clocks in carved wood, so
that tourists could, while breakfasting, contemplate at a depth of six
thousand feet before them the wonderful valley of Grindel-wald on the
left, that of Lauterbrunnen on the right, and opposite, within gunshot
as it seemed, the immaculate, grandiose slopes of the Jungfrau, its
_neves_, glaciers, all that reverberating whiteness which illumines the
air about it, making glasses more transparent, and linen whiter.

But now, for a time, general attention was attracted to a noisy, bearded
caravan, which had just arrived on horse, mule, and donkey-back, also in
a _chaise a porteurs_, who had prepared themselves to climb the mountain
by a copious breakfast, and were now in a state of hilarity, the
racket of which contrasted with the bored and solemn airs of the very
distinguished Rices and Prunes collected on the Scheideck, such as: Lord
Chipendale, the Belgian senator and his family, the Austro-Hungarian
diplomat, and several others. It would certainly have been supposed
that the whole party of these bearded men sitting together at table
were about to attempt the ascension, for one and all were busy with
preparations for departure, rising, rushing about to give directions to
the guides, inspecting the provisions, and calling to each other from
end to end of the terrace in stentorian tones.

"Hey! Placide, _ve!_ the cooking-pan, see if it is in the knapsack!..
Don't forget the reed-lamp, _au mouain_."

Not until the actual departure took place was it seen that, of all the
caravan, only one was to make the ascension: but which one?

"Children, are we ready?" said the good Tar-tarin in a joyous,
triumphant voice, in which not a shade of anxiety trembled at the
possible dangers of the trip--his last doubt as to the Company's
manipulation of Switzerland being dissipated that very morning before
the two glaciers of Grindel-wald each protected by a wicket and a
turnstile, with this inscription "Entrance to the glacier: one franc
fifty."

He could, therefore, enjoy without anxiety this departure in apotheosis,
the joy of feeling himself looked at, envied, admired by those bold
little misses in boys' caps who laughed at him so prettily on the
Rigi-Kulm, and were now enthusiastically comparing his short person with
the enormous mountain he was about to climb. One drew his portrait
in her album, another sought the honour of touching his alpenstock.
"Tchemppegne!.. Tchemppegne!.." called out of a sudden a