“Oh!shutup!“saidGodfrey，“ifwewastesomuchtimeweshallnevergettothetop，“aremarkatwhichtheyallburstoutlaughing。
“TheytalkofProvidenceontheAlps，“shoutedKarlinstentoriantones，whileheperformedakindofwar-dance，“butthat’sthekindofprovidenceforme，“andhepointedtoGodfrey。“ManythingshaveI
seeninmytradeasguide，butneveronelikethis。What？TocuttheropeforthesakeofMonsieurthere，“andhepointedtonumbertwo，whoseshareinthegreatadventurewasbeingoverlooked，“beforegivinghimselftoalmostcertaindeathforthesakeofMonsieurwiththeweakheart，whohadnobusinessonamountain；tostretchovertheprecipiceasthelineparted，andholdMonsieurwiththeweakheartforallthatwhile，tillIcouldgetanooseroundhim——yes，togoonholdinghimafterhehimselfwasalmostdead——withoutamind!GoodGod!neverhastherebeensuchastoryinmylifetimeontheseAlps，orinthatofmyfatherbeforeme。“
Thencamethedescent，GodfreysupportedontheshoulderofthestalwartKarl，who，fullofdelightatthisgreatescapefromtragedy，andathavingataletotellwhichwouldlasthimfortherestofhislife，“jodelled“spontaneouslyatintervalsinhisbest“large-tip“
voice，andoccasionallyskippedaboutlikeayoungcamel，while“Monsieurwiththeweakheart“wascarriedinachairprovidedtobearelderlyladiesupthelowerslopesoftheAlps。
Someswift-footedmountaineerhadspeddowntothevillageaheadofthemandtoldallthestory，withtheresultthatwhentheyreachedtheoutskirtsoftheplace，anexcitedcrowdwaswaitingtogreetthem，includingtwolocalreportersforSwissjournals。
Oneofthese，whocontributeditemsofinteresttotheEnglishpressalso，eitherbymistake，orinordertomakehisnarrativemoreinteresting，addedtoafairlycorrectdescriptionoftheincident，astatementthatthepersonrescuedbyGodfreywasayounglady。Atleast，sothestoryappearedintheLondonpapersnextmorning，undertheheadingof“HeroicRescueontheAlps，“orinsomeinstancesof，“AYoungEnglishHero。“
AmongthecrowdwasthePasteur，whobeamedatGodfreythroughhisbluespectacles，buttooknopartintheseexciteddemonstrations。
Whentheywerebackattheirhotel，andthedoctorwhoexaminedGodfrey，hadannouncedthathewassufferingfromnothingexceptexhaustionandbadlysprainedmuscles，hesaidsimply：
“Idonotcomplimentyou，mydearboy，likethoseothers，becauseyouactedonlyasIshouldhaveexpectedofyouintheconditions。Still，Iamgladthatinthiscaseanotherwasnotaddedtomylonglistofdisappointments。“
“/I/didn’tactatall，Pasteur，“blurtedoutGodfrey。“Avoice，I
thoughtitwasMissOgilvy’s，toldmewhattodo，andIobeyed。“
Theoldgentlemansmiledandshookhishead，asheanswered：
“Itiseverthus，youngFriend。Whenwewishtodogoodwehearavoicepromptingus，whichwethinkthatofanangel，andwhenwewishtodoevil，anothervoice，whichwethinkthatofadevil，butbelieveme，thelipsthatutterbothofthemareinourownhearts。Therestcomesonlyfromtheexcitementoftheinstant。Thereinourheartstheangelandthedevildwell，sidebyside，likethetwofiguresinavillageweather-clock，readytoappear，nowoneandnowtheother，asthebreathofournatureblowsthem。“
“ButIheardher，“saidGodfreystubbornly。
“Theexcitementoftheinstant!“repeatedthePasteurblandly。“HadI
