robably have found vent in some such phrase
as, "won't there be fun, neither--oh dear no, not by no means." To him
the height of happiness was the practice of mischief. Danger in his
estimation meant an extremely delicious form of mischief.

"Is the place picturesque as well as dangerous?" asked Slingsby, with a
wild look in his large eyes as he walked nearer to the Professor.

"It is; you will find many aspects of ice-formation well worthy of your
pencil."

It is due to the artist to say that his wildness that morning was not
the result only of despair at the obvious indifference with which Nita
regarded him. It was the combination of that wretched condition with a
heroic resolve to forsake the coy maiden and return to his first love--
his beloved art--that excited him; and the idea of renewing his devotion
to her in dangerous circumstances was rather congenial to his savage
state of mind. It may be here remarked that Mr Slingsby, besides being
an enthusiastic painter, was an original genius in a variety of ways.
Among other qualities he possessed an inventive mind, and, besides
having had an ice-axe made after a pattern of his own,--which was
entirely new and nearly useless,--he had designed a new style of belt
with a powerful rope having a hook attached to it, with which he
proposed, and actually managed, to clamber up and down difficult places,
and thus attain points of vantage for sketching. Several times had he
been rescued by guides from positions of extreme peril, but his daring
and altogether unteachable spirit had thrown him again and again into
new conditions of danger. He was armed with his formidable belt and
rope on the present excursion, and his aspect was such that his friends
felt rather uneasy about him, and would not have been surprised if he
had put the belt round his neck instead of his waist, and attempted to
hang himself.

"Do you expect to complete your measurements to-day?" asked Lawrence,
who accompanied the Professor as his assistant.

"Oh no. That were impossible. I can merely fix my stakes to-day and
leave them. To-morrow or next day I will return to observe the result."

The eastern side of the Glacier du Geant, near the Tacul, at which they
soon arrived, showed an almost perpendicular precipice about 140 feet
high. As they collected in a group in front of that mighty pale-blue
wall, the danger to which the Professor had alluded became apparent,
even to the most inexperience