"It's pretty nigh finished," he answered slowly. "I've put 'im down deep, so as 'e can lie quiet without bein' shifted."
I looked over into the grave, which was already partly filled in.
"Well, there's no need to hurry," I said. "I've brought someone back with me, but we shan't want anything except a cup of tea, and I can get that myself."
If he felt any curiosity about my guest he certainly did not show it.
"Aye," he remarked indifferently. "You won't 'ave no trouble about that. The kettle's on the fire, an' there's a jug o' milk in the larder."
He turned to his work again, and, resuming my way to the back of the house, I passed in through the kitchen.
I took a strange delight in opening the front door and seeing Christine step in over the threshold. At that moment everything about her seemed to become real to me in a way that it had never been before. I had a sort of feeling that we had suddenly escaped from some fantastic melodrama, and were alone together in the actual world for the first time.
She looked round, an almost childish pleasure in her brown eyes.
"It's charming," she exclaimed. "It's the kind of room one would never want to go out of."
"That's how it strikes me just at present," I said. "Come and sit down in front of the fire. You'll have time to get nice and dry while I make the tea."