hat die without leaving
traces of their origin fare as you see. The spade is useless among these
rocks; and then it is better that the body should remain where it may be
seen and claimed, than it should be put out of sight. The good fathers,
and all of note, are taken down into the valleys, where there is earth and
are decently buried; while the poor and the stranger are housed in this
vault, which is a better cover than many of them knew while living. Ay,
there are three Christians there, who were all lately walking the earth in
the flesh, gay and active as any."

"The bodies are four in number!"

Pierre looked surprised; he mused a little, and continued his employment.

"Then another has perished. The time may come when my own blood shall
freeze. This is a fate the guide must ever keep in mind, for he is
exposed to it at an hour and a season that he knows not!"

Adelheid pursued the subject no farther. She remembered to have heard that
the pure atmosphere of the mountain prevented that offensive decay which
is usually associated with the idea of death, and the usage lost some of
its horror in the recollection.

In the mean time the remainder of the party awoke, and were collecting
before the refuge. The mules were led forth and saddled, the baggage was
loaded, and Pierre was calling upon the travellers to mount, when Uberto
and Nettuno came leaping down the path in company, running side by side in
excellent fellowship. The movements of the dogs were of a nature to
attract the attention of Pierre and the muleteers, who predicted that they
should soon see some of the servants of the hospice. The result showed the
familiarity of the guide with his duty, for he had scarce ventured this
opinion, when a party from the gorge on the summit of the mountain was
seen wading through the snow, along the path that led towards the Refuge,
with Father Xavier at its head.

The explanations were brief and natural. After conducting the travellers
to the shelter, and passing most of the night in their company, at the
approach of dawn Uberto had returned to the convent, always attended by
his friend Nettuno. Here he communicated to the monks, by signs which they
who were accustomed to the habits of the animal were not slow in
interpreting, that travellers were on the mountain. The good clavier knew
that the party of the Baron de Willading was about to cross the Col, for
he had hurried home to be in readiness to receive them; and fore