Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: reined up the horses, and the young Indian saw a rich shawl lying on one of the cushions. This delicate fabric reminded him of the beautiful girl whom he had seen standing near the Japanese bronze in Mr. Harrelston's room, and while he was thinking of her he found that ho had put his foot on the carriage-step, and was about to spring in. " You are right good," he managed to stammer as he sank back beside the banker. " A ride among these glorious mountains is a pleasure." " Yes. The horses are wild for exercise, and we will drive up the valley toward Lauterbrunnen, and then return to the hotel for lunch. I am quite alone to-day, and shall be glad of company at my frugal meal. My wife and daughter have gone with some friends on an excursion to Meiringen, and I have just been to escort them to tho boat on the Lake of Brienz. You know the Lake of Brienz —how placidly beautiful it is." " It is charming," said Pleasant. His gaze fell on the shawl once more, and a shadow flitted over his face. "And the valley of Meiringen is a paradise on earth. But there are more beautiful paradises than even Meiringen in the Indian Nation, sir ! Great valleys hemmed in on either side by mountains green to their very tops, and watered by streams more lovely, sir, than any that I have seen in Switzerland. And such luxuriance of vegetation and such game! Why, sir, when I was a child I rarely went into the woods without starting a deer. And what is there in the world more beautiful than a deer when he springs out of his cover and stands palpitating with fear and wounded dignity, staring at an intruder ? What have they done with all the game in Switzerland? The country should be full of it." The banker eyed Pleasant closely. The young man's enthusiasm was not assumed; it was natural and pleasing...