Slowlymyheadwasgettingclearer，andIwasabletolookroundmyproblem。IbanishedfrommymindthesituationIhadleftbehindme。Blenkironmustcopewiththatasbesthecould。ItlaywithhimtodealwiththeWildBirds，myjobwaswithIveryalone。SometimeintheearlymorninghewouldreachSantaChiara，andtherehewouldfindMary。Beyondthatmyimaginationcouldforecastnothing。Shewouldbealone-Icouldtrusthisclevernessforthat；hewouldtrytoforcehertocomewithhim，orhemightpersuadeherwithsomelyingstory。Well，pleaseGod，Ishouldcomeinforthetailendoftheinterview，andatthethoughtI
cursedthesteepgradientsIwasclimbing，andlongedforsomemagictolifttheDaimlerbeyondthesummitandsetitracingdowntheslopetowardsItaly。
Ithinkitwasabouthalf-pastthreewhenIsawthelightsofthefrontierpost。Theairseemedmilderthaninthevalleys，andtherewasasoftscurryofsnowonmyrightcheek。AcoupleofsleepySwisssentrieswiththeirriflesintheirhandsstumbledoutasIdrewup。
Theytookmypassintothehutandgavemeananxiousquarterofanhourwhiletheyexaminedit。TheperformancewasrepeatedfiftyyardsonattheItalianpost，wheretomyalarmthesentrieswereinclinedtoconversation。Iplayedthepartofthesulkyservant，answeringinmonosyllablesandpretendingtoimmensestupidity。
\'Youareonlyjustintime，friend，\'saidoneinGerman。\'Theweathergrowsbadandsoonthepasswillclose。Ugh，itisascoldaslastwinterontheTonale。Youremember，Giuseppe？\'