Recovering his habitual self-possession quickly, however, he raised his hat, and, pointing to the boat, which was more than half way out of the cavern, said simply-- "May I assist you ?" She was silent, eyeing him with a keen glance which had something in it of disfavor and suspicion.
"I suppose she doesn't understand English," he thought, "and I can't speak a word of Norwegian.

I must talk by signs." And forthwith he went through a labored pantomime of gesture, sufficiently ludicrous in itself, yet at the same time expressive of his meaning.

The girl broke into a laugh--a laugh of sweet amusement which brought a thousand new sparkles of light into her lovely eyes.
"That is very well done," she observed graciously, speaking English with something of a foreign accent.

"Even the Lapps would understand you, and they are very stupid, poor things!" Half vexed by her laughter, and feeling that he was somehow an object of ridicule to this tall, bright-haired maiden, he ceased his pantomimic gestures abruptly and stood looking at her with a slight flush of embarrassment on his features.
"I know your language," she resumed quietly, after a brief pause, in which she had apparently considered the stranger's appearance and general bearing.

"It was rude of me not to have answered you at once.
You can help me if you will.