Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/361

Rh what into shadow; but the sunbeams caress it at the same time, as if to take leave, lighting up, continually, new regions of its inner world. Far below our feet, creeps the Gorner glacier,—an immense icy path, nine leagues in length. It requires an hour to go straight across it from the point where we sit. On the opposite side rise the giant mountains, Castor and Pollux, Breithorn, St. Theodule's Horn, with many other horns and waving icy summits, on to the Matterhorn, which bounds the view to the north. Every one of these giants is from twelve to thirteen thousand feet in height, above the level of the sea. Monte Rosa is upwards of fourteen thousand; and this is second only to Mont Blanc, amongst the Alpine heights of Switzerland; but its soft, rounded form, does not give the full idea of its altitude, whilst the Matterhorn, which is upwards of one thousand feet lower, rising up boldly, as it does, in its crinoline, appears considerably higher and more mighty.

We sat, for a whole hour, on the summit of Gugli, contemplating the wonderful world of snow, and listening, now to the thundering din which was heard at times, proceeding from it, telling of the fall of an avalanche, which we, with our eyes, could only discern by a little white smoke arising here and there; and now to the echoes, like silvery voices, which Ignace awoke by his laughter, in the mountains. Louise fancied she heard little enchanted princes laughing in the ice-palaces.

The sun, in his descent, cast the brightest beams over the soft peaks of Cima di Jazi, which shone white towards the heaven of Italy,—as white, as pure, and