Father Xavier led the way, and the whole party proceeded
towards the summit of the pass, leading Balthazar a prisoner, and leaving
the body of Jacques Colis to its final rest, in that place where so many
human forms had evaporated into air before him, unless those who had felt
an interest in him in life should see fit to claim his remains.
The ascent between the Refuge and the summit of St. Bernard is much more
severe than on any other part of the road. The end of the convent,
overhanging the northern brow of the gorge, and looking like a mass of
that ferruginous and melancholy rock which gave the whole region so wild
and so unearthly an aspect, soon became visible, carved and moulded into
the shape of a rude human habitation. The last pitch was so steep as to
be formed into a sort of stair-way, up which the groaning mules toiled
with difficulty. This labor overcome, the party stood on the highest point
of the pass. Another minute brought them to the door of the convent.
Chapter XXV.
------Hadst thou not been by,
A fellow by the hand of nature mark'd,
Noted, and sign'd to do a deed of shame,
This murder had not come into my mind.
Pages:
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593