The Vision of Desire

ure train, edging its way along the track, appeared no more than a mere speck as it crept tortuously up towards the top. At its rear puffed a small engine, buil

n pine-clad heights. Then a turn of the track and the lake was swept suddenly out of sight, while the mountains closed round-shoulder after green-clad shoulder, with fields of white narcissus flung

reat breaths of the pine-laden air. "When I come up to the mou

smi

rts are over," he returned. "After all"-mundanely-"you can't derive more than a limited am

e Swiss mountains; they change so much. Sometimes they look all misty and unreal-almost like a mirage, and then, the very next day,

d now and again a wedge of frozen snow, lodged under the projecting corner of a rock, appeared beside the track. The wind grew keener

row passage like a blast of winter. Ann shivered in the sudden cold and darkness and drew her furs closer round her. She had a queer dread of underground places; they gave h

s where a solitary hotel stood like a lonely o

d in favour

re. It's certainly as near the top as I shall ever get!" she added laughing. "I don't feel drawn

ley, the Dents de Loup cut the sky-line-two menacing, fang-shaped peaks like the teeth of a wolf, and beyond them a seemingly endless range of mountains stretched away to the far horizon, pinnacle after pinnacle towering upwards with sombre, sharp-e

bsorbing the sheer

she said at last, a little

, but at the young, eager fac

," he answered. "Anyway, just for the moment, I d

ly think you have very much to complain of at any time. You're one of the idle rich, you know.

urtly-"if I could ch

s grindstone, I mean. He's just got to kee

r father had counted for so little in either of their lives that they had inevitably drawn closer to each other tha

" observed Tony. There was

y afford to live together, I thi

ed at he

happy with

she is. But-I miss Robin"-rather wistfully. "You

ppen if one day you-or R

the topic

wing his attention to a girl who had also climbed the Roche d'Or hill to see the view and had halted

e girl was jealously clasping. She had walked f

some?" he a

no

e in the year to find them,

, overhearing, turned to

en hunting everywhere for them. But you may find on

gesture. Then he glance

for so long a

p in this air," she assu

as much farther away than it appeared and "the going was bad," as Tony phrased it. Blue gentians proved tant

ast, ruefully. "It's very contemptible of me, I own. But when I contemplate the distance we've a

ere, sit down in this little hollow and rest for a few minutes before we tu

s he spoke and rolled it toget

ur coat," she protested.

as suddenl

ed. And somewhat to her own surprise

sy morning, and was really more tired than she knew. First of all there had been the car to clean, then there were flowers to be arranged for the house, and after that various small shopping errands had

lapsed into a brown study provoked by Tony's sudden question: "What will happen if one day you-or Robin-should get married?" She had never asked herself that question. It was so much

isted in a little wry grimace of distaste. She was sure she should detest any woman who robbed her of her brother. And if such a thing happened, sh

fy things so much. As Tony's wife she felt sure she could keep him straight and so fulfil the trust Virginia had imposed on her. He had always shown himself sensitively responsive to her i

and that, at that altitude, the air held all the mountain keenness. She felt chilled, and scrambled up h

t least two miles, and as far as she could see there was no sign of any living creature in the whole expanse. Hardly believing her own senses, she brushed her hand across her

He must be hidden from view by some dip or inequality of the ground. Or-her heart st

isp air. But there came no answer. Instead, the utter loneliness and silence seemed to surge up round her a

a scream, then cracked on a hoars

and shoulders. Instantly her mind leapt to what had happened. Failing to find a gentian in his search over safe ground, he must have caught si

rs might distract his attention and so add illimitably to his danger, she forced herself by an almost superhuman effort to remain where she was. Motionless, with straining ey

ning on his chest an instant before making another effort. Should she go to him? Her a

ver the top. Another moment and he would be safe.... Then, without a cry, he suddenly toppled backwards a

what had happened. Then, choking back the scream which rose to her lips, she