was heard in the air a low
clattering and whistling, and at the same time a mass resembling a grey
cloud came from the north, spreading over the snow-fields and
approaching the place where they stood. In the pale moonlight Susanna
seemed to see wild shapes with horns and claws, moving themselves in the
mass, and the words, "the under-earth spirits," were nearly escaping her
lips.

"It is a herd of reindeer!" said Harald, smiling, who seemed to divine
her thoughts, and went a few paces towards the apparition, whilst he
mechanically shouldered his gun. But at the same moment the herd took
another direction, and fled with wild speed towards the east. The wind
rose, and swept with a mournful wail through the ice-desert.

"It is here really fearful!" said Susanna, and shuddered.

"But to-morrow evening," said Harald, cheerfully, "we shall reach
Storlie-Saeter, which lies below the region of snow, and then we shall
find birch-woods, quite green yet, and shall meet with friendly people,
and can have there a regularly comfortable inn. The day afterwards we
shall have a heavy piece of road; but on that same day we shall have a
view of scenes so magnificent, that you certainly will think little of
the trouble, on account of the pleasure you will enjoy, for there the
beautiful far exceeds the terrific. That spot between Storlie-Saeter and
Tverlic, where the wild Leira-river, as if in frenzy, hurls itself down
over Hoegfjell, and with the speed of lightning and the noise of thunder
rushed between and over splintered masses of rock, in part naked, in
part clothed in wood, to tumble about with its rival the furious
Bjoeroeja,--that spot exceeds in wild grandeur anything that man can
imagine."

Thus spake Harald, to dissipate Susanna's dejection; but she listened to
him half-dreaming, and said as if to herself--

"Would that we were well there, and passed it, and at our destination,
and then----"

"And then?" said Harald, taking up the unfinished sentence--"what then?"

"Home with my Hulda again!" said Susanna, deeply sighing.

"What, Susanna? Will you then leave us? Do you really hate Norway?"

"No, no!--a long way from that!--But one cannot serve two masters, that
I now feel. Hulda calls me. I shall have no rest till I return to her,
and never will I part from her again, I have dreamed of her to-night;
and she was so pale, so pale--Ah! But you are pale too, terribly pale!"
continued Susanna, as she looked at Harald with as