d for twenty hours is a real luxury. But,
nevertheless, to rise at half-past one and wash in cold water before one
stumbles downstairs into a black dining-room, lighted by a single
candle, is not all that it might be at the moment. Every time I do it I
swear sulkily that I will never, never do it again. It is obvious to me
that no one but an utter fool would ever climb anything higher than
Primrose Hill, and only a sullen determination not to be bested by my
own self makes me get out of bed and downstairs at all. I am only a
human being by the time the sleepy waiter has given me my coffee. After
drinking it and taking a roll and some butter I went into the passage
and found O---- sitting on the stairs putting his boots on. He too was
silent save for a little muttered swearing. It is always hard to get off
camp before dawn. When O---- had finished his breakfast we found the
guides waiting for us with a lantern, and we started on our walk by two
o'clock or a little later. The guides at anyrate were cheerful enough
but quiet. I myself became more and more like a human being, and when we
got to the Rothe Boden, from which in daylight there is a wonderful view
of the Alps from the Lyskamm to the Weisshorn, I was quite alive and
equal to most things, even to cutting a joke without bitterness. For the
most part in these early hours I spend the time considering my own
folly. It is perhaps a good mental exercise.

It was even now utterly dark. The huge bulwark of the Breithorn rose
opposite to us like a great shadow. Monte Rosa was very faintly lighted
by the approach of dawn. The mighty pyramid of the solitary Matterhorn
had yet no touch of red fire upon it. And presently one of the guides
said "Look!" and looking at the Matterhorn we presently perceived that
two parties were climbing it from the Zermatt side; we saw their
lanterns moving with almost intolerable slowness. And far across the
great ice river of the Gorner Glacier we saw other and nearer and
brighter lanterns going from the Betemps Hut on the Untere Plattje. One
party was going for Monte Rosa, another for the Lyskamm Joch. We knew
that they could see us too. But these little lantern lights upon the
vast expanse of snow looked very strange and lonely and very human. We
seemed small ourselves, we were like glow-worms, like wounded fire-flies
crawling on a plain. And still we saw these little climbing lights upon
the Matterhorn. One party was close to the lower hut, a