Dorothy's Double. Volume 2 (of 3)

  CHAPTER XIII

  Ten days later the party were re-united at Martigny. The Fortescues hadbeen there two days, having travelled faster than the Hawtreys had done.Captain Armstrong and Mr. Fitzwarren only turned up the next day; theyhad learnt at Lucerne the inn at which the Hawtreys intended to stay,and went straight there. The others were all absent on an excursion tothe Col de la Forclaz, and did not return until late in the afternoon.Captain Armstrong and Mr. Fitzwarren were standing on the steps of thehotel when the three girls clattered up on donkeys, the elders havingbeen left a quarter of a mile behind.

  'How are you both?' Ada Fortescue, who had won the race by a length,said, as they came down the steps. 'No, thank you, Captain Armstrong, Ican slip off without any assistance. We were talking of you this morningat breakfast, and wondering when you were likely to turn up.'

  They stood talking at the door of the hotel until the others arrived.

  'Which way have you come?' Mr. Hawtrey asked, after they had shakenhands.

  'We went over the Brunig Pass to Interlaken; we stopped there a day ortwo and came from Thun over the Simmenthal to Aigle; we stayed therefour days, and a day at St. Maurice, and got in here half an hour afteryou had started, and have since been for a stroll among the pines.'

  'We were over at St. Maurice the day before yesterday.'

  'It is splendid up here,' Ada Fortescue put in; 'we have been grumblingever since we came because we did not come on here at once instead ofspending those four days at Lucerne. It was all very lovely, but it wasso hot one really could not enjoy it as one ought to have done. Up hereit is so deliciously cool, at least except in the middle of the day,that one feels up to anything. I wish you could persuade papa to let usgo up one of the mountains; not a difficult one, of course. At presentmamma won't hear of it; though Mr. Hawtrey said he would go with us andDorothy. I don't think papa would mind,' she added confidentially.

  Captain Armstrong smiled. Mr. Fortescue was really but a cipher in thefamily. He accompanied his wife and daughters, and was very useful inlooking after the luggage and paying bills, but his wife was the realmanager of the party. She was not one of those women who assert theirpredominance over their husbands; upon the contrary, she made a point ofconsulting him on everything, but as his opinions were always in accordwith hers, this was little more than a form. She herself, among herintimates, frequently bewailed her husband's disinclination to take aleading part in anything.

  'It is a great disadvantage to the girls, for it compels me to putmyself much more forward than I like. It is always bad for a mother tohave to do so; it gets her the name of being a managing woman, and thereis nothing men are more shy of.' And yet in spite of Mrs. Fortescue'sdisclaimer, there were people who believed that if Mr. Fortescue had hada chance there would have been no occasion for his wife to take mattersso entirely in hand as she did. Within an hour of meeting CaptainArmstrong and Mr. Fitzwarren, she had discussed the matter with herhusband.

  'I don't know what to think of these men coming here just as we havearrived. It must mean one thing or the other.'

  Mr. Fortescue remarked that no doubt it did.

  'Captain Armstrong is of course an excellent match,' she said. 'Thequestion is, has he come here on his own account or on that of Mr.Fitzwarren? If on his own account, it must be in order to see more ofone of our girls, or of Dorothy Hawtrey. On the other hand, Mr.Fitzwarren cannot be considered at all an eligible person; of course heis in society, and all that sort of thing, and is very well connected,but that won't keep up a household. It would not do at all, and I shallwarn Ada and Clara that they are not to think of flirting with him, andthat if I see any signs of them doing so we shall at once move away.'

  'He is a very pleasant young man,' Mr. Fortescue said. 'I believe he hasa good position in the Foreign Office, and is private secretary to LordWolverhouse.'

  'Yes, that is all very well,' Mrs. Fortescue said, sharply, 'and I daresay it is a very good position for a clerk in a foreign office, but, asI said, it won't do to keep up an establishment, so I shall keep my eyesopen.'

