“You’d better do what your missus says, mister,” observed the gardener, returning to his work. “The authorities don’t like no loitering in these places.”
But Sorio disregarded the hint.
“I should think,” he remarked, “it wouldn’t be so very difficult to escape out of here.” He received no reply to this and Nance pulled him by the sleeve.
“Please, Adrian, please come away,” she pleaded, with tears in her voice. The old man lifted up his head.
“You go back where you be come from,” he observed, “and thank the good Lord you’ve got such a pretty lady to look after you. There be many what envies you and many what ’ud like to stand in your shoes, and that’s God’s truth.”
Sorio sighed heavily, and letting go his hold upon the railings, turned to his companion.
“Let’s find another way to the town,” he said. “There must be some road over there, or at worst, we can walk along the line.”
They moved off hastily in the direction opposite from the river and the old man, after making an enigmatic gesture behind their backs, spat upon his hands and returned to his work. The sky was now entirely overclouded but still no rain fell.