Samaria,
and taught how the true worship was come, He neither frowned on the
woman who inquired, nor despised her, nor made light of her superstition
about a sacred mountain."

There was a long silence, which was broken at last by Erica asking the
bishop whether he could not console poor Hund, who wanted comfort more
than she had ever done. The bishop replied that the demons who most
tormented poor Hund were not abroad on the earth or in the air, but
within his breast--his remorse, his envy, his covetousness, his fear.
He meant, however, not to lose sight of poor Hund, either in the prison
to which he was to travel to-morrow, or after he should come out of it.

Here Frolich appeared running to ask whether those who were in the grove
would not like to look forth from the ridge, and see what good the
budstick had done, and how many parties were on their way from all
quarters to the farm.

M. Kollsen was glad to rise and escape from what he thought a
schooling, and the bishop himself was as interested in what was going on
as if the farm had been his home. He was actually the first at the
ridge.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

THE WATCH ON THE HILL.

This part of the mountain was a singularly favourable situation for
seeing what was doing on the spot on which every one's attention was
fixed this day. While the people on the fiord could not see what was
going forward at Saltdalen, nor those at Saltdalen what were the
movements of the farm, the watchers on the ridge could observe the
proceedings at all the three points. The opportunity was much improved
by the bishop having a glass--a glass of a quality so rare at that time,
that there would probably have been some talk of magic and charms, if it
had been seen in Olaf's hands, instead of the bishop's.

By means of this glass, the bishop, M. Kollsen, or Madame Erlingsen
announced, from time to time, what was doing, as the evening advanced;--
how parties of two or three were leaving Saltdalen, creeping towards the
farm under cover of rising grounds, rocks, and pine-woods;--how small
companies, well-armed, were hidden in every place of concealment near
Erlingsen's;--and how there seemed to be a great number of women about
the place. This was puzzling. Who these women could be, and why they
should choose to resort to the farm when its female inhabitants had left
it for safety, it was difficult at first to imagine. But the truth soon
occurred to Frolich. No doubt some