"I will give you a pleasure!" returned Wilhelm. "We shall reach the
weariful Korsoer early enough: the steamboat leaves at ten, and it
is not yet seven. You shall be surprised--I know well that you are
half a Catholic; I will conduct you where you may believe yourself
carried back several centuries, and may imagine yourself in a
Catholic country. That is right pleasant, is it not?"

Otto smiled. The friends alighted from the coach and walked over a
corn-field. They found themselves upon a hill, the whole landscape
spread itself out before them--they saw the Belt, with Sprogoe and
Funen. The surrounding country was certainly flat, but the variety
of greens, the near meadow, the dark stretch of wood in the
neighborhood of Korsoer, the bay itself, and all this seen in a
warm morning light, produced effect. The friends diverged to the
right; and before them, upon a hill, stood a large wooden cross,
with the figure of the Crucified One. Above the cross was built a
small roof to carry off the rain,--such as one may yet find in
Bavaria. The figure of the Redeemer was of wood, painted with
strong, tawdry colors; a withered garland of corn-flowers still
hung around his bowed head.

"It is extraordinary," said Otto, "to find in our time, in the year
1830, such a Catholic symbol in Lutheran Denmark! And yet--yes, you
will laugh at me, but I find it lovely: it affects me, moves me to
worship."

"That tawdry, tasteless figure!" cried Wilhelm. "Only see how
coarse! the hair is covered with tar to keep off the rain! The
peasants here have their peculiar superstition. If they allow the
cross to fall they have no luck with their lands. It was upon this