beensosituatedIamquitecertainthatIshouldhaveheardallthedeceasedwhomIhaveeverknown，“andhepattedGodfrey’sdarkhairwithhislong，thinhand，thankingGodinhisheartforthebravespiritwhichHehadbeenpleasedtogivetothisyoungman，whohadgrownsodeartoonewholackedason。Onlythishedidinsilence，nordidheeveralludetothesubjectafterwards，exceptasacommonplacematter-of-courseevent。
Notwithstandingthe“jodellings“whichcontinuedoutsidehiswindowtoalatehour，andthebouquetofflowerswhichwassenttohimbythewifeofthemayor，whofeltthatadistinctionhadbeenconferredupontheirvillagethatwouldbringthemmanyvisitorsinfutureseasons，andoughttobesuitablyacknowledged，Godfreysoondroppedintoadeepsleep。Butinthemiddleofthenightitpassedfromhim，andheawokefullofterrors。Now，forthefirsttime，heunderstoodwhathehadescaped，andhownearhehadbeentolying，notinacomfortablebed，butaheapofsplinteredbonesandmangledfleshatthefootofaprecipice，whence，perhaps，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleevertorecoverhisremains。Inshort，hisnervesre-acted，andhefeltanythingbutahero，ratherindeed，acowardamongcowards。NordidhewishevertoclimbanotherAlp；thetastehadquitedepartedfromhim。
Totellthetruth，afullmonthwentbybeforehewashimselfagain，andduringthatmonthhewasastimidasakitten，andascarefulofhispersonalsafetyasawell-to-dooldladyunaccustomedtotravel。
WhenGodfreyreturnedtotheMaisonBlanche，wearingahandsomegoldwatch，whichhadbeenpresentedtohimwithaneffusiveletterofthanksbythegentlemanwhomhehadrescuedandhisrelatives，hefoundhimselfquiteacelebrity。MostofthePasteur’scongregationmethimwhenhedescendedfromthediligence，andwavedtheirhats，butashethankedheaven，didnot“jodel。“
LeavingthePasteurtomakesomeacknowledgment，hefledtothehouse，onlytofindMadame，Juliette，anumberoffriends，tosaynothingofJean，thecookandtheservantgirl，awaitinghimthere。Madamebeamed，andlookedasthoughshewereabouttokisshim；thefreshandcharmingJulietteshookhishand，andmurmuredintohisearthatshehadnoideahewassobrave，alsothateverynightshethankedthe/BonDieu/forhisescape；whiletheotherssaidsomethingappropriate——orthereverse。
Oncemorehefled，thistimetohisbedroom。Thereuponhisdressing-
tablelaytwoletters，onefromhisfatherandoneaddressedinacuriouspointedhand-writing，whichhedidnotknow。Thisheopenedatonce。ItwasinFrench，andran，astranslated：
“Ah!LittleBrother，——Iknowallthathashappenedtoyou，nordidyourgodmotherneedtowaittoreadaboutitinthejournals。
Indeed，Isawitinmycrystalbeforeithappened；youwiththemanhangingtoyourarmandtherest。Butthenacloudcameoverthecrystal，andIcouldnotseetheend。Ihopedthathewouldpullyouovertheedge，sothatinoneshortminuteyoubecamenothingbutaredplum-puddingatthebottomofthegulf。Foryouknowthatthesweetest-temperedfairygodmothercanbemadecrossbywickedingratitudeandeviltreatment。Donotthink，littleBrother，thatIhaveforgivenyouforbringingthatoldpasteur-
fooltoinsultandthreatenme。Notso。Ipraythespeeritsnightanddaytopayyoubackinyourowncoin，youwhohaveinsultedthemalso。Indeed，itwastheywhoarrangedthislittleincident，buttheytellmethatsomeotherspeeritinterferedatthelastmomentandsavedyou。Ifso，betterlucknexttime，fordonotthinkyoushallescapemeandthem。Hadyoubeentruetousyoushouldhavehadgreatgoodfortuneandeverythingyoudesireinlife，including，perhaps，somethingthatyoudesiremostofall。