  This Mrs. Fortescue did for the next four days, and the results were sofar satisfactory that she assured herself that Mr. Fitzwarren had nodesign upon either of her daughters. He always made one of the party ontheir excursions, but divided his attentions equally between the threegirls, and there was nothing in his manner that could excite thesmallest suspicion, even in her mind, that he viewed one with a greaterdegree of preference than the other. Captain Armstrong appeared equallygeneral in his attentions, and even Dorothy, who had felt at first acertain uneasiness when they joined, thought no more of the matter. Hehappened to be there when they were, and it was natural that he shouldattach himself to her party, and she soon ceased to feel at all shy withhim or to think of him in any other light than as a pleasant companionin their rambles.

  For the first week Mrs. Fortescue always formed one of the party, but asthe walks extended and they went higher and higher up the hill-side shewas glad, as soon as she felt that her suspicions of Mr. Fitzwarren'sattentions were unfounded, to let them go under their father's escort.Mr. Singleton was the only person who complained.

  'I wonder how long those two men are going to stay here,' he said to Mr.Hawtrey one day.

  'I have not heard them say anything about it. I shall be sorry when theygo, for they are both pleasant, and it makes it very much more agreeablefor the girls to have them to go about with. Of course, when we take thecarriage we all ride together, but I am sure the young people enjoywalking much more; they are capital climbers, and I can tell you theypretty nearly tire me out sometimes.'

  'I don't care how soon they go, Hawtrey. You know what my hopes areabout Dorothy, and I feel pretty confident that Armstrong has altogetherdifferent views on the matter. I have nothing to say against himpersonally; I admit that he is a downright good fellow. Every one knowshe has a good estate, so I have nothing to say against him, except thatI see he is doing his best to upset my special plans.'

  'I have not seen anything of it at all. I did not notice on our walksthat he was more with her than with the others. I imagine that it isonly fancy on your part.'

  'You do not suppose he would be wasting his time in rambling about herewith three girls unless he had some sort of object. It is one of thethree, and I have not the least doubt that it is Dorothy.'

  'I don't fancy so, for--quite between ourselves, Singleton--I can tellyou that she refused him some months since.'

  'Umph,' Mr. Singleton grunted, 'that must have been just before shebecame engaged to Halliburn. Now he is out of the way again, and abetter opportunity for love-making than Armstrong has got he couldhardly desire.'

  'I don't see that I can do anything in the matter, Singleton; evensupposing that your suspicions are correct.'

  'No, I don't suppose you can,' the other said irritably. 'If we were togo away he would come after us. If he means to ask the question he willask it. And the worst of it is that he is such a good fellow, sounobjectionable in every way. But it is hard that while the other isspending his time in looking out for evidence that will completely clearDorothy from these abominable charges, this man should be cutting in andmaking all the running here.'

  'I don't think Dorothy suspects anything of the sort, Singleton.'

  'No, I don't suppose she does; but a girl can't be thrown with apleasant man day after day like this without getting to like him. I amsure she does not know it herself--she is too frank and natural withhim; still when the time comes and he asks her the question again itwill come upon her how much she does like him, and the contrast betweenhim and Halliburn will be all in his favour. We might move to Chamounix.Pretend you are tired of this place, and see whether all the others willgo too.'

  'We may as well do that anyhow,' Mr. Hawtrey agreed. 'We have donepretty well all the walks and drives near here. It will be a change,anyhow.' And accordingly at breakfast next morning Mr. Hawtrey said, 'Ithink we have pretty well done this neighbourhood; it will be a changeto move
on to Chamounix. We could stay there for a week and then go onto Geneva.'

  'I think that would be a very good plan,' Mr. Singleton put in. 'I own Iam getting rather tired of this valley. It is all very well for youyoung people who can climb about among the hills, but I think I know theexterior of every house in the place, and have made the acquaintance ofalmost every man, woman, and child in it.'

  Mr. Fortescue at once assented.

  'It makes no difference to me,' Captain Armstrong said, carelessly, 'butI have been thinking for the last day or two that there would be more tobe seen at Chamounix. I have rather an idea of climbing Mont Blanc.Fitzwarren finds that time is running short, and has made up his mind toturn his face homewards.'

