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Page 4
Richard, in the mean time, betook himself to the big telescope. Right
enough: Per was sitting aft, and he saw Madeleine jump down into the
boat. On the forward thwart there sat a male creature, dressed in
homespun, with a yellow sou'wester on its head.
"_Bien!_" said the old gentleman, with a sigh of relief. "It is well
they have got some one with them--in every respect."
CHAPTER II.
The highest point on the seven miles of flat, sandy coast was the
headland of Bratvold, where the lighthouse was built just on the edge of
the slope, which here fell so steeply off towards the sea as to make the
descent difficult and almost dangerous, while in ascending it was
necessary to take a zigzag course. The sheep, which had grazed here from
time out of mind, had cut out a network of paths on the side of the
hill, so that from a distance these paths seemed to form a pattern of
curves and projections on its face.
From the highest and steepest point, on which the lighthouse was built,
the coast made a slight curve to the southward, and at the other end of
this curve was the large farm of Bratvold, which, with its numerous and
closely packed buildings, appeared like a small village.
On the shore below the farm lay the little boat harbour, sheltered by a
breakwater of heavy stone.
The harbour was commanded by the windows of the lighthouse, so that
Madeleine could always keep her eye on Per's boat, which was as familiar
to her as their own sitting-room. This was a large and cheerful room,
and into its corner was built the tower of the lighthouse itself, which
was not higher than the rest of the building. The room had thus two
windows, one of which looked out to sea, while from the other was a view
to the northward over the sandy dunes, which were dotted with patches of
heather and bent grass. In the sitting-room Madeleine's father had his
books and writing-table, and last, but not least, the large telescope.
This was made to turn on its stand, so that it commanded both the view
to the north and that out to sea. Here also Madeleine had her flowers
and her work-table; and the tasteful furniture which Uncle Garman had
ordered from Copenhagen, and which was always a miracle of cheapness to
her father, gave the room a bright and comfortable appearance.
In the long evenings when the winter storms came driving in on the
little lighthouse, father and daughter sat cosy and warm behind the
shelter of their thick walls and closed shutters, while the light fell
in regular and well-defined rays over the billows, which raged and
foamed on the shore below. The ever-changing ocean, which washed under
their very windows, seemed to give a freshness to their whole life,
while its never-ceasing murmur mingled in their conversation and their
laughter, and in her music.
Madeleine had inherited much of her father's lively nature; but she had
also a kind of impetuosity, which one of her governesses had called
defiance. When she grew up she showed, therefore, the stronger nature of
the two, and her father, as was his wont, gave way. He laughed at his
little tyrant, whose great delight was to ruffle his thick curling hair.
When, in his half-abstracted way, the old gentleman would tell her
stones which threatened to end unpleasantly, she would scold him well;
but when, from some cause or other, he was really displeased with her,
it affected her so much that the impression remained for a long time.
Her nature was bright and joyous, but she yearned for the sunshine, and
when her father was out of spirits she could not help fancying that it
was her fault, and became quite unhappy.
Madeleine had also her father's eyes, dark and sparkling, but otherwise
her only resemblance to him lay in her slight figure and graceful
carriage. Her mouth was rather large, and her complexion somewhat dark.
None could deny that she was an attractive girl, but no one would have
called her pretty; some of the young men had even decided that she was
plain.
One fine afternoon early in spring, Per lay waiting with his boat off
the point of the Mole. Silly Hans was not with him, for both he and
Madeleine had agreed that it was not necessary when they were going only
for a row; and to-day all there was to do was to provide the
lobster-pots with fresh bait for the night.
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