that portion of the Atlantic. In fact, it was to one of these tempests
that the catastrophe must be attributed. Probably the "Viking," being
unable to carry sail in the teeth of the tempest, had been obliged to
scud before the windy and it being at this season of the year that the
ice from the polar seas begins to make its way down into the Atlantic,
it was more than likely that a collision had taken place, and that
the "Viking" had been crushed by a floating iceberg, which it was
impossible to avoid.
Still, in that case, was it not more than probable that the whole,
or a part, of the ship's crew had taken refuge upon one of these ice
fields after having placed a quantity of provisions upon it? If they
had really done so, the iceberg, having certainly been driven in a
north-westerly direction by the winds which were prevailing at the
time, it was not unlikely that the survivors had been able to reach
some point on the coast of Greenland, so it was in that direction, and
in those seas, that search should be made.
This was the unanimous opinion of these experienced mariners, and
there could be no doubt that this was the only feasible plan. But
would they find aught save a few fragments of the "Viking" in case the
vessel had been crushed by some enormous iceberg? Could they hope to
effect the rescue of any survivors?
This was more than doubtful, and the professor on putting the question
perceived that the more competent could not, or would not, reply.
Still, this was no cause for inaction--they were all agreed upon that
point--but action must be taken without delay.
There are always several government vessels at Bergen, and one of
the three dispatch-boats charged with the surveillance of the western
coast of Norway is attached to this port. As good luck would have it,
that very boat was now riding at anchor in the bay.
After making a note of the various suggestions advanced by the most
experienced seamen who had assembled at the office of Help, Junior,
Sylvius Hogg went aboard the dispatch-boat "Telegraph," and apprised
the commander of the special mission intrusted to him by the
government.
The commander received him very cordially, and declared his
willingness to render all the assistance in his power. He had become
familiar with the navigation of the locality specified during several
long and dangerous voyages from the Loffoden Islands and Finmark to
the Iceland and Newfoundland fisheries; so he would have experience
to aid him in the humane work he was about to undertake, as he fully
agreed with the seamen already consulted that it was in the waters
between Iceland and Greenland that they must look for the survivors,
or at least for some trace of the "Viking." If he did not succeed
there, he would, however, explore the neighboring shores, and perhaps
the eastern part of Baffin's Bay.
"I am all ready to start, sir," he added. "My coal and provisions
are on board, my crew has been selected, and I can set sail this very
day."
"Thank you, captain," replied the professor, "not only for your
promptness, but for the very kind reception you have given me. But one
question more: Can you tell me how long it will take you to reach the
shores of Greenland?"
"My vessel makes about eleven knots an hour, and as the distance from
Bergen to Greenland is only about twenty degrees, I can count upon
arriving there in less than a week."
"Make all possible haste, captain," replied Sylvius Hogg. "If any
of the shipwrecked crew did survive the catastrophe, two months have
already elapsed since the vessel went down, and they are perhaps in a
destitute and even famishing condition upon some desert coast."
"Yes, there is no time to lose, Monsieur Hogg. I will start this very
day, keep my vessel going at the top of her speed, and as soon as
I find any trace whatever I will inform the Naval Department at
Christiania by a telegram from Newfoundland."
"God-speed you, captain," replied Sylvius Hogg, "and may you succeed."
That same day the "Telegraph" set sail, followed by the sympathizing
cheers of the entire population of Bergen, and it was not without keen
emotion that the kind-hearted people watched the vessel make its way
down the channel, and finally disappear behind the islands of the
fiord.
But Sylvius Hogg did not confine his efforts to the expedition
undertaken by the dispatch-boat "Telegraph." On the contrary, he was
resolved to multiply the chances of finding some trace of the missing
"Viking." Would it not be possible to excite a spirit of emulation in
the captains of merchant vessels and fishing-smacks that navigated the
waters of Iceland and the Faroe Islands? Unquestionably. So a reward
of two thousand marks was promised in the name of the government to
any vessel that would furnish any information in regard to the missing
"Viking," and one of five thousand marks to any vessel that would
bring one of the survivors of the shipwreck back to his native land.
So, during the two days spent in Bergen Sylvius Hogg did everything
in his power to insure the success of the enterprise, and he was
cheerfully seconded in his efforts by Help, Junior, and all the
maritime authorities. M. Help would have been glad to have the worthy
deputy as a guest some time longer, but though Sylvius Hogg thanked
him cordially he declined to prolong his stay. He was anxious to
rejoin Hulda and Joel, being afraid to leave them to themselves too
long, but Help, Junior, promised him that any news that might be
received should be promptly transmitted to Dal.
So, on the morning of the 4th, after taking leave of his friend
Help, Sylvius Hogg re-embarked on the "Run" to cross the fiord of the
Hardanger, and if nothing unforeseen occurred he counted on reaching
the Telemark by the evening of the 5th.
