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ader；　is　an　exaggerationthe　mere　babbling　of　an　ingrate。

The　Upper　Engadine　Valley；　in　which　Saint　Moritz　is　situated；　has；　as　well　as　the　Baths；　its　detractors　and　its　admirers。　This　narrow　valley；　throughout　whose　whole　length　flows　the　Inn；　shut　in　by　glacier…capped　mountains；　whose　slopes　are　covered　with　spruce；　pine；　and　larch　trees；　lies　at　an　altitude　of　some　five　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea。　It　often　snows　there　in　the　month　of　August；　but　spring　and　early　summer　in　the　locality　are　delightful；　and　dotted　about　are　numerous　little　romantic　green　lakes；　glittering　like　emeralds　in　the　sunshine。　Those　who　slander　these　by　comparing　them　to　wash…bowls　and　cisterns；　are　simply　troubled　with　the　spleen；　a　malady　which　neither　iron；　iodine；　nor　yet　sulphur；　can　cure。

One　thing　these　discontented　folks　cannot　deny；　and　that　is　that　it　would　be　difficult；　not　to　say　impossible；　to　find　anywhere　in　the　mountains　more　flowery　and　highly　perfumed　mossy　banks　than　those　of　the　Engadine。　We　do　not　make　this　assertion　because　of　the　rhododendrons　that　abound　on　the　borders　of　the　lakes：　we　are　not　fond　of　this　showy；　pretentious　shrub；　whose　flowers　look　as　if　they　were　moulded　in　wax　for　the　decoration　of　some　altar；　but　is　it　not　delightful　to　walk　on　a　greensward；　almost　black　with　rich　satyrion　and　vanilla？　And　what　would　you　think　of　a　wealth　of　gentians；　large　and　small；　great　yellow　arnicas；　beautiful　Martagon　lilies；　and　St。…Bruno　lilies；　of　every　variety　of　daphne；　of　androsace；　with　its　rose…coloured　clusters；　of　the　flame…coloured　orchis；　of　saxifrage；　of　great；　velvety　campanulas；　of　pretty　violet　asters；　wrapped　in　little；　cravat…like　tufting；　to　protect　them　from　the　cold？　Besides；　near　the　runnels；　following　whose　borders　the　cattle　have　tracked　out　graded　paths；　there　grows　that　species　of　immortelle　called　/Edelweiss/；　an　object　of　covetousness　to　every　guest　at　the　Baths。　Higher　up；　near　the　glacier　approach；　may　be　found　the　white　heart's…ease；　the　anemone；　and　the　glacial　ranunculus　（spearwort）；　higher　still；　often　buried　beneath　the　snow；　flourishes　that　charming　little　lilac　flower；　delicately　cut；　sensitive；　quivering；　as　it　were；　with　a　cold；　known　as　the　soldanella。　To　scrape　away　the　snow　and　find　beneath　it　a　flower！　Are　there　often　made　such　delightful　discoveries　in　life？

Having　said　thus　much；　we　must　admit　that　the　Rue　de　Saint　Moritz　does　not　resemble　the　Rue　de　la　Paix　of　Paris。　We　must　also　admit　that　the　markets　of　the　place　are　poorly　supplied；　and　that　in　an　atmosphere　well　calculated　to　stimulate　the　appetite　the　wherewithal　to　supply　this　cannot　always　be　obtained。　We　cannot　have　everything　in　this　world；　but　it　is　by　no　means　our　intention　to　advise　any　one　to　take　up　his　residence　for　life　in　the　Engadine。　There　must；　however；　be　some　charm　in　this　valley；　since　those　of　its　inhabitants　who　emigrate　from　it　in　their　youth　are　very　apt；　after　they　have　made　some　money；　to　return　to　pass　their　old　age　in　their　natal　place；　where　they　build　some　very　pretty　houses。