  After some farther talk it was arranged that the carriages should beordered for the following morning. There was much regret expressed atMr. Fitzwarren's departure, or as the girls called it, his desertion,but his determination was not to be shaken. He had talked it over withArmstrong on the previous evening when the latter had urged him to staya week longer.

  'I cannot afford it, my dear fellow,' he said. 'It is pleasant, verypleasant, but it is too dangerous a pleasure to be indulged in. Howeverstrict a man's principles may be, he's but human. Another week of thismight be fatal to me. I cannot afford to marry Clara Fortescue, even ifshe would have me and her mother were willing, which, by the way, I amperfectly sure she would not be. The way she played duenna the first fewdays, would have been amusing if it had not been annoying. It was almostheroic. Whenever I happened to be a few yards ahead or a few yardsbehind with either of her girls, she would be certain to range alongsidein the course of two or three minutes, and though naturally she did notexpress her feelings in words there was no possible mistaking hermanner. She was the watch-dog, I was the wolf; and she was prepared todo battle to save her lambs from the devourer. At that time I had noidea of devouring, and indeed I have no idea now; nevertheless I ambeginning to feel that the repast would not be an unpleasant one.Against the ordinary temptations that occur in ball-rooms andconservatories, at fetes, and even country houses, I am proof, but thisdaily companionship, wandering, and picnicking is beyond me. My armouris giving way, and I feel that flight is the prudent course before I amtoo severely wounded.'

  The next morning, therefore, he took his place on the diligence, andhalf-an-hour later two carriages started up the valley with the rest ofthe party. They had sent on a letter the previous day to secure rooms,and were comfortably established there late in the afternoon.

  'The dinner-bell will ring in five minutes, Dorothy,' Mr. Hawtrey said,tapping at his daughter's door.

  Dorothy was ready, and went down with him to the drawing-room. As theyentered, she caught sight of Ada Fortescue's face, which wore a puzzledand disturbed look, and she gave what seemed to Dorothy a warning shakeof the head. She moved across the room towards her chair to inquire whatshe meant. A gentleman stepped aside to make way for her. She looked up,and as their eyes met each gave a slight start, for it was LordHalliburn who stood before her.

  It was an awkward moment, but, as usual, the woman was the first torecover her presence of mind.

  'How do you do, Lord Halliburn?' she said, cordially, holding out herhand. 'Who would have thought of our running against each other here?'

  'Certainly I did not, Miss Hawtrey. I heard that you left town afortnight before I did, but, though I had no particular reason for doingso, I supposed you had gone down to Lincolnshire. When did you arrivehere?'

  'Only half an hour ago; when did you come in?'

  'Yesterday. I came up from Geneva.'

  'We came the other way,' Mr. Hawtrey said. He had only just noticed whomDorothy was speaking to, and had at once come up to her assistance. Thethree stood chatting together for a time.

  'Terribly awkward--most unfortunate, is it not?' Mrs. Fortescue remarkedto Mr. Singleton. 'It quite gave me a shock when I saw him come into theroom just now.'

  'I don't think it matters much, Mrs. Fortescue; there is no reason inthe world why they should not meet, and they might just as well do sohere as in London.'

  'Do you think there is any chance of its coming on again?' the ladyasked.

  'Not the slightest in the world,' he replied curtly; then he rose fromhis seat and went across to the little group, who were directlyafterwards joined by Ada Fortescue and her father.

  As the party stood laughing and chatting together, no one unacquaintedwith the circumstances would have guessed that the meeting had been soembarrassing to two of the number.

  'Are you wandering about by yourself, Halliburn, or are you with aparty?' Mr. Hawtrey asked.

  'Ulleswater and Dick Trafford are with me,' he replied. 'I suppose youhave been all travelling together.'

  'Yes, we first met at Lucerne; then we came on, and the Fortescuesjoined us at Martigny. Captain Armstrong and Fitzwarren were there too,so it made a pleasant party. Fitzwarren left us this morning; he was offhome again.'