CHAPTER XIV.
The day that Sylvius Hogg left Bergen proved an eventful one at the
inn.
After the professor's departure the house seemed deserted. It almost
seemed as if the kind friend of the young Hansens had taken away with
him, not only the last hope, but the life of the family, and left only
a charnel-house behind him.
During the two days that followed no guests presented themselves at
the inn. Joel had no occasion to absent himself, consequently, but
could remain with Hulda, whom he was very unwilling to leave alone
with her own thoughts.
Dame Hansen seemed to become more and more a prey to secret anxiety.
She seemed to feel no interest in anything connected with her
children, not even in the loss of the "Viking." She lived a life
apart, remaining shut up in her own room, and appearing only at
meal-time. When she did address a word to Hulda or Joel it was only
to reproach them directly or indirectly on the subject of the
lottery-ticket, which neither of them felt willing to dispose of
at any price. Offers for the ticket continued to pour in from every
corner of the globe. A positive mania seemed to have seized certain
brains. Such a ticket must certainly be predestined to win the prize
of one hundred thousand marks--there could be no doubt of it, so said
every one. A person would have supposed there was but one ticket in
the lottery, and that the number of it was 9672. The Manchester man
and the Bostonian were still at the head of the list. The Englishman
had outbid his rival by a few pounds, but he, in turn, was soon
distanced by an advance of several hundred dollars. The last bid was
one of eight thousand marks--and it could be explained only as the
result of positive madness, unless it was a question of national pride
on this part of an American and an Englishman.
However this may have been Hulda refused all these offers, and her
conduct excited the bitter disapproval of Dame Hansen.
"What if I should order you to sell this ticket? Yes, order you to
sell it," she said to her daughter one day.
"I should be very sorry, mother, but I should be obliged to refuse."
"But if it should become absolutely necessary, what then?"
"But how can that be possible?" asked Joel.
Dame Hansen made no reply. She had turned very pale on hearing this
straightforward question, and now withdrew, muttering some incoherent
words.
"There is certainly something wrong," remarked Joel. "There must be
some difficulty between mother and Sandgoist."
"Yes, brother, we must be prepared for some serious complications in
the future."
"Have we not suffered enough during the past few weeks, my poor Hulda?
What fresh catastrophe threatens us?"
"How long Monsieur Sylvius stays!" exclaimed Hulda, without paying
any apparent heed to the question. "When he is here I feel less
despondent."
"And yet, what can he do for us?" replied Joel.
What could there have been in Dame Hansen's past that she was
unwilling to confide to her children? What foolish pride prevented her
from revealing to them the cause of her disquietude? Had she any real
cause to reproach herself? And on the other hand, why did she endeavor
to influence her daughter in regard to Ole Kamp's ticket, and the
price that was to be set upon it? Why did she seem so eager to dispose
of it, or rather, to secure the money that had been offered for it?
Hulda and Joel were about to learn.
On the morning of the 4th Joel escorted his sister to the little
chapel where she went every morning to pray for the lost one. Her
brother always waited for her, and accompanied her back to the house.
That day, on returning, they both perceived Dame Hansen in the
distance, walking rapidly in the direction of the inn. She was not
alone. A man was walking beside her--a man who seemed to be talking in
a loud voice, and whose gestures were vehement and imperious.
Hulda and her brother both paused suddenly.
"Who is that man?" inquired Joel.
Hulda advanced a few steps.
"I know him," she said at last.
"You know him?"
"Yes, it is Sandgoist."
"Sandgoist, of Drammen, who came here during my absence?"
"Yes."
"And who acted in such a lordly way that he would seem to have mother,
and us, too, perhaps, in his power?"
"The same, brother; and he has probably come to make us feel his power
to-day."
"What power? This time I will know the object of his visit."
Joel controlled himself, though not without an evident effort, and
followed his sister.
In a few moments Dame Hansen and Sandgoist reached the door of the
inn. Sandgoist crossed the threshold first; then the door closed upon
Dame Hansen and upon him, and both of them entered the large parlor.
As Joel and Hulda approached the house the threatening voice of
Sandgoist became distinctly audible. They paused and listened; Dame
Hansen was speaking now, but in entreating tones.
"Let us go in," remarked Joel.
Hulda entered with a heavy heart; Joel was trembling with suppressed
anger and impatience.
Sandgoist sat enthroned in the big arm-chair. He did not even take the
trouble to rise on the entrance of the brother and sister. He merely
turned his head and stared at them over his spectacles.
"Ah! here is the charming Hulda, if I'm not mistaken," he exclaimed in
a tone that incensed Joel even more deeply.
