“Yes, pay me a visit; spend several weeks at my house in company with your mother, of course.”

“And if we should leave the inn who will attend to things in our absence?” replied Joel.

“But your presence here is not necessary after the excursion season is over, I imagine; so I have fully made up my mind to come for you late in the autumn.”

“It will be impossible, my dear Mister Sylvius, for us to accept—­”

“On the contrary, it will be perfectly possible.  Don’t say no.  I shall not be content with such an answer.  Besides, when I get you there in the very best room in my house, in the care of my old Kate and faithful Fink, you will be my own children, and then you can certainly tell me what I can do for you.”

“What you can do for us?” repeated Joel, with a glance at his sister.

“Brother!” exclaimed Hulda, as if divining his intention.

“Speak, my boy, speak!”

“Ah, well, Mister Sylvius, you can do us a great honor.”

“How?”

“By consenting to be present at my sister Hulda’s marriage, if it would not inconvenience you too much.”

“Hulda’s marriage!” exclaimed Sylvius Hogg.  “What! my little Hulda is going to be married, and no one has said a word to me about it!”

“Oh, Mister Sylvius!” exclaimed the girl, her eyes filling with tears.

“And when is the marriage to take place?”

“As soon as it pleases God to bring her betrothed, Ole Kamp, back to us,” replied the girl.

CHAPTER XI.

Joel then proceeded to relate Ole Kamp’s whole history.  Sylvius Hogg, deeply moved, listened to the recital with profound attention.  He knew all now.  He even read Ole’s letter announcing his speedy return.  But Ole had not returned, and there had been no tidings from the missing one.  What anxiety and anguish the whole Hansen family must have suffered!

“And I thought myself an inmate of a happy home!” he said to himself.

Still, after a little reflection, it seemed to him that the brother and sister were yielding to despair while there was still some room for hope.  By counting these May and June days over and over again their imaginations had doubled the number, as it were.

The professor, therefore, concluded to give them his reasons for this belief, not feigned, but really sensible and plausible reasons that would also account for the delay of the “Viking.”

Nevertheless his face had become very grave, for the poor girl’s evident grief touched him deeply.

“Listen to me, my children,” said he.  “Sit down here by me, and let us talk the matter over calmly.”

“Ah! what can you say to comfort us?” cried Hulda, whose heart was full to overflowing.

“I shall tell you only what I really and truly think,” replied the professor.  “I have been thinking over all that Joel just told me, and it seems to me that you are more anxious and despondent than you have any real cause to be.  I would not arouse any false hopes, but we must view matters as they really are.”