? ? ? ? When I was near the bottom of the descent I looked back. It was impossible, from that position, to see the fall, but I could see the curving path which winds over the shoulder of the hills and leads to it. Along this a man was, I remember, walking very rapidly.
? ? ? ? I could see his black figure clearly outlined against the green behind him. I noted him, and the energy with which he walked, but he passed from my mind again as I hurried on upon my errand.
? ? ? ? It may have been a little over an hour before I reached Meiringen. Old Steiler was standing at the porch of his hotel.
? ? ? ? "Well," said I, as I came hurrying up, "I trust that she is no worse?"
? ? ? ? A look of surprise passed over his face, and at the first quiver of his eyebrows my heart turned to lead in my breast.
? ? ? ? "You did not write this?" I said, pulling the letter from my pocket. "There is no sick Englishwoman in the hotel?"
? ? ? ? "Certainly not!" he cried. "But it has the hotel mark upon it! Ha, it must have been written by that tall Englishman who came in after you had gone. He said --"
? ? ? ? But I waited for none of the landlord's explanation.
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