Dame Hansen was standing in front of the man in an humble almost
cringing attitude, but she instantly straightened herself up, and
seemed greatly annoyed at the sight of her children.
"And this is her brother, I suppose?" added Sandgoist.
"Yes, her brother," retorted Joel.
Then, advancing until within a few steps of the arm-chair, he asked,
brusquely:
"What do you want here?"
Sandgoist gave him a withering look; then, in a harsh voice, and
without rising, he replied:
"You will soon learn, young man. You happen in just at the right time.
I was anxious to see you, and if your sister is a sensible girl we
shall soon come to an understanding. But sit down, and you, too, young
woman, had better do the same."
Sandgoist seemed to be doing the honors of his own house, and Joel
instantly noted the fact.
"Ah, ha! you are displeased! What a touchy young man you seem to be!"
"I am not particularly touchy that I know of, but I don't feel
inclined to accept civilities from those who have no right to offer
them."
"Joel!" cried Dame Hansen.
"Brother, brother!" exclaimed Hulda, with an imploring look.
Joel made a violent effort to control himself, and to prevent himself
from yielding to his desire to throw this coarse wretch out of the
window, he retired to a corner of the room.
"Can I speak now?" inquired Sandgoist.
An affirmative sign from Dame Hansen was all the answer he obtained,
but it seemed to be sufficient.
"What I have to say is this," he began, "and I would like all three of
you to listen attentively, for I don't fancy being obliged to repeat
my words."
That he spoke like a person who had an indisputable right to his own
way was only too evident to each and every member of the party.
"I have learned through the newspapers," he continued, "of the
misfortune which has befallen a certain Ole Kamp--a young seaman of
Bergen--and of a lottery-ticket that he bequeathed to his betrothed,
Hulda Hansen, just as his ship, the 'Viking,' was going down. I have
also learned that the public at large feels convinced that this will
prove the fortunate ticket by reason of the peculiar circumstances
under which it was found. I have also learned that some very liberal
offers for the purchase of this ticket have been received by Hulda
Hansen."
He was silent for a moment, then:
"Is this true?" he added.
He was obliged to wait some time for an answer to this question.
"Yes, it is true," replied Joel, at last. "And what of it, if you
please?"
"These offers are, in my opinion, the result of a most absurd and
senseless superstition," continued Sandgoist, "but for all that,
they will continue to be made, and to increase in amount, as the day
appointed for the drawing approaches. Now, I am a business man myself,
and I have taken it into my head that I should like to have a hand in
this little speculation myself, so I left Drammen yesterday to come to
Dal to arrange for the transfer of this ticket, and to beg Dame Hansen
to give me the preference over all other would-be purchasers."
Hulda was about to make Sandgoist the same answer she had given to
all offers of this kind, though his remarks had not been addressed
directly to her, when Joel checked her.
"Before replying, I should like to ask Monsieur Sandgoist if he knows
to whom this ticket belongs?" he said haughtily.
"To Hulda Hansen, I suppose."
"Very well; then it is to Hulda Hansen that this application should be
addressed."
"My son!" hastily interposed Dame Hansen.
"Let me finish, mother," continued Joel. "This ticket belonged
originally to our cousin, Ole Kamp, and had not Ole Kamp a perfect
right to bequeath it to his betrothed?"
"Unquestionably," replied Sandgoist.
"Then it is to Hulda Hanson that you must apply, if you wish to
purchase it."
"So be it, Master Formality," retorted Sandgoist. "I now ask Hulda to
sell me this ticket Number 9672 that Ole Kamp bequeathed to her."
"Monsieur Sandgoist," the young girl answered in firm but quiet tones,
"I have received a great many offers for this ticket, but they have
been made in vain. I shall say to you exactly what I have said to
others. If my betrothed sent me this ticket with his last farewell
upon it it was because he wished me to keep it, so I will not part
with it at any price."
Having said this Hulda turned, as if to leave the room, evidently
supposing that the conversation so far as she was concerned had
been terminated by her refusal, but at a gesture from her mother she
paused.
An exclamation of annoyance had escaped Dame Hansen, and Sandgoist's
knitted brows and flashing eyes showed that anger was beginning to
take possession of him.
"Yes, remain, Hulda," said he. "This is not your final answer. If I
insist it is because I certainly have a right to do so. Besides,
I think I must have stated the case badly, or rather you must have
misunderstood me. It is certain that the chances of this ticket have
not increased because the hand of a shipwrecked seaman placed it in a
bottle and it was subsequently recovered; still, the public seldom or
never reasons, and there is not the slightest doubt that many persons
desire to become the owners of it. They have already offered to
purchase it, and other offers are sure to follow. It is simply a
business transaction, I repeat, and I have come to propose a good
trade to you."
"You will have some difficulty in coming to an understanding with my
sister, sir," replied Joel, ironically. "When you talk business to her
she replies with sentiment."