Mlle。　Moriaz　did　not　find　Saint　Moritz　disagreeable；　the　wildness　of　the　scenery　and　the　rugged　pines　pleased　her。　From　the　terrace　of　Hotel　Badrutt　she　loved　to　gaze　upon　the　green　lake；　slumbering　at　her　feet；　and　it　never　occurred　to　her　to　grumble　because　it　had　the　form　of　a　wash…bowl。　She　loved　to　see　the　cows　returning　at　evening　from　the　pasture。　The　cowherd　in　charge　marshalled　home　in　the　most　orderly　manner　his　little　drove；　which　announced　its　coming　from　afar　by　the　tinkling　of　the　cow…bells。　Each　one　of　the　creatures　stopped　of　itself　at　the　entrance　to　its　stall　and　demanded　admittance　by　its　lowing。　In　the　morning；　when　they　were　turned　out　again；　they　awaited　the　arrival　of　the　entire　herd；　and　fell　into　rank　and　file；　each　in　its　proper　place。　The　first　time　Mlle。　Moriaz　witnessed　this　ceremony；　she　found　it　as　interesting　as　a　first　presentation　at　the　theatre　or　opera。

There　were　several　rainy　days；　which　she　employed　in　reading；　painting；　and　making　observations　on　the　human　animals　of　both　sexes　whom　she　encountered　at　the　/table　d'hote/。　She　soon　gained　an　increase　of　occupation。　With　her；　mind　and　heart　were　so　constantly　on　the　alert　that　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　remain　a　week　in　a　place　without　discovering　some　work　of　charity　to　be　performed。　A　woman　to　whom　she　had　taken　a　fancy；　a　little　shopkeeper　of　the　place；　interested　her　in　her　daughter；　who　was　destined　to　be　a　governess；　and　who　desired　to　learn　drawing。　Antoinette　undertook　to　give　her　drawing…lessons；　making　her　come　every　day　to　the　hotel；　and　often　keeping　her　there　several　hours。　Her　pupil　was　rather　dull　of　comprehension；　and　caused　her　to　grow　a　little　cross　sometimes；　but　she　always　made　amends　to　the　girl　by　her　caresses　and　sprightly　talk。

The　weather　became　fine　again。　Antoinette　availed　herself　of　the　opportunity　to　take　long　promenades；　she　clambered　up　the　mountain…　slopes；　over　slippery　turf；　in　the　hope　of　carrying　home　some　rare　plant；　but　her　strength　was　not　equal　to　her　valourshe　could　not　succeed　in　scaling　those　heights　where　flourished　the　/Edelweiss/。　A　week　after　her　arrival　she　had　a　surprise；　we　might　even　say　a　pleasurable　emotion；　which　was　not　comprised　in　the　programme　of　amusements　that　the　proprietor　of　Hotel　Badrutt　undertook　to　procure　for　his　guests。　Returning　from　an　excursion　to　Lake　Silvaplana；　she　found　in　her　chamber　a　basket　containing　a　veritable　sheaf　of　Alpine　flowers；　freshly　gathered；　and　among　them　not　only　/Edelweiss/　in　profusion；　but　several　very　rare　plants；　and　the　rarest　of　all　a　certain　bell…flower　creeper；　which　smells　like　the　apricot；　and　which；　except　in　some　districts　of　the　Engadine；　is　only　found　now　in　Siberia。　This　splendid　bouquet　was　accompanied　by　a　note；　thus　conceived：

　〃A　man　who　had　had　enough　of　life；　resolved　to　hang　himself。　To　　　execute　his　dolorous　design；　he　selected　a　lonely　and　dismal　spot；　　　where　there　grew　a　solitary　oak；　whose　sap　was　nearly　exhausted。　　　As　he　was　engaged　in　securing　his　cord；　a　bird　alighted　on　the　　　half…dead　tree　and　began　to　sing。　The　man　said　to　himself：　'Since　　　there　is　no　spot　so　miserable　that　a　bird　will　not　deign　to　sing　　　in　it；　I　will　have　the　courage　to　live。'　And　he　lived。

　〃I　arrived　in　this　village　disgusted　with　life；　sorrowful　and　so　　　weary　that　I　longed　to　die。　I　saw　you　pass　by；　and　I　know　not　what　　　mysterious　virtue　entered　into　me。　I　will　live。

　〃　'What　matters　it　to　me？'　you　will　say；　in　reading　these　lines；　　　and　you　will　be　right。　My　sole　excuse　for　having　written　them　is；　　　that　I　will　leave　here　in　a　few　days；　that　you　never　will　see　me　　　again；　never　know　who　I　am！〃

