42 A RIVER OF NORWAY 



open-mouthed at a respectful distance, and 

 doubtless they carried back to their mountain 

 fastnesses strange tales of the Englishman and 

 the salmon. If such things were done in an 

 hour on Sunday afternoon, what must the week 

 bring forth ? This was, I think, the impression 

 Lars meant to convey. 



His ancient wife survives him ; she was a 

 little older than her husband. I once said to 

 him, "I am sorry to hear your wife is sick, 

 Lars." " She must expect to be sick," he re- 

 plied, "she is so old." I said, "How old 

 is she?" "Eighty-five," he answered. "And 

 how old are you ? " " Eighty -four and a half." 

 She will continue to reside in the cottage by 

 the Lower Stream, a lonely life for the poor 

 old thing. Lars had saved a sum of 70, 

 and she is considered locally to be "left very 

 well off." 



We only knew Lars in his old age, when 

 his sight was dim, and cannot therefore judge 

 whether in his prime he was a good gaffer. 

 As a rule I have not found Norwegians to 

 excel in this respect. In spite of the stolidity 

 of their ordinary demeanour, they seem to 

 become highly' nervous when it comes to 



