“That is quite possible,” replied Sylvius Hogg; “but certainly no other person had a right to do it, and what will you say to him if he has not perished and if he should return to-morrow, or this very day?”

“Ole will never return,” replied Dame Hansen, gloomily.  “Ole is dead, Monsieur Hogg, dead, beyond a doubt.”

“You can not be sure of that, Dame Hansen,” exclaimed the professor.  “In fact, you know nothing at all about it.  Careful search is being made for some survivor of the shipwreck.  It may prove successful; yes, even before the time appointed for the drawing of this lottery.  You have no right to say that Ole Kamp is dead, so long as we have no proof that he perished in the catastrophe.  The reason I speak with less apparent assurance before your children is that I do not want to arouse hopes that may end in bitter disappointment.  But to you, Dame Hansen, I can say what I really think, and I can not, I will not believe that Ole Kamp is dead!  No, I will not believe it!”

Finding herself thus worsted, Dame Hansen ceased to argue the question, and this Norwegian, being rather superstitious in her secret heart, hung her head as if Ole Kamp was indeed about to appear before her.

“At all events, before parting with the ticket,” continued Sylvius Hogg, “there was one very simple thing that you neglected to do.”

“What?”

“You should first have applied to your personal friends or the friends of your family.  They would not have refused to assist you, either by purchasing the mortgage of Sandgoist, or by loaning you the money to pay it.”

“I have no friends of whom I could ask such a favor.”

“Yes, you have, Dame Hansen.  I know at least one person who would have done it without the slightest hesitation.”

“And who is that, if you please?”

“Sylvius Hogg, member of the Storthing.”

Dame Hansen, too deeply moved to reply in words, bowed her thanks to the professor.

“But what’s done can’t be undone, unfortunately,” added Sylvius Hogg, “and I should be greatly obliged to you, Dame Hansen, if you would refrain from saying anything to your children about this conversation.”

And the two separated.

The professor had resumed his former habits, and his daily walks as well.  In company with Joel and Hulda, he spent several hours every day in visiting the points of interest in and about Dal—­not going too far, however, for fear of wearying the young girl.  Much of his time, too, was devoted to his extensive correspondence.  He wrote letter after letter to Bergen and Christiania, stimulating the zeal all who were engaged in the good work of searching for the “Viking.”  To find Ole seemed to be his sole aim in life now.

He even felt it his duty to again absent himself for twenty-four hours, doubtless for an object in some way connected with the affair in which Dame Hansen’s family was so deeply interested; but, as before, he maintained absolute silence in regard to what he was doing or having done in this matter.