82 SPARKS FROM A GEOLOGIST'S HAMMER. 



What a message was left for Couttet to carry to Ark- 

 wright's sister! He returned to the Grands Mulcts, but 

 could not summon the courage to enter. He narrated 

 the catastrophe to some brother guides, and implored them 

 to break the sad news to the young lady, but they could 

 not be persuaded. Finally he took courage and opened the 

 door. She was seated at the farther side of the apart- 

 ment by a window, with an album in her lap, making a 

 sketch of the Dome du Gouter. Sylvain, seeing her so 

 tranquil and unsuspecting, was overpowered by the sad- 

 ness of the message which he came to deliver. He paused; 

 he remained motionless, without the power to pronounce 

 a word. She turned her head; she saw him and cried, 

 "My brother, Sylvain!" "I was unable to speak," said 

 Sylvain to M. Durier, who relates the incident. " My 

 throat was choked; I could only throw up my arras. She 

 turned as white as the snow; she arose; she went to the 

 window; she kneeled; she uttered a prayer with her 

 eyes toward heaven, then came directly to me and in- 

 quired, ' How did it happen?' As soon as I could speak 

 I said to her, ' We will look for him to-morrow. 1 " * 



The Grand Crevasse has been the scene of an accident 

 of a different kind. On the 9th of August, 1864, two 

 Austrian Counts, Schonkirchen and Wurmbrand, had 

 safely effected the ascent, and were returning in the af- 

 ternoon, by the same route, across the Grand Plateau. 

 They had crossed the Grand Crevasse in the morning by 

 a snow-bridge, which, though appearing less secure than 

 desirable, carried them safely over. They reached it on 

 the return at one or two o'clock in the afternoon. The 

 day was mild, and the sun had softened the snow to an 

 * Durier, Histoire du Mont Blanc, pp. 84, 85. 



