〃Yes。　I　want　to　ruin　you。〃

〃Good；〃　I　said；　〃that's　what　I　want　too。〃

40

We　had　a　fine　life。　We　lived　through　the　months　of　January　and　February　and　the　winter　was　very　fine　and　we　were　very　happy。　There　had　been　short　thaws　when　the　wind　blew　warm　and　the　snow　softened　and　the　air　felt　like　spring；　but　always　the　clear　hard　cold　had　e　again　and　the　winter　had　returned。　In　March　came　the　first　break　in　the　winter。　In　the　night　it　started　raining。　It　rained　on　all　morning　and　turned　the　snow　to　slush　and　made　the　mountain…side　dismal。　There　were　clouds　over　the　lake　and　over　the　valley。　It　was　raining　high　up　the　mountain。　Catherine　wore　heavy　overshoes　and　I　wore　Mr。　Guttingen's　rubber…boots　and　we　walked　to　the　station　under　an　umbrella；　through　the　slush　and　the　running　water　that　was　washing　the　ice　of　the　roads　bare；　to　stop　at　the　pub　before　lunch　for　a　vermouth。　Outside　we　could　hear　the　rain。

〃Do　you　think　we　ought　to　move　into　town？〃

〃What　do　you　think？〃　Catherine　asked。

〃If　the　winter　is　over　and　the　rain　keeps　up　it　won't　be　fun　up　here。　How　long　is　it　before　young　Catherine？〃

〃About　a　month。　Perhaps　a　little　more。〃

〃We　might　go　down　and　stay　in　Montreux。〃

〃Why　don't　we　go　to　Lausanne？　That's　where　the　hospital　is。〃

〃All　right。　But　I　thought　maybe　that　was　too　big　a　town。〃

〃We　can　be　as　much　alone　in　a　bigger　town　and　Lausanne　might　be　nice。〃

〃When　should　we　go？〃

〃I　don't　care。　Whenever　you　want；　darling。　I　don't　want　to　leave　here　if　you　don't　want。〃

〃Let's　see　how　the　weather　turns　out。〃

It　rained　for　three　days。　The　snow　was　all　gone　now　on　the　mountain…side　below　the　station。　The　road　was　a　torrent　of　muddy　snow…water。　It　was　too　wet　and　slushy　to　go