"That is all idle talk, young man," replied Sandgoist. "When my
explanation is concluded you will see that however advantageous the
transaction may be to me it will be equally so to her. I may also
add that it will be equally so to her mother, Dame Hansen, who is
personally interested in the matter."
Joel and Hulda exchanged glances. Were they about to learn the secret
Dame Hansen had so long concealed from them?
"I do not ask that this ticket shall be sold to me for what Ole
Kamp paid for it," continued Sandgoist. No! Right or wrong, it has
certainly acquired an increased financial value, and I am willing to
make a sacrifice to become the owner of it."
"You have already been told that Hulda has refused much better offers
than yours," replied Joel.
"Indeed!" exclaimed Sandgoist. "Much better offers, you say. How do
you know?"
"Whatever your offer may be, my sister refuses it, and I approve of
her decision."
"Ah! am I dealing with Joel or Hulda Hansen, pray?"
"My sister and I are one," retorted Joel. "It would be well for you to
become satisfied of this fact, as you seem to be ignorant of it."
Sandgoist shrugged his shoulders, but without being at all
disconcerted, for like a man who is sure of his arguments, he replied:
"When I spoke of the price I was willing to pay for the ticket, I
ought to have told you that I could offer inducements which Hulda
Hansen can hardly reject if she takes any interest in the welfare of
her family."
"Indeed?"
"Yes, and it would be well for you, young man, to understand, in your
turn, that I did not come to Dal to beg your sister to sell me this
ticket. No, a thousand times no."
"For what, then?"
"I do not ask for it, I demand it. I will have it."
"And by what right?" exclaimed Joel, "and how dare you, a stranger,
speak in this way in my mother's house?"
"By the right every man has to speak as he pleases, and when he
pleases, in his own house," retorted Sandgoist.
"In his own house?"
Joel, in his indignation, stepped threateningly toward Sandgoist, who,
though not easily frightened, sprung hastily out of his arm-chair. But
Hulda laid a detaining hand upon her brother's arm, while Dame Hansen,
burying her face in her hands, retreated to the other end of the room.
"Brother, look at her!" whispered the young girl.
Joel paused suddenly. A glance at his mother paralyzed him. Her very
attitude revealed how entirely Dame Hansen was in this scoundrel's
power.
Sandgoist, seeing Joel's hesitation, recovered his self-possession,
and resumed his former seat.
"Yes, in his own house," he continued in a still more arrogant voice.
"Ever since her husband's death, Dame Hansen has been engaging in
unsuccessful speculations. After losing the small fortune your father
left at his death, she was obliged to borrow money of a Christiania
banker, offering this house as security for a loan of fifteen thousand
marks. About a year ago I purchased the mortgage, and this house will
consequently become my property--and very speedily--if I am not paid
when this mortgage becomes due."
"When is it due?" demanded Joel.
"On the 20th of July, or eighteen days from now," replied Sandgoist.
"Then, whether you like it or not, I shall be in my own house here."
"You will not be in your own house here until that date, even if you
are not paid at that time," retorted Joel, "and I forbid you to speak
as you have been doing in the presence of my mother and sister."
"He forbids me--me!" exclaimed Sandgoist. "But how about his
mother--what does she say?"
"Speak, mother!" cried Joel, approaching Dame Hansen, and endeavoring
to remove her hands from her face.
"Joel, my brother," exclaimed Hulda. "I entreat you, for my sake, to
be calm."
Dame Hansen bowed her head upon her breast, not daring to meet
her son's searching eyes. It was only too true that she had been
endeavoring to increase her fortune by rash speculations for several
years past. The small sum of money at her disposal had soon melted
away, and she had been obliged to borrow at a high rate of interest.
And now the mortgage had passed into the hands of this Sandgoist--a
heartless and unprincipled man--a well-known usurer, who was heartily
despised throughout the country. Dame Hansen, however, had seen him
for the first time when he came to Dal to satisfy himself in regard to
the value of the property.
This was the secret that had weighed so heavily upon her. This,
too, explained her reserve, for she had not dared to confide in her
children. This was the secret she had sedulously kept from those whose
future she had blighted.
Hulda scarcely dared to think of what she had just heard. Yes,
Sandgoist was indeed a master who had the power to enforce his will!
The ticket he wished to purchase would probably be worth nothing a
fortnight hence, and if she did not consent to relinquish it certain
ruin would follow--their house would be sold over their heads, and the
Hansen family would be homeless and penniless.
Hulda dared not even glance at Joel, but Joel was too angry to pay any
heed to these threats. He could think only of Sandgoist, and if the
man continued to talk in this way the impetuous youth felt that he
should not be able to control himself much longer.
