Un billet de loterie. English

by Jules Verne

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Christiania, though it is the largest city in Norway, would beconsidered a small town in either England or France; and were itnot for frequent fires, the place would present very much the sameappearance that it did in the eleventh century. It was really rebuiltin 1624, by King Christian, however; and its name was then changedfrom Opsolo, as it had been previously called, to Christiania, inhonor of its royal architect.

  It is symmetrically laid out with broad, straight streets: and thehouses are generally of gray stone or red brick. In the center of afine garden stands the royal palace, known as the Oscarlot, a largequadrangular building, devoid of beauty, though built in the Ionicstyle of architecture. There are a few churches, in which theattention of worshipers is not distracted by any marvels of art;several municipal and government buildings, and one immense bazaar,constructed in the form of a rotunda, and stocked with both native andforeign goods.

  There is nothing very remarkable about all this, but one thing thetraveler can certainly admire without stint, and that is the siteof the city, which is encircled by mountains so varied in shape andaspect as to form a most superb frame for Christiania.

  Though the city is nearly flat in the new and wealthy quarter, thehilly portions, where the poorer classes live, are covered with brickor wooden huts of gaudy tints that astonish rather than charm thebeholder.

  Like all cities situated upon the water's edge, and upon fertilehills, Christiania is extremely picturesque, and it would not beunjust to compare its fiord to the famous Bay of Naples. Its shores,like those of Sorrento and Castellamare, are dotted with chaletsand villas, half hidden in the dark, rich verdure of the pines, andenveloped in the light mist that imparts such a wonderful softness tonorthern landscapes.

  Sylvius Hogg had at last returned to Christiania, though underconditions that he little dreamed of at the beginning of hisinterrupted journey. Oh, well, he would try that again another year!He could think only of Joel and Hulda Hansen now. Had there been timeto prepare for them, he would certainly have taken them to his ownhome, where old Fink and old Kate would have made them heartilywelcome; but under the circumstances, the professor had thought itadvisable to take them to the Hotel du Nord, where, as protegeesof Sylvius Hogg, they were sure of every attention, though he hadcarefully refrained from giving their names, for there had been somuch talk about the brother and sister, and especially about the younggirl, that it would be very embarrassing for her if her arrival inChristiania should become known.

  It had been decided that Sylvius Hogg should not see them again untilbreakfast the next day, that is to say, between eleven and twelveo'clock, as he had some business matters to attend to that wouldengross his attention all the forenoon. He would then rejoin themand remain with them until three o'clock, the hour appointed for thedrawing of the lottery.

  Joel, as soon as he rose the next morning, tapped at the door of hissister's room, and being anxious to divert her thoughts, which werelikely to be more melancholy than ever on such a day, he proposed thatthey should walk about the town until breakfast-time, and Hulda, toplease her brother, consented.

  It was Sunday, but though the streets of northern cities are usuallyquiet and well-nigh deserted on that day, an air of unusual bustleand animation pervaded the scene, for not only had the townspeoplerefrained from going to the country, as usual, but people from thesurrounding towns and country was pouring in in such numbers that theLake Miosen Railroad had been obliged to run extra trains.

  The number of disinterested persons anxious to attend the drawing ofthe famous lottery was even greater than the number of ticket-holders,consequently the streets were thronged with people. Whole families,and even whole villages, had come to the city, in the hope that theirjourney would not be in vain. Only to think of it! one million ticketshad been sold, and even if they should win a prize of only one or twohundred marks, how many good people would return home rejoicing!

  On leaving the hotel, Joel and Hulda first paid a visit to the wharvesthat line the harbor. Here the crowd was not so great except about thetaverns, where huge tankards of beer were being continually called forto moisten throats that seemed to be in a state of constant thirst.

  As the brother and sister wandered about among the long rows ofbarrels and boxes, the vessels which were anchored both near and farfrom the shore came in for a liberal share of their attention, formight there not be some from the port of Bergen where the "Viking"would never more be seen?

  "Ole! my poor Ole!" sighed Hulda, and hearing this patheticexclamation, Joel led her gently away from the wharves, and up intothe city proper.

  There, from the crowds that filled the streets and the public squares,they overheard more than one remark in relation to themselves.

  "Yes," said one man; "I hear that ten thousand marks have been offeredfor ticket 9672."

  "Ten thousand!" exclaimed another. "Why, I hear that twenty thousandmarks, and even more, have been offered."

  "Mr. Vanderbilt, of New York, has offered thirty thousand."

  "And Messrs. Baring, of London, forty thousand."

  "And the Rothschilds, sixty thousand."

  So much for public exaggeration. At this rate the prices offered wouldsoon have exceeded the amount of the capital prize.

  But if these gossips were not agreed upon the sum offered to HuldaHansen, they were all of one mind in regard to the usurer of Drammen.

  "What an infernal scoundrel Sandgoist must be. That rascal who showedthose poor people no mercy."

  "Yes; he is despised throughout the Telemark, and this is not thefirst time he has been guilty of similar acts of rascality."

  "They say that nobody will buy Ole Kamp's ticket of him, now he hasgot it."

  "No; nobody wants it now."

  "That is not at all surprising. In Hulda Hansen's hands the ticket wasvaluable."

  "And in Sandgoist's it seems worthless."

  "I'm glad of it. He'll have it left on his hands, and I hope he'lllose the fifteen thousand marks it cost him."

  "But what if the scoundrel should win the grand prize?"

  "He? Never!"

  "He had better not come to the drawing."

  "No. If he does he will be roughly handled. There is no question aboutthat."

  These and many other equally uncomplimentary remarks about the usurerwere freely bandied about.

  It was evident that he did not intend to be present at the drawing,as he was at his house in Drammen the night before; but feeling hissister's arm tremble in his, Joel led her swiftly on, without tryingto hear any more.

  As for Sylvius Hogg, they had hoped to meet him in the street; butin this they were disappointed, though an occasional remark satisfiedthem that the public was already aware of the professor's return, forearly in the morning he had been seen hurrying toward the wharves, andafterward in the direction of the Naval Department.

  Of course, Joel might have asked anybody where Professor Sylvius Hogglived. Any one would have been only too delighted to point out thehouse or even to accompany him to it; but he did not ask, for fear ofbeing indiscreet, and as the professor had promised to meet them atthe hotel, it would be better to wait until the appointed hour.

  After a time Hulda began to feel very tired, and requested her brotherto take her back to the hotel, especially as these discussions, inwhich her name was frequently mentioned, were very trying to her, andon reaching the house she went straight up to her own room to awaitthe arrival of Sylvius Hogg.

  Joel remained in the reading-room, on the lower floor, where he spenthis time in mechanically looking over the Christiania papers. Suddenlyhe turned pale, a mist obscured his vision, and the paper fell fromhis hands.

  In the "Morgen-Blad," under the heading of Maritime Intelligence, hehad just seen the following cablegram from Newfoundland:

  "The dispatch-boat 'Telegraph' has reached the locality where the 'Viking' is supposed to have been lost, but has found no trace of the wreck. The search on the coast of Greenland has b
een equally unsuccessful, so it may be considered almost certain that none of the unfortunate ship's crew survived the catastrophe."