witnessed to her pure delight or interest in
something. All the more happily he felt the grasp of her hand sometimes
when she did not speak; or listened to the low accents of rapture when
she saw something that deserved them; or to her merry soft laugh at
something that touched her sense of fun. For he found Lois had a great
sense of fun. She was altogether of the most buoyant, happy, and
enjoying nature possible. No one could be a better traveller. She
ignored discomforts (truly there had not been much in that line), and
she laughed at disappointments; and travellers must meet
disappointments now and then. So Mr. Dillwyn had found the journey
giving him all he had promised himself; and to Lois it gave--well
Lois's dreams had never promised her the quarter.

So it had come to be the middle of June, and they were in Switzerland.
And this day, the sixteenth, found them in a little wayside inn near
the top of a pass, snowed up. So far they had come, the last mile or
two through a heavy storm; and then the snow clouds had descended so
low and so thick, and gave forth their treasures of snow-flakes so
confusedly and incessantly, that going on was not to be thought of.
They were sheltered in the little inn; and that is nearly all you could
say of it, for the accommodations were of the smallest and simplest.
Travellers were not apt to stop at that little hostelry for more than a
passing refreshment; and even so, it was too early in the season for
many travellers to be expected. So there were Philip and his wife now,
making the best of things. Mr. Dillwyn was coaxing the little fire to
burn, which had been hastily made on their arrival; but Lois sat at one
of the windows looking out, and every now and then proclaiming her
enjoyment by the tone in which some innocent remark came from her lips.

"It is raining now, Philip."

"What do you see in the rain?"

"Nothing whatever, at this minute; but a little while ago there was a
kind of drawing aside of the thick curtain of falling snow, and I had a
view of some terribly grand rocks, and one glimpse of a most wonderful
distance."

"Vague distance?" said Philip, laughing. "That sounds like looking off
into space."

"Well, it was. Like chaos, and order struggling out of its awful
beginnings."

"Don't unpractically catch cold, while you are studying natural
developement."

"I am perfectly warm. I think it is great fun to be kept here over
night. Such a nice little place as it