It seemed to Eilert as if an icy cold shudder ran through his body when he took the hand which helped him ashore; but it was only for the moment, and he forgot it instantly.

In the midst of the island there was an opening with a brazen flight of steps leading down to a splendid cabin.  Whilst he stood there thinking things over a bit, he saw two heavy dog-fish swimming close by—­they were, at least, twelve to fourteen ells long.

As they descended, the dog-fish sank down too, each on one side of the brazen steps.  Oddly enough, it looked as if the island was transparent.  When the girl perceived that he was frightened, she told him that they were only two of her father’s bodyguard, and shortly afterwards they disappeared.  She then said that she wanted to take him to her father, who was waiting for them.  She added that, if he didn’t find the old gentleman precisely as handsome as he might expect, he had, nevertheless, no need to be frightened, nor was he to be astonished too much at what he saw.

He now perceived that he was under water, but, for all that, there was no sign of moisture.  He was on a white sandy bottom, covered with chalk-white, red, blue, and silvery-bright shells.  He saw meadows of sea-grass, mountains thick with woods of bushy seaweed and sea-wrack, and the fishes darted about on every side just as the birds swarm about the rocks that sea-fowl haunt.

As they two were thus walking along together she explained many things to him.  High up he saw something which looked like a black cloud with a white lining, and beneath it moved backwards and forwards a shape resembling one of the dog-fish.

“What you see there is a vessel,” said she; “there’s nasty weather up there now, and beneath the boat goes he who was sitting along with you on the bottom of the boat just now.  If it is wrecked, it will belong to us, and then you will not be able to speak to father to-day.”  As she said this there was a wild rapacious gleam in her eyes, but it was gone again immediately.

And, in point of fact, it was no easy matter to make out the meaning of her eyes.  As a rule, they were unfathomably dark with the lustre of a night-billow through which the sea-fire sparkles; but, occasionally, when she laughed, they took a bright sea-green glitter, as when the sun shines deep down into the sea.

Now and again they passed by a boat or a vessel half buried in the sand, out and in of the cabin doors and windows of which fishes swam to and fro.  Close by the wrecks wandered human shapes which seemed to consist of nothing but blue smoke.  His conductress explained to him that these were the spirits of drowned men who had not had Christian burial—­one must beware of them, for dead ones of this sort are malignant.  They always know when one of their own race is about to be wrecked, and at such times they howl the death-warning of the Draug through the wintry nights.