2O2 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



" The want of delicacy or decorum appeared to be 

 the custom of the country. In the hotel we left 

 before we crossed the lake, when I had got most of 

 my clothes off, preparing to go to bed, a girl without 

 any notice came in and lifted * my shoes that were 

 near my feet, yet in the most modest way, and retired 

 without a moment's delay. At another place Mr. 

 Crosskey and I had to pass to our bedroom through 

 an apartment where females were sleeping. 



"On another occasion, my wife and I were at a 

 most elegant little hotel at a place called Moss, about 

 twenty or thirty miles down the fiord from Christiania. 

 I may mention that the beds were mostly small, 

 single, movable beds for one person, that could be 

 readily taken from one room to another, so that the 

 bedroom could be accommodated with just the 

 number of beds required. In the morning a young 

 woman came into our bedroom before we were up, 

 and as in the other case without any notice. My 

 wife was in her little crib on one side of the apart- 

 ment, and I was in mine on the other side. The 

 young woman came up deliberately to my bedside 

 and lifted my trousers and thrust her hand first into 

 the one pocket, then into the other. 



" I wondered what she meant by it. 



" Surely she is not going to rob me before my face 

 in such a mild way ! 



" But she laid the contents down on the table. She 

 did the same with my vest and coat, and then threw 

 the whole over her arm and walked out. 



" My wife was lying looking at her all the time, and 



* Picked up. 



