“A few moments later, I reached the pavilion at the Montanvert, where I found a gay company gathered together, made up principally of English people.  As for myself, I must admit the frivolous, or, rather mundane, bent of my tastes; the truly admirable spectacle presented to my eyes interested me much less than the young stranger, who at this moment was descending with the lightness of a sylph the little road which led to the Mer de Glace.

“I do not know what mysterious link bound me to this woman.  I had met many much more beautiful, but the sight of them had left me perfectly indifferent.  This one attracted me from the first.  The singular circumstances of this first interview, doubtless, had something to do with the impression.  I felt glad to see that she had kept my bouquet; she held it in one hand, while she leaned with the other upon a staff somewhat like my own.  The two other ladies, and even the men had stopped on the edge of the ice.

“Monsieur de Mauleon wished to fulfil his duties as escort, but at the first crevasse he had also halted without manifesting the slightest desire to imitate the chamois.  The young woman seemed to take a malicious pleasure in contemplating her admirer’s prudent attitude, and, far from listening to the advice he gave her, she began to run upon the ice, bounding over the crevasses with the aid of her stick.  I was admiring her lightness and thoughtlessness, but with an uneasy feeling, when I saw her suddenly stop.  I instinctively ran toward her.  An enormous crevasse of great depth lay at her feet, blue at its edges and dark in its depths.  She stood motionless before this frightful gulf with hands thrown out before her in horror, but charmed like a bird about to be swallowed by a serpent.  I knew the irresistible effect upon nervous temperaments of this magnetic attraction toward an abyss.  I seized her by the arm, the suddenness of the movement made her drop her staff and flowers, which fell into the depths of the chasm.

“I tried to lead her away, but after she had taken a few steps, I felt her totter; she had grown pale; her eyes were closed.  I threw my arm about her, in order to support her and turned her face toward the north; the cold air striking her revived her, and she soon opened her beautiful brown eyes.  I do not know what sudden tenderness seized me then, but I pressed this lovely creature within my grasp, and she remained in my arms unresistingly.  I felt that I loved her already.

“She remained for a moment with her languishing eyes fixed on mine, making no response, perhaps not even having heard me.  The shouts of her party, some of whom were coming toward her, broke the charm.  With a rapid movement, she withdrew from my embrace, and I offered her my arm, just as if we were in a drawing-room and I was about to lead her out for a dance; she took it, but I did not feel elated at this, for I could feel her knees waver at every step.  The smallest crevasse, which she had crossed before