“It is evidently our man,” cried the doctor, with great emotion.

“Yes, there can be no doubt of it,” answered the lawyer.  “The name, the vessel, the description, all prove it; even this choice of a pseudonym Johnny Bowles, and his declaring that Patrick O’Donoghan was dead, these are superabundant proofs!”

They were both silent, reflecting upon the possible consequences of this discovery.”

“How can we go so far in search of him?” said the doctor, at length.

“It will be very difficult, evidently,” replied Mr. Bredejord.  “But it is something to know that he is alive, and the part of the world where he can be found.  And, besides, who can tell what the future may have in store?  He may even return to Stockholm in the ‘Vega,’ and explain all that we wish to find out.  If he does not do this, perhaps we may, sooner or later, find an opportunity to communicate with him.  Voyages to Nova Zembla will become more frequent, on account of this expedition of the ‘Vega.’  Ship-owners are already talking about sending every year some vessels to the mouth of the Yenisei.”

The discussion of this topic was inexhaustible, and the two friends were still talking about the matter, when Erik arrived from Upsal, at two o’clock.  He also had read this great piece of news, and had taken the train for home without losing a moment.  But it was a singular fact that he was not joyful, but rather disturbed by this new intelligence.

“Do you know what I am afraid of?” said he to the doctor and Mr. Bredejord.  “I fear that some misfortune has happened to the ‘Vega.’  You know it is now the 5th of December, and you know the leaders of the expedition counted upon arriving at Behring’s Strait before October.  If this expectation had been realized, we should have heard from her by this time; for she would have reached Japan, or at least Petropaulosk, in the Aleutian Islands, or some station in the Pacific, from which we should have received news of her.  The dispatches and letters here came by the way of Irkutsk, and are dated the 7th of September, so that for three entire months we have heard nothing from the ‘Vega.’  So we must conclude that they did not reach Behring’s Strait as soon as they expected, and that she has succumbed to the common fate of all expeditious which for the last three centuries have attempted to discover the north-east passage.  This is the deplorable conclusion which I have been compelled to arrive at.”

“The ‘Vega’ might have been obliged to encounter in the Polar regions a great deal which was unforeseen, and she might have been unprovided for such a contingency,” replied Dr. Schwaryencrona.

“Evidently; but this is the most favorable hypothesis; and a winter in that region is surrounded by so many dangers that it is equivalent to a shipwreck.  In any case, it is an indisputable fact that if we ever have any news of the ‘Vega’ it will not be possible to do so before next summer.”