The　first　impression　of　Antoinette　was　one　of　profound　astonishment。　She　would　have　taken　it　for　granted　that　there　was　some　mistake　had　not　her　name　been　written　in　full　on　the　envelope。　Her　second　impulse　was　to　laugh　at　her　adventure。　She　accorded　full　justice　to　Mlle。　Moriaz；　she　knew　very　well　that　she　did　not　resemble　the　first　chance　comer；　but　that　her　beauty　would　work　miracles；　resurrections；　that　a　hypochondriac；　merely　from　seeing　her　pass　by；　was　likely　to　regain　his　taste　for　existence；　scarcely　appeared　admissible　to　her。　So　great　was　her　curiosity；　that　she　took　the　pains　to　make　inquiries；　the　flowers　and　the　letter　had　been　left　by　a　little　peasant；　who　was　not　of　the　place；　and　who　could　not　be　found。　Antoinette　examined　the　hotel…register；　she　did　not　see　there　the　handwriting　of　the　letter。　She　studied　the　faces　which　surrounded　her；　there　was　not　in　Hotel　Badrutt　a　single　romantic…looking　person。　Very　speedily　she　renounced　her　search。　The　bouquet　pleased　her；　she　kept　it　as　a　present　fallen　from　the　skies；　and　preserved　the　letter　as　a　curiosity；　without　long　troubling　herself　to　know　who　had　written　it。　〃Do　not　let　us　talk　about　it　any　more；　it　is　doubtless　some　lunatic；〃　she　replied　one　day　to　Mlle。　Moiseney；　who　kept　constantly　recurring　to　the　incident　whose　mystery　she　burned　to　fathom。　The　good　demoiselle　had　been　tempted　to　stop　people　in　the　road　to　ask；　〃Was　it　you？〃　Perchance　she　might　have　suspected　her　Bergun　unknown　to　have　a　hand　in　the　affair；　had　she　had　the　least　idea　that　he　was　at　Saint　Moritz；　where　she　never　had　met　him。　He　came　there；　nevertheless；　every　day；　but　at　his　own　time；　besides；　the　hotels　were　full　to　overflowing；　and　it　was　very　easy　to　lose　one's　self　in　the　crowd。

To　tell　the　truth；　when　Count　Abel　Larinski　came　to　Saint　Moritz　he　was　far　less　occupied　with　Mlle。　Moriaz　than　with　a　certain　illustrious　chemist。　The　air　of　the　Engadine　and　the　waters　that　tasted　like　ink　had　worked　marvels：　in　a　week　M。　Moriaz　felt　like　a　new　man。　There　had　come　to　him　a　most　formidable　appetite；　and　he　could　walk　for　hours　at　a　time　without　becoming　weary。　He　abused　his　growing　strength　by　constantly　strolling　through　the　mountains　without　a　guide；　hammer　in　hand；　and　every　day；　in　spite　of　the　remonstrances　of　his　daughter；　he　increased　the　length　of　his　excursions。　The　more　people　know；　the　more　inquisitive　they　become；　and；　when　one　is　inquisitive；　one　can　go　to　great　lengths　without　feeling　fatigue；　one　only　becomes　conscious　of　this　after　the　exertion　is　over。　M。　Moriaz　never　for　a　moment　suspected　that　he　was　accompanied；　at　a　respectful　distance；　on　these　solitary　expeditions；　by　a　stranger；　who；　with　eyes　and　ears　both　on　the　alert；　watched　over　him　like　a　providence。　The　most　peculiar　part　of　the　affair　was　that　this　providence　would　gladly　have　caused　him　to　take　a　misstep；　or　thrust　him　into　some　quagmire；　in　order　to　have　the　pleasure　of　drawing　him　out；　and　bearing　him　in　his　arms　to　the　Hotel　Badrutt。　〃If　only　he　could　fall　into　a　hole　and　break　his　leg！〃　Such　was　the　daily　wish　of　Count　Abel　Larinski；　but　/savants/　have　great　license　allowed　them。　Although　M。　Moriaz　was　both　corpulent　and　inclined　to　be　absent…minded；　he　plunged　into　more　than　one　quagmire　without　sticking　fast；　more　than　one　marsh　without　having　his　progress　impeded。

One　morning　he　conceived　the　project　of　climbing　up　as　high　as　a　certain　fortress　of　mountains　whose　battlements　overhang　a　forest　of　pine　and　larch　trees。　He　was　not　yet　sufficiently　accustomed　to　the　mountains　to　realize　how　deceptiv