The valley speedily became very narrow, and a final bend brought us face-to-face with the buildings of the Abbaye de Grace-Dieu, striking from their position--filling, as they do, the breadth of the valley,--but in no way remarkable architecturally.

The journey had been so long that it was now ten o'clock; and as we were due in Besancon at five in the evening, we put the horse up as quickly as possible, in a shed provided by the Brothers, and set off on foot for the glaciere, half an hour distant.

About a mile and a half from the convent, the valley comes to an end, the rocks on the opposite sides approaching so close to each other as only to leave room for a large flour-mill, belonging to the Brothers, and for the escape-channel of the stream which works the mill.

This building is quite new, and might almost be taken for a fortification against inroads by the head of the valley, especially as the words _Posuerunt me custodem_ appear on the face, applying, however, to an image of the Virgin, which presides over the establishment.

The monks have expended their superfluous time and energies upon the erection of crosses of all sizes on every projecting peak and point of rock, one cross more sombre than the rest marking the scene of a recent death.