solitude was with him a rare occurrence, and his present experience
of it had chanced in this wise. Lorimer the languid, Lorimer the
lazy, Lorimer who had remained blandly unmoved and drowsy through
all the magnificent panorama of the Norwegian coast, including the
Sogne Fjord and the toppling peaks of the Justedal glaciers; Lorimer
who had slept peacefully in a hammock on deck, even while the yacht
was passing under the looming splendors of Melsnipa; Lorimer, now
that he had arrived at the Alton Fjord, then at its loveliest in the
full glory of the continuous sunshine, developed a new turn of mind,
and began to show sudden and abnormal interest in the scenery. In
this humor he expressed his desire to "take a sight" of the midnight
sun from the island of Seiland, and also declared his resolve to try
the nearly impossible ascent of the great Jedke glacier.

Errington laughed at the idea. "Don't tell me," he said, "that you
are going in for climbing. And do you suppose I believe that you are
interested--you of all people--in the heavenly bodies?"

"Why not?" asked Lorimer, with a candid smile. "I'm not in the least
interested in earthly bodies, except my own. The sun's a jolly
fellow. I sympathize with him in his present condition. He's in his
cups--that's what's the matter--and he can't be persuaded to go to
bed. I know his feelings perfectly; and I want to survey his
gloriously inebriated face from another point of view. Don't laugh,
Phil; I'm in earnest! And I really have quite a curiosity to try my
skill in amateur mountaineering. Jedke's the very place for a first
effort. It offers difficulties, and"--this with a slight yawn--"I
like to surmount difficulties; it's rather amusing."

His mind was so evidently set upon the excursion, that Sir Philip