第37部分(第1/7 頁)

parked　and　then　the　fire　roared　in　the　stove　and　the　second　time　Mrs。　Guttingen　came　into　the　room　she　brought　big　chunks　of　wood　for　the　fire　and　a　pitcher　of　hot　water。　When　the　room　was　warm　she　brought　in　breakfast。　Sitting　up　in　bed　eating　breakfast　we　could　see　the　lake　and　the　mountains　across　the　lake　on　the　French　side。　There　was　snow　on　the　tops　of　the　mountains　and　the　lake　was　a　gray　steel…blue。

Outside；　in　front　of　the　chalet　a　road　went　up　the　mountain。　The　wheel　ruts　and　ridges　were　iron　hard　with　the　frost；　and　the　road　climbed　steadily　through　the　forest　and　up　and　around　the　mountain　to　where　there　were　meadows；　and　barns　and　cabins　in　the　meadows　at　the　edge　of　the　woods　looking　across　the　valley。　The　valley　was　deep　and　there　was　a　stream　at　the　bottom　that　flowed　down　into　the　lake　and　when　the　wind　blew　across　the　valley　you　could　hear　the　stream　in　the　rocks。

Sometimes　we　went　off　the　road　and　on　a　path　through　the　pine　forest。　The　floor　of　the　forest　was　soft　to　walk　on；　the　frost　did　not　harden　it　as　it　did　the　road。　But　we　did　not　mind　the　hardness　of　the　road　because　we　had　nails　in　the　soles　and　heels　of　our　boots　and　the　heel　nails　bit　on　the　frozen　ruts　and　with　nailed　boots　it　was　good　walking　on　the　road　and　invigorating。　But　it　was　lovely　walking　in　the　woods。

In　front　of　the　house　where　we　lived　the　mountain　went　down　steeply　to　the　little　plain　along　the　lake　and　we　sat　on　the　porch　of　the　house　in　the　sun　and　saw　the　winding　of　the　road　down　the　mountain…side　and　the　terraced　vineyards　on　the　side　of　the　lower　mountain；　the　vines　all　dead　now　for　the　winter　and　the　fields　divided　by　stone　walls；　and　below　the　vineyards　the　houses　of　the　town　on　the　narrow　plain　along　the　lake　shore。　There　was　an　island　with　tw