78 
LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. 
to each of us, to be ridden alternately—were standing 
ready bridled and saddled, at the house of one of our 
kindest friends. Of course, though but just risen from 
breakfast, the inevitable invitation to eat and drink 
awaited us; and another half-hour was spent in sipping 
cups of coffee poured out for us with much laughter 
by our hostess and her pretty daughter. At last, the 
necessary libations accomplished, we rose to go. Turning 
round to Fitz, I whispered, how I had always under¬ 
stood it was the proper thing in Iceland for travellers 
departing on a journey to kiss the ladies who had been 
good enough to entertain them,—little imagining he 
would take me at my word. Guess then my horror, 
when I suddenly saw him, with an intrepidity I envied 
but dared not imitate, first embrace the mamma, by 
way of prelude, and then proceed, in the most natural 
manner possible, to make the same tender advances to 
the daughter. I confess I remained dumb with conster¬ 
nation ; the room swam round before me; I expected 
the next minute we should be packed neck and crop 
into the street, and that the young lady would have gone 
off into hysterics. It turned out, however, that such 
was the very last thing she was thinking of doing. 
