62
house," continued she, half angry and half weeping, as
they came to the slender timber stretched across the
creek, here some yards in breadth, and which certainly
would have been called a foot-bridge by none but an
inhabitant of the hallig, as it was laid with one of its
angles uppermost to prevent the sheep from passing.
Maria bounded lightly over ; Godber followed her slowly
and tremblingly.
As they entered the house, they found the whole fem-
ily gathered around the large table at breakfast, which
consisted only of tea, with black bread and butter, and
sheep's milk cheese. Idalia still wore the costume of
the hallig ; but she had managed by her inventive fancy
and tasteful choice, to give many an additional charm,
without detracting any thing from its peculiarity. Her
hair, though smoothed back from her forehead, was only
partially confined under the little cap, several ringlets
being allowed to fall over her shoulders. She had also
borrowed from the casket, which contained the family
ornaments, and which she was surprised to find so well
filled, a long gold chain which now glittered on her
breast, being used to lace the bodice loosely at the top,
and more snugly as it approached the waist, according
to the fashion adopted by the brides of the hallig. Her
good taste had led her not to cover the gold medallions
which are generally suspended from it. As Golber
stood, she rose, and approached him with irresistible love-
liness in every feature ; not indeed with the all-forget-
ting passionateness of yesterday, but with a smile that
showed she was confident of pleasing him. But we should
do Idalia injustice were we to represent her conduct to-
ward Godber as pure coquetry, Unaccustomed as she was