  At dinner the two parties were at opposite ends of the long table.

  'Deuced awkward for you, Halliburn,' Lord Ulleswater said.

  'Oh, I don't know. I don't mind if she doesn't.'

  'I should say we had better move on, anyhow, Halliburn. If it gets knownthat you are here together it is sure to be reported the affair is onagain.'

  'I certainly shan't run away. If I had known she was coming I should nothave come here, but now we have met and spoken I don't see there will beanything gained by my leaving; besides, it would look as if I had donesomething to be ashamed of if I were to go directly they came.'

  'I think perhaps you are right. She behaved very pluckily, I think.Clara Fortescue had just whispered to me she was here. I was comingacross to warn you when she came in and I watched the meeting. I mustsay she pulled herself together wonderfully. It was an awkward momentfor her, meeting you here so suddenly, with a dozen people who knew allabout it looking on. I see Armstrong is sitting there with them as if hebelonged to the party; he and the elder of those Fortescue girls seem tobe on rather confidential terms.'

  'That is Armstrong's way,' Lord Halliburn said; 'he means nothing, andby this time I should say that most of the girls know that he meansnothing. I can't make out why he doesn't marry.'

  Ada Fortescue at any rate understood that Captain Armstrong's manner atthe present moment meant nothing; she had from the first detected thatDorothy Hawtrey was the attraction that kept him with the party, but shehad said no word when her mother had frequently expressed her surpriseat his prolonged stay at Martigny, and had cautiously endeavoured tolearn her opinion on the subject. Ada's silence was due partly to afeeling of loyalty towards Dorothy, partly because she shrewdlyconjectured that their own stay there was not unconnected with an ideain her mother's mind that something might come of it, and that did Mrs.Fortescue believe Dorothy to be the attraction, she would lose no timein leaving for England. Captain Armstrong said no word regarding themeeting with Lord Halliburn until she began the subject.

  'Did you see the meeting, Captain Armstrong? I was on thorns. TheHawtreys are not on the same side of the hotel as we are, but if I hadknown which her room was, I should have made some excuse to slip awayand warn her; however, it did not matter; she behaved beautifully,didn't she?'

  Captain Armstrong nodded. 'It is a nuisance his turning up here,' hesaid; 'but I don't think she cares. Do you, Miss Fortescue?'

  'No, I don't think she does. If she had done so, I don't think she couldhave been so cool and collected all at once. I am sure I couldn't if Ihad been in her place. She met him just as she might have met anyintimate acquaintance.'

  'If he has got any common sense,' Captain Armstrong growled, 'he will beoff the first thing to-morrow morning.'

  Ada was silent.

  'Don't you think so?' he urged.

  'Well it all depends. I know nothing about why the match was broken off,beyond that paragraph in the paper that said it was her doing, andDorothy has never alluded to it when we have been together. It depends,I should
think, whether he cared very much for her. I suppose he did. Itseems to me that everyone must love Dorothy Hawtrey. If so he may thinkit worth trying whether he cannot bring it on again.'

  Captain Armstrong muttered something between his lips that she did notcatch.

  'I am almost sure you are swearing, Captain Armstrong, and that is verybad manners. Still I don't say that I shouldn't swear if I were a manand all this happened, so I forgive you.'

  'We have had such a pleasant time,' he said ruefully, 'and if thisfellow is going to stay here I can see it is all going to be spoilt.'

  'I don't see why it should be spoilt. At any rate I am sure that ifDorothy broke off the match, she is not the sort of girl to make it upagain. It must be an awful thing to break off an engagement wheneveryone is aware of it, and you know it will set everyone talking. Idon't think I could ever bring myself to do it. I think Dorothy has putit quite aside; I have seen so much of her in the last fortnight, and ifthere had been anything on her mind I should have noticed it.'

  'She coloured up when they met.'

