The Yale expositor., 1907-05-10
CHAPTER w.
The Coward.

curiosity that was even harsh and
stern.
seated myself opposite the woman
/ had unconsciously wronged. For the
first time she looked at me, and | saw
with relief that neither pain nor an
guish lurked in her clear eyes. There
was no outraged love nor tenderness.
Nor was there pity for herself or for
me- But even so, ii seemed to me
pathetic that a woman should be so
strong.
II wish to hear everything. Begin.
please, with your first meeting with
Mr.. Willoughby. Tell me ALTO the
last moment"
81 shall not spare either yourself or
myself" promised.
Did you know Mr.. Willoughby in.
timately? Were you at oxford with
him? think do not remember his
speaking of you"
She spoke slowly. with a certain
aloofness. A desire to be just strug-
gled with a manifest dislike-a dislike
that was evidently not lessened be-
cause of my studied calm. Perhaps
she thought q feTvent expression of
penitence more fitting. But instinct
lively | knew that an hysterical repent
ance would increase her contempt for
me. / preferred her hatred to that.
And so told my story absolutely with
out feeling
Il met him for the first time the
night before his death"
Indeed Her voice trembled with
anger She was indignant that he
should have discussed has love with an
utter stranger.
1T was not until we had both given
up hope that he mentioned you. MIS-
Brett" | said with some sternness.
But surely his death was the result
OF quite unexpected accident? The
newspapers gave one that impression"
she exclaimed suspiciously. The words
and the look accused me of falsehood.
The accident came only after we
were both utterly exhausted by the
sufferings of a night spest on the
mountain paths"
And were the newspapers correct
rienced mountain climber? And did
Mr.. Willoughby know that?"
Yes, | am simply tourist This is
the first time | have been in Europe.
! came to Switzerland as thousands of
others come-to see the mountains
from an hotel piazza or a railway train.
To me, as TO most tourists, the Alps
were simply a gigantic panorama to
be viewed complaisantiy, as one looks
at Niagara Falls. To climb them
never occurred to me until | met Mr..
Willoughby.
Il was making the usual circular
tour, lnterlaken. Scheidegg. Lauter-
brunnen, Grindel~ald. Mr. Willoughby
happened to sit next TO me at the table
d'hote at the Bear hotel. He was an
athlete; Switzerland to him was sim
ply an immense playground; he spoke
of the trophies he had won at Queens
fields in the same breath as his ex-
ploits in scaling a mountain top. At
first l listened to him with indiffer-
ence; his enthusiasm amused me
nothing more. | had supposed that
people climbed mountains simply for
the view; because on the summit one
could see little farther than II one
were merely on the mountain-side.
But as he talked | began to under
stand. Ii was a game-a cont1ict-a
battle If you wish-in which one pitted
ones strength and wit in a hand-to-
! hand fight with nature.
Gradually his enthusiasm aroused
mine. | was wearied of sightseeing;
the horde of tourists disgusted me.
Before we had finished our cigars |
longed to pluck my first edelweiss TO
play this new game myself. | limited
vaguely at dangers. but my companion
enough to think that where he led /
might follow"
The usual mistake of the tourist,
believe" commented Miss Brett, cold
ly. And you begged that you might
go with him on his next climb?"
AT least was willing enough to do
so when he suggested that. He was
planning to make the Stralegg Pass.
confess that the word pass did not
sound especially formidable, for he de
clared that guides were not at all
necessary. So | agreed to make the
ascent with him. | did not realize that
mountain climbing. more than any
other sport. required arduous training.
| THE next morning at IL o'clock we
| started from Grindelwald. We were
provided with the customary parapher-
MALTA of the Alpine climber; but our
climb to the Schwarzegg Club Hut, at
the Upper Ice-fall. where We we're to
spend the night, might have been
made with walking sticks instead of
| alpenstocks. IL was for the most part
simple path over CLASSY slopes on
| the eastern side of the Lower Grlndel-
wald Glacier-a bypath winding along
the cliffs
I'VE we're aroused the next morning
before IL was light and was rather
relieved when two guides. who were
waiting at the hut for party expected
that day. shook their heads at the