up. At this the creature burst out again into a loud laugh. I
felt somewhat abashed at this reproof of my covetousness from one who
evidently despised filthy lucre himself, but I consoled my conscience
with the thought that I looked upon the nuggets more from a geologist's
point of view than from a miser's.

"Where did he find the gold?" I asked myself. "Could it really be a
great philosopher who stood before me, who despised the yellow metal, or
was it an idiot who did not know the value of it?"

These reflections of mine were silent. Nevertheless, the cripple gave me
to understand with a nod of his head and an unmistakable look in his
eye, that he very well understood what they were worth to such men as
myself; but with another gesture he expressed that for himself he was
above it.

"Indeed," said I, "then what would you of me, if not gold?"

He gave me a malicious smile, and nodded his head slightly, but I
understood not the gesture.

I was impatient, and wanted to put an end to our mummery, so I said,
"Come, lead on; I am hungry. Since you despise gold, I suppose you will
do so much for me as an act of friendship?"

He grinned from ear to ear and nodded.

"It is well," said I, and I followed my guide.

We began slowly to descend the mountain, my guide running nimbly on in
front, then standing still at intervals and beckoning to me. This he
continued to do until we arrived at the foot of the mountain, and I
remember feeling an irresistible and unaccountable impulse to follow my
guide more quickly than before.

As the steel is attracted to the magnet, so I felt irresistibly
attracted towards the monster. It was as if he possessed some strange
magnetic power over me, for whenever he lifted up his finger to beckon
to me I felt it impossible to resist following him.

I thought the feeling might be fancy at first, and I attributed my
quickened pace against my own will to the impetus given by the steep
declivity of the mountain, but afterwards I found that it was exactly
the same on level ground.

We walked on further, till we found ourselves at the foot of a glacier,
where stood the chalet which I sought.

I knocked and entered, and was welcomed by the owner of the hut, a
middle-aged and portly dame with a goitre that hung over her breast, and
some young children with incipient goitres.

I told the hostess that I was a hungry traveller, and asked her to give
me the best that she had in the house.

Whils