White Motley

were revealed. The Rhone valley appeared to be shaping itself more clearly at every zigzag; so that, while Sierre below had become but a toy vill

ompany at Sierre; but the morning of the day broke gloriously fine, so that the trav

Vermala and the Zaat, and could show you, even when far down the valley, exactly where the Palace Hotel lurked behind a forest of pines. Of these the gentle old

en he craved permission to share a sleigh with her-and obtained it, to the great annoyance of Sir Gordon Snagg, the coal-merchant from Newcastle, who had alre

y by their patronage, hastened at every turn to give some demonstration of their superiority, either as performers upon the bugle, or as "yoodlers," or merely as marksmen, with the passers-by on the slopes below

d not ask; and by the oddest coincidence in the world, they met on the platform at the Gare de Lyon. So they were travelling to Andana together-where, as Lady Coral-Smith explained, her poor dead husband, who had thrice been mayor of Brampton-upon-Sea, died after a long illness

of proportion. To him, the Boers were still "those d--d Dutchmen," and he remembered little about the campaign apart from the attack of enteric which kept him three months at Colesberg. His laugh was loud, his face fat and without distinction, and his chief concern the absence of any restaurant

he glorious sunshine to begin with, and upon that the fog and rain which would then be exasperating their own countrymen. By here and there, they paused to cast backward glances at the genial parson and the "little widow"; while Bob Otway, a mature philosopher of one

hen, by way of illustration-"look at Mondy Thurl, who was here last year. He married that To

side of his sledge, admitted that there was

have thawed a bit before he got back to town. A man can't be expected to know what he's doing out here-and that Toogood girl could fall down. Why, I believ

Rider girls would specialise in you, Dick, if they got t

s, making love to the 'little widow' at his ti

.' I'm beginning to be sorr

sig

wfully, "I know I shall be done for if I win the doubles with Marjory.

it over, old chap, and I'll write to your people. By Jove, t

the hoar to-day, and every thicket upon the steep slopes, every wood through which the sleighs carried them, had some picture more fantastic than its predecessors to show them. The air was keen as a breath of life itself; it had brought the colour anew to the "wid

orn from the plateau before the tea-house. Oh, yes, and Mont Blanc; there's a fine view of that and of the Den

widow" sho

winter-I had expected something quite different. All this is very beautiful-but is it not just

avering

bats and do the most wonderful things before we have been here a week. Why, even I h

hen, that a man is as

certainly was a delightful woman to trav

inspires us-I think it makes us quite mad sometimes. Then the scenery is so beautiful, so very, very beautiful. Look at those peaks-how t

sm, yet could not forb

xclaimed. "Whatever do you do at

esert. We are thankful to see the snow falling, and we go into our corners and play brid

teeth, and how deeply the blue of her eyes c

m a dreadful player, and the old ladies get very angry with

ed to cor

it. In a way, we are all friends-though, of cour

rt and soul to Lady Coral-Smith, and the intimate acquaintance

s one who would not

e this-and we can always choose our own road if we prefer. Sometimes, I wander by myself all da

im with a face gr

are not near Grinde

t is quite near for the climbers, though men of my age genera

ink that her betrayal had escaped

ems a century ago, but I was on my

hould not have put the que

expanse of the snow hid the valley from their sight. A little village with a winding street and houses that should have come out of a child's play-box, stood between the plateau and the hotel; and when they had passed it, they entered the forest itself, following a tortuous path amid the pines and already meeting many

nagh, I wonder? He was a blue, and his father left him thousands and thousands. It's awful to start life with that on your shoulders, isn't it? But he seems strong. Of course, he can't skate a bit, but we forgive him, because he can do other things. Then I must tell you, there's Benny-do you know Benny? If you do not, you have missed the joy of your life. He's the

path and the business of passing in so difficult a place stilled the ravenous tongue

Permit me to introduce her"; and he turned and waited, remembering that he had not yet t

rd-I am glad to m

I assure you, Mrs. Kennaird, and Mr. Clavering never will be sensible; I don't believe

h looked

t! Here a

ightened that some of them are going down to Sierre? Well, it's true, and even that horrid Dr. Orange, who believes in nothing but

rejoined Clavering; and th

will join the

e widow" shook

y life is too full of ghosts.

ey emerged from the wood, and the Palace Hotel was before them. Here Dr. Orange and a few others were gathered, waiting the bell for luncheon. They

an," said that condescending

good-looking man of forty, ha

at face almost as well as my o