the midnight sun
Through the unexpected wakening up of energy in the latter young gentleman , who was usually of a most sleepy and indolent disposition , he happened to be quite alone on this particular occasion , though , as a general rule , he was accompanied in his rambles by one if not all three of his friends . Utter solitude was with him a rare occurrence , and his present experience of it had chanced in this wise . Lorimer the languid , Lorimer the lazy , Lorimer who had remained blandly unmoved and drowsy through all the magnificent panorama of the Norwegian coast , including the Sogne Fjord and the toppling peaks of the Justedal glaciers ; Lorimer who had slept peacefully in a hammock on deck , even while the yacht was passing under the looming splendors of Melsnipa ; Lorimer , now that he had arrived at the Alton Fjord , then at its loveliest in the full glory of the continuous sunshine , developed a new turn of mind , and began to show sudden and abnormal interest in the scenery . In this humor he expressed his desire to `` take a sight '' of the midnight sun from the island of Seiland , and also declared his resolve to try the nearly impossible ascent of the great Jedkè glacier . Errington laughed at the idea . `` Do n't tell me , '' he said , `` that you are going in for climbing . And do you suppose I believe that you are interested -- _ you _ of all people -- in the heavenly bodies ? ''