Sandgoist, seeing that he had once more become master of the
situation, grew even more arrogant and imperious in his manner.
"I want that ticket, and I intend to have it," he repeated. "In
exchange for it I offer no fixed price, but I promise to extend the
mortgage for one--two, or three years--Fix the date yourself, Hulda."
Hulda's heart was so deeply oppressed with anguish that she was unable
to reply, but her brother answered for her.
"Ole Kamp's ticket can not be sold by Hulda Hansen. My sister refuses
your offer, in spite of your threats. Now leave the house!"
"Leave the house," repeated Sandgoist. "I shall do nothing of the
kind. If the offer I have made does not satisfy you I will go even
further. In exchange for the ticket I offer you--I offer you--"
Sandgoist must certainly have felt an irresistible desire to possess
this ticket--or at least he most have been convinced that the purchase
would prove a most advantageous one to him, for he seated himself at
a table upon which lay pen, ink, and paper, and a moment afterward he
added:
"Here is what I offer."
It was a receipt for the amount of Dame Hansen's indebtedness--a
receipt for the amount of the mortgage on the Dal property.
Dame Hansen cowered in her corner, with hands outstretched, and eyes
fixed imploringly on her daughter.
"And now give me the ticket," cried Sandgoist, "I want it to-day--this
very instant. I will not leave Dal without it"
As he spoke he stepped hastily toward the poor girl as if with the
intention of searching her pockets, and wresting the ticket from her.
This was more than Joel could endure, especially when he heard Hulda's
startled cry of "Brother! brother!"
"Get out of here!" he shouted, roughly. And seeing that Sandgoist
showed no intention of obeying, the young man was about to spring upon
him, when Hulda hastily interposed.
"Here is the ticket, mother," she cried.
Dame Hansen seized it, and as she exchanged it for Sandgoist's receipt
her daughter sunk, almost fainting, into an arm-chair.
"Hulda! Hulda! Oh, what have you done?" cried Joel.
"What has she done," replied Dame Hansen. "Yes, I am guilty--for
my children's sake I wished to increase the property left by their
father, but instead I have reduced them to poverty. But Hulda has
saved us all. That is what she has done. Thank you, Hulda, thank you."
Sandgoist still lingered. Joel perceived the fact.
"You are here still," he continued, roughly. And springing upon
Sandgoist he seized him by the shoulders and hustled him out-of-doors
in spite of his protests and resistance.
CHAPTER XV.
Sylvius Hogg reached Dal on the evening of the following day. He did
not say a word about his journey, and no one knew that he had been to
Bergen. As long as the search was productive of no results he wished
the Hansen family to remain in ignorance of it. Every letter or
telegram, whether from Bergen or Christiania, was to be addressed to
him, at the inn, where he intended to await further developments.
Did he still hope? Yes, though it must be admitted that he had some
misgivings.
As soon as he returned the professor became satisfied that some
important event had occurred in his absence. The altered manner of
Joel and Hulda showed conclusively that an explanation must have taken
place between their mother and themselves. Had some new misfortunes
befallen the Hansen household?
All this of course troubled Sylvius Hogg greatly. He felt such a
paternal affection for the brother and sister that he could not have
been more fond of them if they had been his own children. How much he
had missed them during his short absence.
"They will tell me all by and by," he said to himself. "They will have
to tell me all. Am I not a member of the family?"
Yes; Sylvius Hogg felt now that he had an undoubted right to be
consulted in regard to everything connected with the private life of
his young friends, and to know why Joel and Hulda seemed even more
unhappy than at the time of his departure. The mystery was soon
solved.
In fact both the young people were anxious to confide in the excellent
man whom they loved with a truly filial devotion, but they were
waiting for him to question them. During his absence they had felt
lonely and forsaken--the more so from the fact that Sylvius Hogg had
not seen fit to tell them where he was going. Never had the hours
seemed so long. It never once occurred to them that the journey was
in any way connected with a search for the "Viking," and that
Sylvius Hogg had concealed the fact from them in order to spare them
additional disappointment in case of failure.
And now how much more necessary his presence seemed to have become to
them! How glad they were to see him, to listen to his words of counsel
and hear his kind and encouraging voice. But would they ever dare to
tell him what had passed between them and the Drammen usurer, and
how Dame Hansen had marred the prospects of her children? What would
Sylvius Hogg say when he learned that the ticket was no longer in
Hulda's possession, and when he heard that Dame Hansen had used it to
free herself from her inexorable creditor?
He was sure to learn these facts, however. Whether it was Sylvius Hogg
or Hulda that first broached the subject, it would be hard to say, nor
does it matter much. This much is certain, however, the professor soon
became thoroughly acquainted with the situation of affairs. He was
told of the danger that had threatened Dame Hansen and her children,
and how the usurer would have driven them from their old home in
a fortnight if the debt had not been paid by the surrender of the
ticket.
