what troubles, and especially of how many expenses! Day by day one could
soon count the probable deficit in the affair and the silent partners
began to get a glimpse of the loss of the eight millions of securities
that had had to be deposited with the Swiss Federal Council. For Favre
personally the failure of the enterprise would have been ruin for his
fortune was not so large as has been stated. To fears which Favre
possessed more on account of the associates that he had engaged in the
enterprise than for himself, came to join themselves those troubles with
the Germans that he had spoken to me about on the first day. The St.
Gothard Company, whose troubles are so celebrated, and whose inactivity
lasted until the reconstruction of the affair, was seemingly undertaking
to make Favre, who was directing the only work then in activity, bear
all the insults that it had itself had to endure. And yet, amid these
multiple cares, the contractor of the tunnel did not allow himself to
become disheartened. Constantly at the breach he lived at his works,
going from the gigantic adit of Goschenen to the inundated one of Anolo,
constantly on the mountain, having no heed of the icy and perilous
crossing, and passing days in the torrential rain that was flooding the
tunnel. Who of us does not picture him in mind as he reached the inn at
night, with his high boots still soaking wet, and his gray beard full of
icicles to take his accustomed seat at the table, and, between courses,
to tell some story full of mirth, some joke from the other works whence
he had come, which made us laugh immoderately, and brought a smile to
the faces of the German engineers.

It is a singular coincidence that this confidence in his own work,
despite all the struggles borne, was shared likewise by another man than
Favre--by Germano Sommeiller, the creator of the Mont Cenis Tunnel. When
the work of the first piercing of the Alps was yet in the period of
attacks and incredulity, Sommeiller wrote his brother the following