ortable embarrassment. He
answered her in the mildest of mild voices.

"You are unlike yourself, my dear Froeken!" he said, with a soothing
gesture of one of his well-trimmed white hands. "You are generally frank
and open, but to-day I find you just a little,--well!--what shall I
say--secretive! Yes, we will call it secretive! Oh, fie!" and Mr.
Dyceworthy laughed a gentle little laugh; "you must not pretend
ignorance of what I mean! All the neighborhood is talking of you and the
gentleman you are so often seen with. Notably concerning Sir Philip
Errington,--the vile tongue of rumor is busy,--for, according to his
first plans when his yacht arrived here, he was bound for the North
Cape,--and should have gone there days ago. Truly, I think,--and there
are others who think also in the same spirit of interest for you,--that
the sooner this young man leaves our peaceful Fjord the better,--and the
less he has to do with the maidens of the district, the safer we shall
be from the risk of scandal." And he heaved a pious sigh.

Thelma turned her eyes upon him in wonderment.

"I do not understand you," she said coldly. "Why do you speak of
_others_? No others are interested in what I do? Why should they be? Why
should _you_ be? There is no need!"

Mr. Dyceworthy grew slightly excited. He felt like a runner nearing the
winning-post.

"Oh, you wrong yourself, my dear Froeken," he murmured softly, with a
sickly attempt at tenderness in his tone. "You really wrong yourself! It
is impossible,--for me at least, not to be interested in you,--even for
our dear Lord's sake. It troubles me to the inmost depths of my soul to
behold in you one of the foolish virgins whose light hath been
extinguished for lack of the saving oil,--to see you wandering as a lost
sheep in the paths of darkness and error, without a hand to rescue your
steps from the near and dreadful precipice! Ay, truly! . . . my spirit
yearneth for you as a mother for an own babe--fain would I save you from
the devices of the evil one,--fain would I--" here the minister drew out
his handkerchief and pressed it lightly to his eyes,--then, as if with
an effort overcoming his emotion, he added, with the gravity of a
butcher presenting an extortionate bill, "but first,--before my own
humble desires for your salvation--first, ere I go further in converse,
it behoveth me to enter on the Lord's business!"

Thelma bent her head slightly, with an air as though she said: "Indeed;