Sylvius Hogg listened attentively to this sad story.
"You should not have given up the ticket," he cried, vehemently; "no,
you should not have done it."
"How could I help it, Monsieur Sylvius?" replied the poor girl,
greatly troubled.
"You could not, of course, and yet--Ah, if I had only been here!"
And what would Professor Sylvius Hogg have done had he been there? He
did not say, however, but continued:
"Yes, my dear Hulda; yes, Joel, you did the best you could, under the
circumstances. But what enrages me almost beyond endurance is the
fact that this Sandgoist will profit greatly, no doubt, by this absurd
superstition on the part of the public. If poor Ole's ticket should
really prove to be the lucky one this unprincipled scoundrel will
reap all the benefit. And yet, to suppose that this number, 9672,
will necessarily prove the lucky one, is simply ridiculous and absurd.
Still, I would not have given up the ticket, I think. After once
refusing to surrender it to Sandgoist Hulda would have done better to
turn a deaf ear to her mother's entreaties."
The brother and sister could find nothing to say in reply. In giving
the ticket to Dame Hansen, Hulda had been prompted by a filial
sentiment that was certainly to be commended rather than censured. The
sacrifice she had made was not one of more or less probable chance,
but of Ole Kamp's last wishes and of her last memento of her lover.
But it was too late to think of this now. Sandgoist had the ticket.
It belonged to him, and he would sell it to the highest bidder. A
heartless usurer would thus coin money out of the touching farewell of
the shipwrecked mariner. Sylvius Hogg could not bear the thought. It
was intolerable to him.
He resolved to have a talk with Dame Hansen on the subject that very
day. This conversation could effect no change in the state of affairs,
but it had become almost necessary.
"So you think I did wrong, Monsieur Hogg?" she asked, after allowing
the professor to say all he had to say on the subject.
"Certainly, Dame Hansen."
"If you blame me for having engaged in rash speculations, and for
endangering the fortune of my children, you are perfectly right; but
if you blame me for having resorted to the means I did to free myself,
you are wrong. What have you to say in reply?"
"Nothing."
"But seriously, do you think that I ought to have refused the offer of
Sandgoist, who really offered fifteen thousand marks for a ticket that
is probably worth nothing; I ask you again, do you think I ought to
have refused it?"
"Yes and no, Dame Hansen."
"It can not be both yes and no, professor; it is no. Under different
circumstances, and if the future had appeared less threatening--though
that was my own fault, I admit--I should have upheld Hulda in her
refusal to part with the ticket she had received from Ole Kamp. But
when there was a certainty of being driven in a few days from the
house in which my husband died, and in which my children first saw
the light, I could not understand such a refusal, and you yourself,
Monsieur Hogg, had you been in my place, would certainly have acted as
I did."
"No, Dame Hansen, no!"
"What would you have done, then?"
"I would have done anything rather than sacrifice a ticket my daughter
had received under such circumstances."
"Do these circumstances, in your opinion, enhance the value of the
ticket?"
"No one can say."
"On the contrary, every one does know. This ticket is simply one that
has nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
chances of losing against one of winning. Do you consider it any more
valuable because it was found in a bottle that was picked up at sea?"
Sylvius Hogg hardly knew what to say in reply to this straightforward
question, so he reverted to the sentimental side of the question by
remarking:
"The situation now seems to be briefly as follows: Ole Kamp, as the
ship went down, bequeathed to Hulda the sole earthly possession left
him, with the request that she should present it on the day of the
drawing, provided, of course, that the ticket reached her; and now
this ticket is no longer in Hulda's possession."
"If Ole Kamp had been here, he would not have hesitated to surrender
his ticket to Sandgoist," replied Dame Hansen.
"That is quite possible," replied Sylvius Hogg; "but certainly no
other person had a right to do it, and what will you say to him if he
has not perished and if he should return to-morrow, or this very day?"
"Ole will never return," replied Dame Hansen, gloomily. "Ole is dead,
Monsieur Hogg, dead, beyond a doubt."
"You can not be sure of that, Dame Hansen," exclaimed the professor.
"In fact, you know nothing at all about it. Careful search is being
made for some survivor of the shipwreck. It may prove successful; yes,
even before the time appointed for the drawing of this lottery. You
have no right to say that Ole Kamp is dead, so long as we have no
proof that he perished in the catastrophe. The reason I speak with
less apparent assurance before your children is that I do not want to
arouse hopes that may end in bitter disappointment. But to you, Dame
Hansen, I can say what I really think, and I can not, I will not
believe that Ole Kamp is dead! No, I will not believe it!"
