’Notaltogethermerefatigue，sir，forhermulestumbledto-day，andshefellfromthesaddle。Shefelllightly，andwasupagainwithoutassistance，androdefromuslaughing；butshecomplainedtowardseveningofaslightbruiseintheside。Shespokeofitmorethanonce，aswefollowedyourpartyupthemountain。’
　　Theheadofthelargeretinue，whowasgraciousbutnotfamiliar，appearedbythistimetothinkthathehadcondescendedmorethanenough。Hesaidnomore，andtherewassilenceforsomequarterofanhouruntilsupperappeared。
　　WiththesuppercameoneoftheyoungFathersthereseemedtobenooldFatherstotaketheheadofthetable。ItwaslikethesupperofanordinarySwisshotel，andgoodredwinegrownbytheconventinmoregenialairwasnotwanting。Theartisttravellercalmlycameandtookhisplaceattablewhentherestsatdown，withnoapparentsenseuponhimofhislateskirmishwiththecompletelydressedtraveller。
　　’Pray，’heinquiredofthehost，overhissoup，’hasyourconventmanyofitsfamousdogsnow？’
　　’Monsieur，ithasthree。’
　　’Isawthreeinthegallerybelow。Doubtlessthethreeinquestion。’
　　Thehost，aslender，bright-eyed，darkyoungmanofpolitemanners，whosegarmentwasablackgownwithstripsofwhitecrossedoveritlikebraces，andwhonomoreresembledtheconventionalbreedofSaintBernardmonksthanheresembledtheconventionalbreedofSaintBernarddogs，replied，doubtlessthosewerethethreeinquestion。
　　’AndIthink，’saidtheartisttraveller，’Ihaveseenoneofthembefore。’
　　Itwaspossible。Hewasadogsufficientlywellknown。Monsieurmighthaveeasilyseenhiminthevalleyorsomewhereonthelake，whenhethedoghadgonedownwithoneoftheordertosolicitaidfortheconvent。
　　’Whichisdoneinitsregularseasonoftheyear，Ithink？’
　　Monsieurwasright。
　　’Andneverwithoutadog。Thedogisveryimportant。’
　　AgainMonsieurwasright。Thedogwasveryimportant。Peoplewerejustlyinterestedinthedog。Asoneofthedogscelebratedeverywhere，Ma’amsellewouldobserve。
　　Ma’amsellewasalittleslowtoobserveit，asthoughshewerenotyetwellaccustomedtotheFrenchtongue。MrsGeneral，however，observeditforher。
　　’Askhimifhehassavedmanylives？’said，inhisnativeEnglish，theyoungmanwhohadbeenputoutofcountenance。
　　Thehostneedednotranslationofthequestion。HepromptlyrepliedinFrench，’No。Notthisone。’
　　’Whynot？’thesamegentlemanasked。
　　’Pardon，’returnedthehostcomposedly，’givehimtheopportunityandhewilldoitwithoutdoubt。Forexample，Iamwellconvinced，’smilingsedately，ashecutupthedishofvealtobehandedround，ontheyoungmanwhohadbeenputoutofcountenance，’thatifyou，Monsieur，wouldgivehimtheopportunity，hewouldhastenwithgreatardourtofulfilhisduty。’
　　Theartisttravellerlaughed。Theinsinuatingtravellerwhoevincedaprovidentanxietytogethisfullshareofthesupper，wipingsomedropsofwinefromhismoustachewithapieceofbread，joinedtheconversation。
　　’Itisbecominglateintheyear，myFather，’saidhe，’fortourist-travellers，isitnot？’
　　’Yes，itislate。Yettwoorthreeweeks，atmost，andweshallbelefttothewintersnows。’
　　’Andthen，’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller，’forthescratchingdogsandtheburiedchildren，accordingtothepictures!’
