90 FLOWER-FIELDS OF ALPINE SWITZERLAND 



repeat that the thing has happened to me when 

 I have been least expecting it 



I remember one case in particular, when I was 

 rambHng with a friend upon the rapid slopes of 

 Dent de Bonnavaux, near Champery. I was 

 longing to find the white form of Gentiana 

 asclepiadea, the Willow Gentian, about which I 

 had been reading. We had arrived where this 

 Gentian was growing in profusion in a semi-shade 

 afforded by giant cliffs, and had proceeded nearly 

 to the foot of the Pas d'Encel, when, feeling 

 suddenly persuaded that the plant I wanted was 

 near by, I called a halt. My friend said, " Oh, 

 let's get on ; there's nothing here ! " But 1 

 begged for indulgence. " I feel," said I, " that 

 the white form of the blue Gentian is growing 

 hereabouts, and I'm going to hunt it up." For 

 some time I scrambled about without the required 

 result, and I was beginning to suspect that I was 

 being prompted more by a fussy imagination than 

 an intuitive sympathy ; and yet I felt unable to 

 abandon the search, and determined not to do 

 so until I had gone all over the ground twice. 

 And then, at last — Eureka! there amongst the 

 grasses behind a big boulder were two lovely 

 sprays of purest white ! Now, it was not as if 



