, but with the quick perception of drollery common to
their sex,--they laughed. King made a step or two nearer to the cottage
door to explain himself more distinctly; but the old lady retrograded in
the same proportion as King advanced, her two sons following her
example, and, likewise, the dog growling most gutturally.

"They don't understand you," I said to King.

"Oh! yes, Sir, they do," he replied; "but they can't make us out, and
are afraid."

"The girls ain't afraid, your Honour," observed the good-humoured
cockswain, who was the other sailor, beside King, with me, and had been
coquetting already with the four lasses. We beckoned to them to come
down, and one immediately withdrew her head, and the next moment peeped
over the old woman's shoulder. She seemed inclined to speak with us,
but the old hag would not permit such conduct: and the more earnestly
King notified our pacific errand, the more belligerent the ancient
mother thought it.

We were obliged to return without the milk; but I am sure, if the eldest
girl had been allowed to use her own discretion, she would have supplied
our wants; for when we had gone some distance from the cottage, I looked
back and saw her standing at the door; and kissing my hand to her, she
returned the salute readily.

I thought the old woman inhospitable, to say nothing of inhuman; for
among these solitary mountains we might have lost our way, for aught she
knew, a