said, as I emptied the water for the third time, and
sponged my face and neck preparatory to a brisk towelling; "you have
emerged at last. But you will never be quite yourself until you have
washed your hair. Do it to-night, dear. I know a splendid way of
tying your head up in a towel so that you can sleep quite comfy."

The squire's face brightened when he saw me. He was sitting near the
window in a great easy-chair which was almost a couch, and his hair was
whiter than when he left England, and his face was--oh! so thin and
grey; but what a gentleman he looked! He held out both hands, but I
bent over and kissed him. If it was a bold thing to do I don't mind.
My Inner Self bade me do it and I obeyed.

He held my face against his for a moment, and neither of us spoke.
Then he said:

"Look at my view, Grace, and tell me if you like it."

I sat on the arm of his chair and looked through the open window. I
saw before me a scene of peaceful loveliness--a valley, richly green,
with here and there oblong patches of yellow framed in olive hedges: a
narrow valley, girded with mountains whose sides rise steeply to
tremendous heights, jagged, scarped, and streaked with snow: a wooded
valley, too, where sombre trees of fir and pine climb the heights and
spread out into thickets which end only with the rock. Quaint,
brown-timbered structures, built on piles and with overhanging roofs,
sometimes isolated, sometimes in little groups, were dotted about the
landscape. A white road wound down the valley, and the yellow waters
of the Visp rushed, torrent-like, along the bottom, to be lost to view
where the land dipped abruptly to the left.

In the far distance mountains of snow lifted up their hoary heads into
the luminous haze; and light clouds, rivalling their whiteness, gave
the illusion of loftier heights still, and led the eye to the brilliant
blue of high heaven.

The sun was behind us, and banks of clouds must have intercepted his
rays from time to time, for the play of light and shade varied like a
kaleidoscope, and the bare, stony flanks of the mountains in the middle
distance shone green or grey or red as the sun caught them. A rude
bridge crossed the stream away below, and I could just make out some
tourists in Tyrolese caps and with knapsacks on their backs, leaning
over the white rails.

The squire put his arm on mine. "I will tell you the names of these
giants later. Meanwhile, tell me, have I chosen we