e the
story at this distance of years. But the day is coming when people will
look back on the little chronicle of your Empire,--your commune,--your
republic, all your little affairs, and will say, 'Surely these things
are myths; they occurred--if they occurred at all,--a very long time
ago!"

"Monsieur is a philosopher!" said Duprez, with a good-humored gesture;
"I would not presume to contradict him."

"You see, my lad," went on Gueldmar more gently, "there is much in our
ancient Norwegian history that is forgotten or ignored by students of
to-day. The travellers that come hither come to see the glories of our
glaciers and fjords,--but they think little or nothing of the vanished
tribe of heroes who once possessed the land. If you know your Greek
history, you must have heard of Pythias, who lived three hundred and
fifty-six years before Christ, and who was taken captive by a band of
Norseman and carried away to see 'the place where the sun slept in
winter.' Most probably he came to this very spot, the Altenfjord,--at
any rate the ancient Greeks had good words to say for the 'Outside
Northwinders,' as they called us Norwegians, for they reported us to be
'persons living in peace with their gods and themselves.' Again, one of
the oldest tribes in the world came among us in times past,--the
Phoenicians,--there are traces among us still of their customs and
manners. Yes! we have a great deal to look back upon with pride as well
as sorrow,--and much as I hear of the wonders of the New World, the
marvels and the go-ahead speed of American manners and civilization,--I
would rather be a Norseman than a Yankee." And he laughed.

"There's more dignity in the name, at any rate," said Lorimer. "But I
say, Mr. Gueldmar, you are 'up' in history much better than I am. The
annals of my country were grounded into my tender soul early in life,
but I have a very hazy recollection of them. I know Henry VIII. got rid
of his wives expeditiously and conveniently,--and I distinctly remember
that Queen Elizabeth wore the first pair of silk stockings, and danced a
kind of jig in them with the Earl of Leicester; these things interested
me at the time,--and they now seen firmly impressed on my memory to the
exclusion of everything else that might possibly be more important."

Old Gueldmar smiled, but Thelma laughed outright and her eyes danced
mirthfully.

"Ah, I do know you now!" she said, nodding her fair head at him wisely.
"You are not