A Home in Norway. 2 1 1 



stantial hospitality of a Norwegian tea, took them 

 over their garden, at the foot of which they had a nice 

 little pier, at which their boat lay and where the tide 

 was not felt. They had also a finely mounted sledge 

 for use with a pony on the fiord when it was frozen 

 over. The house had once been the king's palace. 

 Of the four acres of land attached to it about one half 

 was rocky ; the remainder sufficed to keep a cow and 

 a pony. 



The Parrs liked the place very much, but as their 

 sons were being educated in Christiania, eighteen miles 

 up the fiord, they had thought of parting with it to go 

 and live in town with the boys. Mr. Parr had bought 

 the place for a small sum, and the price he put on it 

 was still not a large one. Mr. Robertson was 

 delighted with it and all its surroundings, especially 

 no doubt with the little pier and the boat at the foot 

 of the garden, and would have closed with Mr. Parr at 

 once, as Mr. Parr was inclined to do with him. But 

 Mrs. Parr was by no means willing to have the bargain 

 concluded, till they made certain what their future 

 plans would be. A promise was given that, if they 

 made up their minds to part with the place, notice 

 should be sent to Mr. Robertson, but that notice never 

 came. 



It was now drawing near the day when the North 

 Star would again be leaving for London, and it was 

 time for the travellers to be preparing for their return 

 journey. 



The dredging-ropes having been all well dried in 

 the sun, Mr. Robertson began to pack them up, 

 whereupon he was seized with a fit of excessive 



