The Argosy — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

About Norway. 135 The charm of the room lay in its windows, and the views they looked upon. Sloping hills and mountains, covered with rich plantations of trees that glinted in the sun, and now cast long shadows. On the further side, gloomy pine forests, relieved by the brighter green of the larch, here and there a barren mountain, all rock and granite, cold and stern. To the left flowed the river, up which we had just travelled, the little steamer moored to the landing- stage, at rest until six o’clock to-morrow morning, when it would start on its journey back to Heen. Our bed-room, immediately above the sitting-room, was large and airy. Four small wooden beds, one in each corner; a rough wash- hand-stand under one window, a basin on a chair under another. Next to this, two smaller rooms, occupied by Mr, and Miss B. Our first visitor, after we had looked round, settled our small amount of luggage; and found everything surprisingly clean, was a goat with formidable horns, that came trotting up the wooden stairs, paid us a visit of inspection, and then went off in search of prey. Its fancy fastened upon a straw hat lying upon the table. This, with perfect indifference to the laws of meum and tuum, it appro- priated to itself, and, without quick rescue, would have demolished, perhaps devoured. ‘Then up came the hostess after the truant, and a chase began in which the goat had the best of it; until it darted downstairs again, followed by the woman, breathless and out of temper ; uttering words it was no doubt well neither we nor the goat could interpret. Then we too went down, and found supper ready ; and Miss B. quickly followed us into the room. Her manner of entering was regal. One step forward, then a courtly curtsey to one of us: another step, and a second curtsey to the other : a third step, and a curtsey that embraced both. As we were in duty bound to return the civility, a looker-on might have taken us for asmall court, making a royal progress through the country. Next came Mr. B., as uncere- monious as his sister was stately, all fatherly kindness and anxiety for our welfare. Miss B. presided at the teapot, and, in her nervous anxiety to do the honours with credit to her nation, the dear, kind, gentle lady upset the lid into A.’s cup, which: he held uplifted, and sent the hot fluid down his arm, of which it made more free than welcome. A. said afterwards, with the true spirit of gallantry, it was worth a small amount of pain to receive her showers of graceful curtseys and apologies, and to subdue her distress. But the slight mishap was,soon remedied, and in nowise took from the eo and harmony of the tea-table. The meal over, in the setting sun, we wandered for a short eral into the woods behind the house. ‘The forest was casting mysterious depths, far into which we did not penetrate. Spread out before us, through and around and amidst the trees, in wildest profusion and most exquisite beauty, grew the tender fronds of the soft green oak Conmnicboooks (C©) im