　　’Pardon，’saidthehost，notquiteunderstandingtheallusion。
　　’How，thenthescratchingdogsandtheburiedchildrenaccordingtothepictures？’
　　Theartisttravellerstruckinagainbeforeananswercouldbegiven。
　　’Don’tyouknow，’hecoldlyinquiredacrossthetableofhiscompanion，’thatnonebutsmugglerscomethiswayinthewinterorcanhaveanypossiblebusinessthisway？’
　　’Holyblue!No；neverheardofit。’
　　’Soitis，Ibelieve。Andastheyknowthesignsoftheweathertolerablywell，theydon’tgivemuchemploymenttothedogs——whohaveconsequentlydiedoutrather——thoughthishouseofentertainmentisconvenientlysituatedforthemselves。Theiryoungfamilies，Iamtold，theyusuallyleaveathome。Butit’sagrandidea!’criedtheartisttraveller，unexpectedlyrisingintoatoneofenthusiasm。’It’sasublimeidea。It’sthefinestideaintheworld，andbringstearsintoaman’seyes，byJupiter!’Hethenwentoneatinghisvealwithgreatcomposure。
　　Therewasenoughofmockinginconsistencyatthebottomofthisspeechtomakeitratherdiscordant，thoughthemannerwasrefinedandthepersonwell-favoured，andthoughthedepreciatorypartofitwassoskilfullythrownoffastobeverydifficultforonenotperfectlyacquaintedwiththeEnglishlanguagetounderstand，or，evenunderstanding，totakeoffenceat：sosimpleanddispassionatewasitstone。Afterfinishinghisvealinthemidstofsilence，thespeakeragainaddressedhisfriend。
　　’Look，’saidhe，inhisformertone，’atthisgentlemanourhost，notyetintheprimeoflife，whoinsogracefulawayandwithsuchcourtlyurbanityandmodestypresidesoverus!Mannersfitforacrown!DinewiththeLordMayorofLondonifyoucangetaninvitationandobservethecontrast。Thisdearfellow，withthefinestcutfaceIeversaw，afaceinperfectdrawing，leavessomelaboriouslifeandcomesuphereIdon’tknowhowmanyfeetabovethelevelofthesea，fornootherpurposeonearthexceptenjoyinghimself，Ihope，inacapitalrefectorythantokeepanhotelforidlepoordevilslikeyouandme，andleavethebilltoourconsciences!Why，isn’titabeautifulsacrifice？Whatdowewantmoretotouchus？Becauserescuedpeopleofinterestingappearancearenot，foreightorninemonthsoutofeverytwelve，holdingonhereroundthenecksofthemostsagaciousofdogscarryingwoodenbottles，shallwedisparagetheplace？No!Blesstheplace。It’sagreatplace，agloriousplace!’
　　Thechestofthegrey-hairedgentlemanwhowastheChiefoftheimportantparty，hadswelledasifwithaprotestagainsthisbeingnumberedamongpoordevils。Nosoonerhadtheartisttravellerceasedspeakingthanhehimselfspokewithgreatdignity，ashavingitincumbentonhimtotaketheleadinmostplaces，andhavingdesertedthatdutyforalittlewhile。
　　Heweightilycommunicatedhisopiniontotheirhost，thathislifemustbeaverydrearylifehereinthewinter。
　　ThehostallowedtoMonsieurthatitwasalittlemonotonous。Theairwasdifficulttobreatheforalengthoftimeconsecutively。
　　Thecoldwasverysevere。Oneneededyouthandstrengthtobearit。However，havingthemandtheblessingofHeaven——
　　Yes，thatwasverygood。’Buttheconfinement，’saidthegrey-
　　hairedgentleman。
　　Thereweremanydays，eveninbadweather，whenitwaspossibletowalkaboutoutside。Itwasthecustomtobeatalittletrack，andtakeexercisethere。
　　’Butthespace，’urgedthegrey-hairedgentleman。’Sosmall。So——
　　ha——verylimited。’
　　Monsieurwouldrecalltohimselfthatthereweretherefugestovisit，andthattrackshadtobemadetothemalso。