  'Of course she coloured up. You don't suppose, Captain Armstrong, a girlcan suddenly meet a man she has been engaged to and has been fondof--for of course she was fond of him--and who has been acting as loverto her for weeks, and all that sort of thing, without the colour cominginto her cheeks. It did not last a moment either. It just came and went.I am sure if it had been me, even if I had ceased to care for him, mycheeks would have flared up, and I should have been hot anduncomfortable for hours afterwards.'

  'I should not think he was ever very lover-like,' Captain Armstrongsaid, savagely; 'I don't think he has got it in him.'

  'I don't know,' Ada said, demurely. 'I have never been engaged, CaptainArmstrong; so I can't say what men do under such circumstances. Ibelieve--I suppose that they do take what novelists call a chaste salutesometimes. Now, if you swear like that, Captain Armstrong, I shall sitbetween papa and mamma at the next meal. It is downright scandalous!'

  'I really beg your pardon, Miss Fortescue,' Captain Armstrong said,penitently, 'but there are certain provocations under which even themildest of men may be excused for breaking down.'

  'I do not see where the provocation comes in,' she said; 'we were merelydiscussing the conduct of engaged couples in general, and of LordHalliburn in particular.'

  'I would rather not discuss the matter at all. I have nothing whateverto say against him; he may be an excellent fellow for anything I know,but at the present moment it is distinctly unfortunate that he hasturned up here, and I hope he will have the common sense to see ithimself, and to start the first thing in the morning.'

  But this Lord Halliburn did not do; he and his two friends started earlyfor the Mer de Glace, while the Hawtreys' party went off on mules inanother direction. After dinner the men met in the balcony and smokedtheir cigars together, the only absentee being Captain Armstrong, whowent for a walk by himself. On the following day the Hawtreys determinedto visit the Mer de Glace. Mr. Singleton and Mrs. Fortescue declined toform part of the expedition; the others took two guides with them, asthe ice was said to be in bad condition. They started at six in themorning, and made a considerable portion of the ascent on mules. Whenthey reached the edge of the glacier, the guides, who had beenconsulting together as they led the way, said that they should notadvise them going far, for the weather looked bad. Mont Blanc waswreathed in clouds, and the other peaks were also hidden.

  'What do you expect, Giuseppe?' Mr. Hawtrey asked. 'There is no wind,and the clouds do not look any lower than they did an hour ago.'

  'The storms here are very sudden,' the guide replied, 'and when they dosweep down they come with terrible violence, and Conrad and I both thinkthere may be snow. With these ladies it would not be safe to venture faron the ice.'

  'Well, we will only go as far as you think it safe. It would be a pityto have had this climb for nothing.'

  'All must keep together,' the guide said; 'let there be no straying. Thesnow, over some of the crevasses, is very thin and treacherous.'

  On they went for some distance, admiring the ice pinnacles, leaning overcrevasses, and peering down into the depths where the deep blue of theice walls shaded off into blackness. The guides went ahead, soundingcarefully the snow before them for a few inches, the first precursor ofcoming change, had fallen two days before. Suddenly one of the guidesuttered an exclamation.

  'See,' he said, 'the clouds are coming down the mountains. We have not amoment to lose; it will be on us now before we are off the glacier.'

  The sun was still shining brightly, and the parties, as they turned,glanced somewhat incredulously up the mountain.

  'By Jove, it is coming down,' Captain Armstrong exclaimed. 'It is morelike an avalanche of snow than clouds.'

  A minute later there was a faint moaning sound, which grew louder andlouder.

  'Stand close together and take a firm footing,' the guide exclaimed.'The storm will be on us in a minute. Look after the ladies, messieurs!'

  The warning was scarcely out of his lips when there was an icy blast. Itlasted but a second or two, and it was succeeded by a dead calm. Then amighty wind struck them with such violence that they were nearly sweptfrom their feet, while particles of ice, pricking like needles, forcedthem to close their eyes, and hold down their heads before the blast.The sun disappeared, and at the same moment they were enveloped in adense mist. Clara Fortescue had clung to her father's arm, and Ada, whowas with Captain Armstrong a few paces in the rear, hurried forwardtowards them, but the storm struck them before they reached them.Unprepared for the sudden shock, Ada would have been swept before it hadnot her companion clasped his arm around her. 'You must just fancy thatwe are waltzing,' he shouted in her ear. 'Cling tight to me; this can'tlast long.' And with great difficulty he dragged her along until theyreached the others.

