‘Yes. Come on,’ said Mariella. ‘We must hurry for our train.’
They tramped in silence across the cold solitude of the marsh, and the wind came after them, keen and menacing. When they arrived at the river’s edge, Charlie stood still, and looked across, saying dreamily:
‘There’s a light in the old house. I suppose that’s the caretaker person. We might look in to-morrow and surprise her. Doesn’t it look lonely?... I wish we would live there again. Where’s your house, Judith? I thought it was next door.’
‘So it is, but the trees hide it.’
Then she ferried them across the river in the punt, and parted from them on the other side, where the lane to the station branched off.
‘Well, see you to-morrow.’
Julian looked up at the sky.
‘I believe it’s thawing,’ he said. ‘I believe it’ll rain in the night.’
‘Rot!’ said Charlie. ‘Why—feel the ground.’