Finding herself thus worsted, Dame Hansen ceased to argue the
question, and this Norwegian, being rather superstitious in her secret
heart, hung her head as if Ole Kamp was indeed about to appear before
her.
"At all events, before parting with the ticket," continued Sylvius
Hogg, "there was one very simple thing that you neglected to do."
"What?"
"You should first have applied to your personal friends or the friends
of your family. They would not have refused to assist you, either by
purchasing the mortgage of Sandgoist, or by loaning you the money to
pay it."
"I have no friends of whom I could ask such a favor."
"Yes, you have, Dame Hansen. I know at least one person who would have
done it without the slightest hesitation."
"And who is that, if you please?"
"Sylvius Hogg, member of the Storthing."
Dame Hansen, too deeply moved to reply in words, bowed her thanks to
the professor.
"But what's done can't be undone, unfortunately," added Sylvius Hogg,
"and I should be greatly obliged to you, Dame Hansen, if you
would refrain from saying anything to your children about this
conversation."
And the two separated.
The professor had resumed his former habits, and his daily walks as
well. In company with Joel and Hulda, he spent several hours every
day in visiting the points of interest in and about Dal--not going too
far, however, for fear of wearying the young girl. Much of his time,
too, was devoted to his extensive correspondence. He wrote letter
after letter to Bergen and Christiania, stimulating the zeal all who
were engaged in the good work of searching for the "Viking." To find
Ole seemed to be his sole aim in life now.
He even felt it his duty to again absent himself for twenty-four
hours, doubtless for an object in some way connected with the affair
in which Dame Hansen's family was so deeply interested; but, as
before, he maintained absolute silence in regard to what he was doing
or having done in this matter.
In the meantime Hulda regained strength but slowly. The poor girl
lived only upon the recollection of Ole; and her hope of seeing him
again grew fainter from day to day. It is true, she had near her the
two beings she loved best in the world; and one of them never ceased
to encourage her; but would that suffice? Was it not necessary to
divert her mind at any cost? But how was her mind to be diverted from
the gloomy thoughts that bound her, as it were, to the shipwrecked
"Viking?"
The 12th of July came. The drawing of the Christiania Schools Lottery
was to take place in four days.
It is needless to say that Sandgoist's purchase had come to the
knowledge of the public. The papers announced that the famous ticket
bearing the number 9672 was now in the possession of M. Sandgoist, of
Drammen, and that this ticket would be sold to the highest bidder;
so, if M. Sandgoist was now the owner of the aforesaid ticket, he must
have purchased it for a round sum of Hulda Hansen.
Of course this announcement lowered the young girl very decidedly in
public estimation. What! Hulda Hansen had consented to sell the ticket
belonging to her lost lover? She had turned this last memento of him
into money?
But a timely paragraph that appeared in the "Morgen-Blad" gave the
readers a true account of what had taken place. It described the real
nature of Sandgoist's interference, and how the ticket had come into
his hands. And now it was upon the Drammen usurer that public odium
fell; upon the heartless creditor who had not hesitated to take
advantage of the misfortunes of the Hansen family, and as if by common
consent the offers which had been made while Hulda held the ticket
were not renewed. The ticket seemed to have lost its supernatural
value since it had been defiled by Sandgoist's touch, so that worthy
had made but a bad bargain, after all, and the famous ticket, No.
9672, appeared likely to be left on his hands.
It is needless to say that neither Hulda nor Joel was aware of what
had been said, and this was fortunate, for it would have been very
painful to them to become publicly mixed up in an affair which had
assumed such a purely speculative character since it came into the
hands of the usurer.
Late on the afternoon of the 12th of July, a letter arrived, addressed
to Professor Sylvius Hogg.
This missive, which came from the Naval Department, contained another
which had been mailed at Christiansand, a small town situated at the
mouth of the Gulf of Christiania. It could hardly have contained any
news, however, for Sylvius Hogg put it in his pocket and said nothing
to Joel or his sister about its contents.
But when he bade them good-night on retiring to his chamber, he
remarked:
"The drawing of the lottery is to take place in three days as you are,
of course, aware, my children. You intend to be present, do you not?"
"What is the use, Monsieur Sylvius?" responded Hulda.
"But Ole wished his betrothed to witness it. In fact, he particularly
requested it in the last lines he ever wrote, and I think his wishes
should be obeyed."
"But the ticket is no longer in Hulda's possession," remarked Joel,
"and we do not even know into whose hands it has passed."
"Nevertheless, I think you both ought to accompany me to Christiania
to attend the drawing," replied the professor.
"Do you really desire it, Monsieur Sylvius?" asked the young girl.
"It is not I, my dear Hulda, but Ole who desires it, and Ole's wishes
must be respected."
"Monsieur Sylvius is right, sister," replied Joel. "Yes; you must go.
When do you intend to start, Monsieur Sylvius?"
