Alas! I prophesied truly, and failed only in one single circumstance, that in all the misery I imagined and dreaded, I did not conceive the hundredth part of the anguish I was destined to endure.

It was completely dark when I arrived in the environs of Geneva; the gates of the town were already shut; and I was obliged to pass the night at Secheron, a village at the distance of half a league from the city.

The sky was serene; and, as I was unable to rest, I resolved to visit the spot where my poor William had been murdered.

As I could not pass through the town, I was obliged to cross the lake in a boat to arrive at Plainpalais.

During this short voyage I saw the lightning playing on the summit of Mont Blanc in the most beautiful figures.