the travellers had lingered so long among the sublimer scenes of these mountains, that they found themselves entirely mistaken in their calculation that they could reach montigny at sun-set; but, as they wound along the valley, the saw, on a rude alpine bridge, that united two lofty crags of the glen, a group of mountaineer-children, amusing themselves with dropping pebbles into a torrent below, and watching the stones plunge into the water, that threw up its white spray high in the air as it received them, and returned a sullen sound, which the echoes of the mountains prolonged.under the bridge was seen a perspective of the valley, with its cataract descending among the rocks, and a cottage on a cliff, overshadowed with pines.
it appeared, that they could not be far from some small town.st.
aubert bade the muleteer stop, and then called to the children to enquire if he was near montigny; but the distance, and the roaring of the waters, would not suffer his voice to be heard; and the crags, adjoining the bridge, were of such tremendous height and steepness, that to have climbed either would have been scarcely practicable to a person unacquainted with the ascent.st.aubert, therefore, did not waste more moments in delay.they continued to travel long after twilight had obscured the road, which was so broken, that, now thinking it safer to walk than to ride, they all alighted.the moon was rising, but her light was yet too feeble to assist them.while they stepped carefully on, they heard the vesper-bell of a convent.