Chapter XI · Chapter 11

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

any person at all

From this reading "See anybody?"

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

a room used primarily for sleeping

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

not characterized by emotion

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

creating or arousing excitement

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the organ of sight

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

opinion or judgment

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

immediately past

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

possessive form of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

a mountain in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy (14,780 feet high); noted for its distinctive shape

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

used to form the superlative

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

completely unclothed

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

and nothing more

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

(used informally) completely unclothed

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

on the contrary

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

cut with a saw

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

move or cause to move back and forth

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

not in physical motion

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

crush together or collapse

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training; often used as a combining form

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

at the time that

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

in or at the place that

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a Caucasian

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

which person or people

From this reading I asked of a man who sat at the telescope as though his eye was frozen to the lens.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.

-ing form of “witness” — be a witness to

From this reading He might have been witnessing the most exciting adventure, where the naked eye saw only rock and snow, and cold grey sky; but he rose at last with a shake of the head, a great gaunt man with kind keen eyes, and the skin peeled off his nose.

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading It was still visible, however, when I came down, a white cloud wound about its middle like a cloth, and the hotel telescope already trained upon its summit from the shelter of the glass veranda.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE LION'S MOUTH It was a chilly morning, with rather a high wind; from the haze about the mountains of the Zermatt valley, which were all that I could see from my bedroom window, it occurred to me that I might look in vain for the Matterhorn from the other side of the hotel.