254 LIFE OF HORACE BENEDICT DE SAUSSUBE 



' I have rebaptized this mountain [the Col du Geant]. It has 

 been called the Tacul, which is seven leagues [hours] off, while it is 

 quite close to the splendid Aiguille du Geant, which is visible from 

 Genthod. All the guides approve this change ; you must correct Coco 

 [his grandchild] and not let him say any more " Grandpapa is at 

 Tacul." ' 



The next letter we have was written four days later : 



* July 1th. 



' Neighbour of heaven though I am, I am very far from being 

 detached from earthly objects that is, if the objects that attach me 

 to life can be reckoned as earthly ! When some one said, " Here are 

 our letters," I felt so much emotion that I did not know what I was 

 doing, and ran to meet the " Grand Menton " and the " Chevrier " 

 [nicknames of the guides who brought the post]. Long before they 

 could hear me I began shouting, " Have you good news ? " and their 

 silence filled me with fear. At last they came up, and I quickly seized 

 the letter addressed " au Col du Geant," my hands trembled, my eyes 

 filled with tears, to the point of hindering me in reading, and my 

 delight in finding all your good and delightful news affected me almost 

 as painfully as the anxiety in which I had been before reading it. I 

 believe it is this rare atmosphere that increases one's sensibility, or 

 else this absolute separation makes one realise more fully the value 

 of what one loves. The atmosphere, however, causes us absolutely 

 no discomfort, we have the best possible appetites, no feeling of 

 oppression, not the slightest indisposition. But the bad weather 

 pursues us ; yesterday was the first fine day. So we are making the 

 best use of it possible, and you must not be surprised if Theo does 

 not write at all and I write you a short letter. Besides, our messengers 

 want to start. [He sent down some of his guides to Courmayeur 

 from time to time to get provisions. The letters were probably for- 

 warded thence by the Col Ferret and Martigny. This, at any rate, 

 was the route used on a previous occasion.] Be content, then, to 

 know we are very well in health and in every way. We have suffered 

 a little from cold, the water froze in our glasses in the hut, while we 

 were supping round our little stove. Still, the thermometer only 

 marked less than four degrees of frost (Reaumur), but then the hut 

 does not shut up like your salons, and the fire has the greatest trouble 

 to burn in this rare air ; it goes out as soon as you leave off using the 

 bellows. I wanted to see a fine storm, and I have had that satisfaction 

 thunder, hail, snow, and sleet all at once, and plenty of them ; it was 

 on Saturday night and Sunday morning. But it all did us no harm, 

 and as we cannot have anything worse, you must not have any 



