THE TYROL. SCHARN1TZ. 403 



witnessed the most magical, most wondrous effect I have 

 ever yet seen, or perhaps ever may see again. 



It was still dawn when we left the house, and a dense 

 vapoury covering hung low over the meadows. By the 

 time we reached the Fallthurn Thai it was day ; but the 

 mists still filled the vale, although the brightness of the 

 rising sun penetrated through them somewhat, and the 

 morning breeze drove them trailing along over the pas- 

 ture. Presently the whole world of cloud in which we 

 were moving began to lose its whitish-grey hue, and to 

 assume a leaden colouring merging into blue, but as 

 yet dark and opaque. Suddenly, however, on raising 

 my head, there stood before me at the end of the valley, 

 high up above the rolling vapour, an opening into the 

 blue sky ; and thereon rose two high peaks, not of rock 

 seemingly, but rather of opal, or some wondrous sub- 

 stance that could catch and give back with softened 

 lustre the sun's effulgence. There on the deep azure 

 they gleamed, silvery-grey in colour, but radiant as the 

 spot might be where an angel of God had stood. Just 

 so, methought, might have shone in lucid splendour 

 the gates of Paradise. Below and around, the mists still 

 shrouded every object, yet you could not but perceive 

 that the whole was becoming of a bluer tint, and the 

 upper layers more transparent. And now before me 

 through this thin, floating, half- transparent veil there 

 shines a vision, as yet however so waveringly indistinct, 

 that it is not possible to recognize a form. But a glo- 

 rious burst of blue sky is visible through the vapour, 

 which is now every moment growing brighter, and the 

 top of the Sonnen Joch appears. And through the vast 

 rolling mass, half opaque, half transparent, an outline 

 of brightness grows into existence, and from the silvery 

 point, which is already glowing in the light 8000 feet 



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