  'That is better,' Mr. Fortescue said, as they arranged the shawls tocover the girls' heads. 'We will take care of them, Armstrong, if youwill ask the guides how long this is likely to last.'

  The guides were but two or three paces away, with alpenstocks firmlyplanted in the ice and their heads bent down to meet the force of thegale. They were talking together when Captain Armstrong joined them.

  'Is this likely to last?' he asked in French.

  'It may last for twenty-four hours,' the guide said.

  'Then we must be moving; the ladies could not stand this cold an hour.'

  'It is no easy matter,' the guide said, 'when one cannot see three pacesin front of one. Still we must try; as you say it would be death to theladies to stop here, and indeed for all of us. We have only one ropewith us; we did not expect this when we started. It is not long enoughfor all. I will be tied at one end, Giuseppe will go ahead and lead theway, the three ladies and one of the gentlemen will be tied to the ropebehind me, the other two had better walk between the ladies and hold therope.'

  'I will give them instructions. I have been up some of the mountains.'

  The guide fastened the rope round the girls and Mr. Fortescue. 'Now, youmust all understand,' Captain Armstrong said, 'if one goes through,those in front must stick their alpenstocks in the ice and throw theirwhole weight on the rope forward, those behind must do the same withtheir alpenstocks, but must stick their heels in the snow and pullbackwards on the rope.'

  Ada Fortescue was placed next to the guide, and was followed by Dorothy,whose father took hold of the rope a yard or two in front of her, whileCaptain Armstrong stationed himself between her and Clara, behind whomcame her father. Then they began to move forward in the teeth of thegale. Giuseppe went ahead, feeling his way cautiously. The mist was sothick that he could not see the ground he trod on. Talking wasimpossible, for it was difficult to breathe in face of the wind and finesnow. It was slow work, and in five minutes Captain Armstrong passedforward and joined the guide in front.

  'The wind is more on our right hand,' he shouted; 'do you think we arekeeping our course?'

  'The wind is no guide,' the man replied. 'I
t comes down sometimes onegorge, sometimes another; we may have it all round the compass.'

  In 1850 mountaineering was almost in its infancy. The ascent of MontBlanc was considered a great feat, and as yet no woman had undertakenit. The ice-fields and peaks were still almost unknown, and the guideshad not, as now, an intimate acquaintance with every foot of themountains. The danger of being lost in a fog or storm was, therefore,infinitely greater than at present.

  Several times Giuseppe was doubtful as to the true course, and the partyhalted while he made short casts in various directions. The girls'strength became rapidly exhausted; the icy wind seemed to deaden alltheir energies. Mr. Fortescue had moved up alongside his youngestdaughter to help her along. Mr. Hawtrey had his arm round Dorothy, andCaptain Armstrong was assisting Ada.

  Several times the whole party stopped and stood with their backs to thewind to recover their breath. At last Giuseppe gave a shout, and theothers were soon beside him. He was standing under the shelter of somerocks which projected through the glacier.

  'I know where I am now,' he said. 'We have not gone far from our course;another ten minutes and we shall be at the edge of the glacier.'

  This was welcome news to the men, but to the girls it seemed that itwould be impossible to struggle even for ten minutes further. All hadsunk down close together in the shelter.

  'You must not stop here,' Mr. Hawtrey said; 'you can have two or threeminutes to recover your breath, but you must keep moving or you will befrozen to death.'

  Is it necessary to be roped any further, Giuseppe?' Captain Armstrongasked.

  'Not necessary, monsieur, but it is better to continue so; it keeps alltogether, and were any to lag behind it would be certain death, for ourshouts could not be heard any distance away in this gale.'