"To-morrow, at day-break, and may Saint Olaf protect us!"
CHAPTER XVI.
The next morning Foreman Lengling's gayly painted kariol bore away
Sylvius Hogg and Hulda, seated comfortably side by side. There was not
room for Joel, as we know already, so the brave fellow trudged along
on foot at the horse's head.
The fourteen kilometers that lay between Dal and Moel had no terrors
for this untiring walker.
Their route lay along the left bank of the Maan, down the charming
valley of the Vesfjorddal--a narrow, heavily wooded valley, watered by
a thousand dashing cataracts. At each turn in the path, too, one saw
appearing or disappearing the lofty summit of Gousta, with its two
large patches of dazzling snow.
The sky was cloudless, the weather magnificent, the air not too cool,
nor the sun too warm.
Strange to say, Sylvius Hogg's face seemed to have become more serene
since his departure from the inn, though it is not improbable that
his cheerfulness was a trifle forced, so anxious was he that this trip
should divert Joel and Hulda from their sorrowful thoughts.
It took them only about two hours and a half to reach Moel, which is
situated at the end of Lake Tinn. Here they were obliged to leave the
kariol and take a small boat, for at this point a chain of small lakes
begins. The kariol paused near the little church, at the foot of a
water-fall at least five hundred feet in height. This water-fall,
which is visible for only about one fifth of its descent, loses itself
in a deep crevasse before being swallowed up by the lake.
Two boatmen were standing on the shore beside a birch-bark canoe, so
fragile and unstable that the slightest imprudence on the part of its
occupants would inevitably overturn it.
The lake was at its very best this beautiful morning. The sun had
absorbed all the mist of the previous night, and no one could not have
asked for a more superb summer's day.
"You are not tired, my good Joel?" inquired the professor, as he
alighted from the kariol.
"No, Monsieur Sylvius. You forget that I am accustomed to long tramps
through the Telemark."
"That is true. Tell me, do you know the most direct route from Moel to
Christiania?"
"Perfectly, sir. But I fear when we reach Tinoset, at the further end
of the lake, we shall have some difficulty in procuring a kariol, as
we have not warned them of our intended arrival, as is customary in
this country."
"Have no fears, my boy," replied the professor: "I attended to that.
You needn't be afraid that I have any intention of making you foot it
from Dal to Christiania."
"I could easily do it if necessary," remarked Joel.
"But it will not be necessary, fortunately. Now suppose we go over our
route again."
"Well, once at Tinoset, Monsieur Sylvius, we for a time follow the
shores of Lake Fol, passing through Vik and Bolkesko, so as to reach
Mose, and afterward Kongsberg, Hangsund, and Drammen. If we travel
both night and day it will be possible for us to reach Christiania
to-morrow afternoon."
"Very well, Joel. I see that you are familiar with the country, and
the route you propose is certainly a very pleasant one."
"It is also the shortest."
"But I am not at all particular about taking the shortest route,"
replied Sylvius Hogg, laughing. "I know another and even more
agreeable route that prolongs the journey only a few hours, and you,
too, are familiar with it, my boy, though you failed to mention it."
"What route do you refer to?"
"To the one that passes through Bamble."
"Through Bamble?"
"Yes, through Bamble. Don't feign ignorance. Yes, through Bamble,
where Farmer Helmboe and his daughter Siegfrid reside."
"Monsieur Sylvius!"
"Yes, and that is the route we are going to take, following the
northern shore of Lake Fol instead of the southern, but finally
reaching Kongsberg all the same."
"Yes, quite as well, and even better," answered Joel smiling.
"I must thank you in behalf of my brother, Monsieur Sylvius," said
Hulda, archly.
"And for yourself as well, for I am sure that you too will be glad to
see your friend Siegfrid."
The boat being ready, all three seated themselves upon a pile of
leaves in the stern, and the vigorous strokes of the boatsmen soon
carried the frail bark a long way from the shore.
After passing Hackenoes, a tiny hamlet of two or three houses, built
upon a rocky promontory laved by the narrow fiord into which the Maan
empties, the lake begins to widen rapidly. At first it is walled in by
tall cliffs whose real height one can estimate accurately only when a
boat passes their base, appearing no larger than some aquatic bird in
comparison; but gradually the mountains retire into the background.
The lake is dotted here and there with small islands, some absolutely
devoid of vegetation, others covered with verdure through which peep
a few fishermen's huts. Upon the lake, too, may be seen floating
countless logs not yet sold to the saw-mills in the neighborhood.
This sight led Sylvius Hogg to jestingly remark--and he certainly must
have been in a mood for jesting:
"If our lakes are the eyes of Norway, as our poets pretend, it must
be admitted that poor Norway has more than one beam in her eye, as the
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000