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Very soon they cleared the narrow passage which led into the inner bay, and rounded the last headland, and there! there lay Hellebergene before them in a blaze of light! From cellar to attic, in every single window, it glowed, it streamed with light, and at that moment another light blazed out from the cairn on the hill-top. It was thus that his mother greeted him.
She was politeness itself, and specially thanked Helene for her care of Hellebergene. Helene coloured without knowing why, but when Rafael also coloured, she blushed still deeper. This was the event of the visit; nothing else of importance occurred. In their daily walks through the fields and woods, the two young people soon exhausted the topic of Hellebergene. He took up another theme.
The effort to do so had begun seriously one day on the heights above Hellebergene, and had continued the whole summer. Curiously enough, one morning, as he sat at some most wearisome work, Hellebergene and Helene, in the spring sunshine, rose before him, and with them his project, lofty and smiling, came to him again. Then he begged for a little peace in the house.
Now he was on board the steamer which was bearing him home. The weather had become mild and summerlike; it had been raining, but towards evening it began to clear. He would get to Hellebergene in fine weather, and by moonlight. It grew colder; he spoke to no one, nor had he eyes for anything about him. The image of his mother, wrapped in her long shawl that was all the company he had.
Or did he hear anything? was it the sound of oars? Yes, they heard them now as well. From the strait near the inlet a boat was approaching them. She loomed large on the smooth surface of the water and shot swiftly along. "Is that a boat from Hellebergene?" shouted Rafael. His voice shook. "Yes," came a voice out of the darkness, and he recognised the bailiff's voice. "Is it Rafael?" "Yes.
It was a bright evening in the beginning of June that they disembarked from the steamer, and at once left the town in the boat which was to take them to Hellebergene. They did not know any of the boatmen, although they were from the estate; the boat also was new.
But if there was no boat, then a message from the gulf had been sent instead! And there was no boat! For a moment his senses failed him; only confused sounds fell on his ear. But then he seemed to emerge from a dark passage. He must get to Hellebergene! He must see what had happened; be would go and search! By this time it was growing dark.
"Wait a bit, until the islands at Hellebergene are 'protected, and the whole estate as well. Then you shall come and be happy with us. Good-bye till then!" He came to Christiania like a tall ship gay with flags. His love was the music on board. His numerous relations were ready to receive him.
Her opinion was expressed by the amount that she gave. Her husband's behaviour towards her was such that, had she not been very popular, she could not have remained at Hellebergene; that is to say, he opposed and thwarted her in every way he could; but every one took her part. The boy! Could not he have been a bond of union?
The estate did not yield an equivalent, for it was essentially a timbered estate, and the trees on it were still immature. So it was to be home! A few years alone at Hellebergene was just what he wished for. But something always occurred to prevent their departure at the time fixed for it. First he was detained by an invention which he wished to patent.
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