  Clara was unable to rise when the guide said they must no longer delay.

  'I must carry her,' her father said.

  'I will carry her, monsieur; I am accustomed to carry burdens. If youwill lift her on to my back I can fasten the shawl round me so that shecannot fall. If another gives way, Conrad will take her; if the third,then two of you together must help her. That will do; let us goforward.'

  Five minutes later Ada Fortescue sank down, in spite of the assistanceCaptain Armstrong was giving her. Conrad at once unroped her and tookher on his back.

  'Now, Mr. Hawtrey,' Captain Armstrong said, 'if you put your arm roundyour daughter on one side and I on the other we can pretty well carryher along.'

  It was soon necessary to carry her altogether.

  'I will take her feet,' Mr. Fortescue, who was beside them, said; 'weshall get along capitally like that. Nevertheless, the ten minutesseemed to the three men to be a long half-hour, and it was with afeeling of the deepest satisfaction that they saw a rocky barrier infront of them, and left the frozen plain they had been traversing.

  'We are not out of the wood yet, Mr. Hawtrey said, 'nor shall we be tillwe get down among the trees, and I confess that I am feeling rather donemyself.'

  'It is awkward walking like this, Mr. Hawtrey, when one can scarcely seewhere one is putting one's foot down. If you will let me I will carryMiss Hawtrey in the same way the guides are doing; her weight will benothing if I get her well up on my back. We shall get on ever so muchfaster that way.'

  There was a feeble protest from Dorothy, who, although utterly exhaustedwas not insensible; it passed unheeded.

  'Are you sure you can do it, Armstrong?'

  'Quite certain, if you and Fortescue will lift her up; that is it, theweight is nothing now to what it was on the arms.'

  The guides had been standing impatiently by while this colloquy wasgoing on. They started as soon as they saw Captain Armstrong had hisburden fairly arranged.

  'Keep close behind me, monsieur,' Conrad said; 'if you follow quiteclose, you will see whether I make a step down or up.'

  They descended rapidly. From time to time the guides paused and asked ifall were together, and as soon as the reply was given pushed on again.Powerful man as he was, it taxed Captain Armstrong's strength to theutmost to keep up with the guides, who strode on rapidly ahead, as iftheir weights were nothing to them. The perspiration streamed from hisface--less from the weight than from anxiety lest he should fall, andseveral times he only saved himself by means of his alpenstock. Behindhim he could hear the panting breath of the two elder men, as theyhurried along stumbling and slipping. At last the gloom became denser,the roar of wind increased, and the guides came to a standstill.

  'We must halt here,' Giuseppe said; 'we are in the wood. We will restfor a little while, and see if we can find a shelter and light a fire;if not we must go on again. There is a break in the ground somewhereabout here. I must look for it.'

  Mr. Fortescue and his friend lifted Clara from his back and he hurriedaway. In a few minutes he returned.

  'It is close by,' he said; 'we shall do there.'

  He led the way, and in a minute they stood at the edge of a littleravine some fifteen feet deep running through the wood. The girls werecarefully carried down to the bottom. The change in the temperature, nowthey were sheltered from the wind, was very great. All three girls wereconscious, the motion and the heat of the guides' bodies having revivedboth the Fortescues; none of them were, however, able to stand.

  'Huddle as close together as you can, girls; the guides are going to tryand light a fire, and we shall soon have you comfortable.'

  'Oh, by the way, I have a flask in my pocket with some brandy in it,'Mr. Fortescue said. 'I had forgotten all about it until now.'

  'Thank God for that,' Mr. Hawtrey said; 'it is worth fifty times itsweight in gold. Now take a good sip of it, girls, it will do you a worldof good.'

  As soon as they were free of their burdens the guides, accompanied byCaptain Armstrong, had hurried away, and the former were soon engaged inchopping off strips of bark from the pines, while the latter collectedsticks. A pile was soon heaped up close to where the girls were sitting,a match struck, and in two or three minutes a bright fire was blazing.