Asitis，youshallhavemuchtroubleandlosewhatyoudesiremostofall。HaveyoubeenkissingthatprettyMademoiselleagainandtryingtomakeherasbadashermother？Well，Ihopeyouwill，becauseitwillhurtthatoldfool-pasteur。Whereveryougo，rememberthateyesfollowyou，mineandthoseofthespeerits。
Hateandbadlucktoyou，mylittleBrother，fromyourdeargodmamma，whosegoodheartyouhavesooutraged。Sofareilltillyouhearfrommeagain，yesandalways。Nowyouwillguessmyname，soIneednotsignit。
“P。S——Eleanoralsosendsyouherhatefromanothersphere。“
Thispreciousepistle，filledwithmalignity，reachinghiminthemidstofsomanycongratulations，struckuponGodfreylikeablastoficywindatthezenithofasummerday。Totellthetruthalso，itfrightenedhim。
HehadtriedtoforgetallaboutMadameRiennesandnowhereshewasstabbinghimfromafar，fortheletterboreaVenicepostmark。Itmaybefoolish，butfewofuscaretobetheobjectofaconcentrated，personalhate。Perhapsthisisduetotheinheritedsuperstitionsofourrace，notlongemergedfromtheblacknessofbarbarism，butatleastwestillfeelasourforefathersdid；asthoughthewilltoworkevilhadthepowertobringabouttheevildesired。Itisnonsense，sincewereittrue，nonecouldescapethedirestmisfortune，aseveryoneofusisatsometimeoranothertheobjectofthehateorjealousyofotherhumanbeings。Moreover，asmostofusbelieve，thereisabeing，nothuman，thathatesusindividuallyandcollectively，andcertainlywouldcompassourdestruction，hadhethepower，whichhappilyhehasnot，unlessweourselvesgiveittohim。
Godfreycomfortedhimselfwiththisreflection，also，withanother；
thatinthisinstancetheissueofhisperilhadbeenfardifferentfromwhathisenemydesired。Yet，withhisnervesstillshakenbothbyhisspiritualisticexperiences，andbythoseofthedangerwhichhehadpassed，theletterundoubtedlydidaffecthiminthewaythatitwasmeanttodo，andtheworstofitwasthathecouldnotconsulthisfriendandguide，thePasteur，becauseoftheallusiontothescenewithJuliette。
Throwingitdownasthoughitwereavenomoussnake，whichindeed，itwas，heopenedthatfromhisfather，whichwasbrief。Itcongratulatedhimcoldlyonhisescape，whereofMr。Knightsaidhehadheard，notinthewaythathewouldhaveexpected，fromhimself，butthroughthepapers。This，itmaybeexplained，wasnotstrange，sincetheaccountwastelegraphedlongbeforeGodfreyhadtimetowrite。Asamatteroffact，however，hehadnotwritten，forwhocarestoinditeepistlestoanunsympatheticandcriticalrecipient？Mostpeopleonlycomposelettersforthebenefitofthosewholiketoreceivethemand，byintuition，readinthemagreatdealmorethanthesenderrecordsinblackandwhite。Forletter-writing，atitsbest，isanallusiveart，somethingthatsuggestsratherthandescribes。ItwasbecauseGodfreyappreciatedthistruthinahalfunconsciousfashion，thathedidnotcaretoundertakeanactivecorrespondencewithhisfather。Itistheexceptionalso，foryoungmentocaretocorrespondwiththeirfathers；therespectiveoutlooks，andoften，therespectiveinterests，aretoodiverse。Withmothersitisdifferent，atanyrate，sometimes，forintheircasetherelationshipismoreintimate。Intheinstanceofthemaleparent，throughouttherealmofnature，itisapttohaveanaccidentalaspectortoacquireoneastimegoesby。