The widow of my ancestor inspired her orphan son with
that horror of the chase which has transmitted itself
from father to son as far down as myself.
The Marquis d’Arville was silent. Some
one asked:
“That story is a legend, isn’t it?”
And the story teller answered:
“I swear to you that it is true from beginning
to end.”
Then a lady declared, in a little, soft voice
“All the same, it is fine to have passions like
that.”
Resembling in appearance all the wooden hostelries
of the High Alps situated at the foot of glaciers
in the barren rocky gorges that intersect the summits
of the mountains, the Inn of Schwarenbach serves as
a resting place for travellers crossing the Gemini
Pass.
It remains open for six months in the year and is
inhabited by the family of Jean Hauser; then, as soon
as the snow begins to fall and to fill the valley
so as to make the road down to Loeche impassable, the
father and his three sons go away and leave the house
in charge of the old guide, Gaspard Hari, with the
young guide, Ulrich Kunsi, and Sam, the great mountain
dog.
The two men and the dog remain till the spring in
their snowy prison, with nothing before their eyes
except the immense white slopes of the Balmhorn, surrounded
by light, glistening summits, and are shut in, blocked
up and buried by the snow which rises around them and
which envelops, binds and crushes the little house,
which lies piled on the roof, covering the windows
and blocking up the door.
It was the day on which the Hauser family were going
to return to Loeche, as winter was approaching, and
the descent was becoming dangerous. Three mules
started first, laden with baggage and led by the three
sons. Then the mother, Jeanne Hauser, and her
daughter Louise mounted a fourth mule and set off
in their turn and the father followed them, accompanied
by the two men in charge, who were to escort the family
as far as the brow of the descent. First of all
they passed round the small lake, which was now frozen
over, at the bottom of the mass of rocks which stretched
in front of the inn, and then they followed the valley,
which was dominated on all sides by the snow-covered
summits.
A ray of sunlight fell into that little white, glistening,
frozen desert and illuminated it with a cold and dazzling
flame. No living thing appeared among this ocean
of mountains. There was no motion in this immeasurable
solitude and no noise disturbed the profound silence.
