‘I know,’ he said shortly, ‘it would, but I can’t.’

I was astonished at the sharpness of his tone.

I said:

‘Of course not, Walter, nobody thought of it.’

He said:

‘I have.’

And I felt a cold shiver run through me. I had not thought of it, and yet, somewhere at the back of my mind, this terror had been there. I held my breath and waited. I could hear the sheep cropping the rough grass a hundred yards away.

Then I said:

‘Yes? Do you really want to go?’

And Walter nodded his head.