air. Then suddenly the snow began to fall
again. They could not see across the ravine.

The guide knocked at the door and opened it. Rochester and Pauline
passed in....

There was something almost familiar about the little scene. It was, in
many respects, so entirely as she had always imagined it. Naudheim,
coatless, collarless, with open waistcoat, twisted braces, and unkempt
hair, was striding up and down the room, banging his hands against his
side, dictating to the younger man who sat before the rude pine table.

"So we arrive," they heard his harsh, eager tones, "so we arrive at
the evolution of that consciousness which may justly be termed
eternal--the consciousness which has become subject to these primary
and irresistible laws, the understanding of which has baffled for so
many ages the students of every country. So we come----"

Naudheim broke off in the middle of his sentence. A rush of cold air
had swept into the room. He thrust forward an angry, inquiring
countenance toward the visitors. The young man sprang to his feet.

"Pauline!" he exclaimed.

He recognised Rochester, and stepped back with a momentary touch of
his old passionate repugnance, not unmixed with fear. He recovered
himself, however, almost immediately, Rochester gazed at him in
amazement. It would have been hard, indeed, to have recognised the
Bertrand Saton of the old days, in the robust and bearded man who
stood there now with his eyes fixed upon Pauline. His cheeks were
weather-beaten but brown with health. He wore a short, unkempt beard,
a flannel shirt with collar but no tie, tweed clothes, which might
indeed have come, at one time or another, from Saville Row, but were
now spent with age, and worn out of all shape.

Pauline's heart leaped with joy. Her eyes were wet. It had been worth
while, then. He had found salvation.

"We hadn't the least right to come, of course," she began, recognising
that speech alone could dissolve that strange silence and discomposure
which seemed to have fallen upon all of them. "Mr. Rochester and Lady
Mary and I are going to St. Moritz, and I persuaded them to stay over
here and see whether we couldn't rout you out. What a wonderful
place!" she exclaimed.

"It is a wonderful place, madam!" Naudheim exclaimed glowering at them
with darkening face. "It is wonderful because we are many thousands of
feet up from that rotten, stinking little life, that cauldron of
souls, into which my young friend here