　　Monsieurstillurged，ontheotherhand，thatthespacewasso——
　　ha——hum——soverycontracted。Morethanthat，itwasalwaysthesame，alwaysthesame。
　　Withadeprecatingsmile，thehostgentlyraisedandgentlyloweredhisshoulders。Thatwastrue，heremarked，butpermithimtosaythatalmostallobjectshadtheirvariouspointsofview。Monsieurandhedidnotseethispoorlifeofhisfromthesamepointofview。Monsieurwasnotusedtoconfinement。
　　’I——ha——yes，verytrue，’saidthegrey-hairedgentleman。Heseemedtoreceivequiteashockfromtheforceoftheargument。
　　Monsieur，asanEnglishtraveller，surroundedbyallmeansoftravellingpleasantly；doubtlesspossessingfortune，carriages，andservants——
　　’Perfectly，perfectly。Withoutdoubt，’saidthegentleman。
　　Monsieurcouldnoteasilyplacehimselfinthepositionofapersonwhohadnotthepowertochoose，Iwillgohereto-morrow，ortherenextday；Iwillpassthesebarriers，Iwillenlargethosebounds。
　　Monsieurcouldnotrealise，perhaps，howthemindaccommodateditselfinsuchthingstotheforceofnecessity。
　　’Itistrue，’saidMonsieur。’Wewill——ha——notpursuethesubject。
　　Youare——hum——quiteaccurate，Ihavenodoubt。Wewillsaynomore。’
　　Thesupperhavingcometoaclose，hedrewhischairawayashespoke，andmovedbacktohisformerplacebythefire。Asitwasverycoldatthegreaterpartofthetable，theotherguestsalsoresumedtheirformerseatsbythefire，designingtotoastthemselveswellbeforegoingtobed。Thehost，whentheyrosefromthetable，bowedtoallpresent，wishedthemgoodnight，andwithdrew。Butfirsttheinsinuatingtravellerhadaskedhimiftheycouldhavesomewinemadehot；andashehadansweredYes，andhadpresentlyafterwardssentitin，thattraveller，seatedinthecentreofthegroup，andinthefullheatofthefire，wassoonengagedinservingitouttotherest。
　　Atthistime，theyoungerofthetwoyoungladies，whohadbeensilentlyattentiveinherdarkcornerthefire-lightwasthechieflightinthesombreroom，thelampbeingsmokyanddulltowhathadbeensaidoftheabsentlady，glidedout。Shewasatalosswhichwaytoturnwhenshehadsoftlyclosedthedoor；but，afteralittlehesitationamongthesoundingpassagesandthemanyways，cametoaroominacornerofthemaingallery，wheretheservantswereattheirsupper。Fromthesesheobtainedalamp，andadirectiontothelady’sroom。
　　Itwasupthegreatstaircaseonthestoryabove。Hereandthere，thebarewhitewallswerebrokenbyanirongrate，andshethoughtasshewentalongthattheplacewassomethinglikeaprison。Thearcheddoorofthelady’sroom，orcell，wasnotquiteshut。Afterknockingatittwoorthreetimeswithoutreceivingananswer，shepusheditgentlyopen，andlookedin。
　　Theladylaywithclosedeyesontheoutsideofthebed，protectedfromthecoldbytheblanketsandwrapperswithwhichshehadbeencoveredwhensherevivedfromherfaintingfit。Adulllightplacedinthedeeprecessofthewindow，madelittleimpressiononthearchedroom。Thevisitortimidlysteppedtothebed，andsaid，inasoftwhisper，’Areyoubetter？’
　　Theladyhadfallenintoaslumber，andthewhisperwastoolowtoawakeher。Hervisitor，standingquitestill，lookedatherattentively。
　　’Sheisverypretty，’shesaidtoherself。’Ineversawsobeautifulaface。Ohowunlikeme!’
　　Itwasacuriousthingtosay，butithadsomehiddenmeaning，foritfilledhereyeswithtears。
　　’IknowImustberight。Iknowhespokeofherthatevening。I
　　couldveryeasilybewrongonanyothersubject，butnotonthis，notonthis!’