WhileIwasfeelingthesethings，Iwasgroping，withoutknowingit，towardanunderstandingofwhatthespelliswhichpeoplefindintheAlps，andinnoothermountains——thatstrange，deep，namelessinfluence，which，oncefelt，cannotbeforgotten——oncefelt，leavesalwaysbehinditarestlesslongingtofeelitagain——alongingwhichislikehomesickness；agrieving，hauntingyearningwhichwillplead，implore，andpersecutetillithasitswill。
Imetdozensofpeople，imaginativeandunimaginative，cultivatedanduncultivated，whohadcomefromfarcountriesandroamedthroughtheSwissAlpsyearafteryear——theycouldnotexplainwhy。Theyhadcomefirst，theysaid，outofidlecuriosity，becauseeverybodytalkedaboutit；
theyhadcomesincebecausetheycouldnothelpit，andtheyshouldkeeponcoming，whiletheylived，forthesamereason；
theyhadtriedtobreaktheirchainsandstayaway，butitwasfutile；now，theyhadnodesiretobreakthem。
Otherscamenearerformulatingwhattheyfelt；theysaidtheycouldfindperfectrestandpeacenowhereelsewhentheyweretroubled:allfretsandworriesandchafingssanktosleepinthepresenceofthebenignantserenityoftheAlps；