Glad to get relief from the violent jolting, I descended at the station-house, and asked for a glass of water; the most appalling-looking stuff I ever saw presented under that name was brought to me, and at the same moment a particularly nice-looking Englishman interposed, and asked me to take porter instead. I believe I should have accepted the substitution, but Herr Y. came hurriedly in, gave me his arm, led me out, and packed me into the carriage before I had time to give any answer. Forced now into a livelier sympathy with the parching eels and lobsters, I saw our mad career recommence with only added wonder. That we had overtaken a great party, was evident; but still the drink-penny was offered; and now, instead of looking out forwards, he kept casting uneasy glances backwards. The anxiety

of a chase seemed at once turned into fear of a pursuit. Unable longer to endure a state of mystification, I ventured to ask, at last, the cause of this commotion; and I was briefly informed that Herr Y. had engaged to order a dinner on the road for the distinguished foreigner, who was coming to be a guest at his house, a fact which he wished duly to announce along the road as the herald of the great man's approach.

VOL. I.

L

Now light began to dawn upon me; that I was not the " distinguished foreigner," but that the emphatic personal pronoun was, I began to understand.

"I ordered his dinner a week ago at Eidsvold," said Herr Y., still anxiously speaking to himself, "but they may not know his hour, and, besides, he will want to eat along the road. I must keep before to tell them to have things ready. The English dine at night."

But at our next station there was a commotion surpassing the rest. A man and horse had arrived there from Eidsvold, twenty miles off, to deprecate the idea that the hotel, where the bathers were, could furnish a dinner to the great English party.

They could furnish a dinner to ten times as many natives," cried Herr Y., wringing his hands, as in his despair he for once admitted me to a participation in his troubles; "but these Englishno, it is impossible."

"Well," thought I to myself, "now that this matter is at rest, I may be able to get a drink; it is quite clear that Englishwomen are considered to be of quite a contrary nature to Englishmen."

Herr Y., indeed, resolved to await here the

arrival of the distinguished foreigner, in order to communicate himself the dinner intelligence, and consult on measures to be now taken. In consequence of this arrangement I found myself the gainer by a great man's loss; for Herr Y. brought me into the inn, gave me some cherries from the basket, a bit of cake, and a glass of wine.

The five carriages and cart having come up, we set off again as avant courier, and jolted, bounded, and swung along, "leaving him," as Herr Y. emphatically said, "to eat whatever the house afforded."

"There is Eidsvold," said Herr Y., pointing to an unremarkable country-house. It was the only object he had shown to my notice along the road. "Is that where the Baths are ?"

"Nay, that is further off, close to Lake Miösen." "Whose house, then, is that?"

"Ours; Norway's. We bought it. It was there the constitution was framed. It belongs to the country now."

The constitution! That is the proudest word even Norwegian lips can speak.

"The constitution," I said, merely for the sake of diverting poor Herr Y.'s tender solicitudes, "is it not the same as the Swedish?"

"Swedish! pah! Sweden has none."

"Yet Sweden and Norway are one kingdom." "No such thing."

"How? You have only one king."

"Norway is a kingdom in itself. The King is the King of Norway."

"Of Sweden and Norway," I interposed.

"Nay, of Norway; and, if you will, of Sweden." "Oh! you put Norway first."

"That is certain."

"And the Swedes, I suppose, do the same?"

"The Swedes may do as they like." After a little pause, Herr Y. added, "In all that relates to our country, the King must style himself King of Norway-he may add Sweden if he pleases."

"But was it not Sweden gave you the constitution which makes your grand distinction ?"

“Nay.”

"Denmark, then ?"

“Nay.”

"Who, then?"

"Ourselves." Herr Y. was silent, thinking, as I imagined, that he had told me enough; but after a time he resumed, without my questioning, the information he was so good as to give me.

66

Norway," he said, " was declared to be a separate and independent kingdom by Prince Christian, of Denmark, who was willing to be its king.

England behaved very badly to us; but we have forgiven that now. The King of Sweden promised to accept our constitution, and so we accepted him as our king."

"What stupid accounts Swedish historians may give of this matter," I remarked, "making it appear an act of grace on the part of Sweden to give you the constitution, when, thanks to English interference, your country was in their power."

"The Swedes know nothing about it," said Herr Y., and leaning back in the carriage, closed his eyes and the subject together.

Another jerk roused him, and nearly flung me out of the carriage.

"Why is not this road mended ?" I asked. "It forms the chief line of traffic to the North."

"That depends on the farmers; they are a little obstinate; they mostly opposed the railroad; they prefer old ways in all things."

"Yet they are your legislators? I doubt if that be so well for a country."

"It has always been so," said Herr Y., weariedly, and in a mode of reasoning that is unanswerable in old Norway.

And so we got to Eidsvold Baths, where there was nothing to be seen but a great many ladies;