In silence they began to descend, perforce walking quickly because of the steep gradient. At the first cottage they saw a little girl in a mob-cap playing with two kittens.
'Yes. I was just thinking so,' Anna answered.
'I thought of her up on the hill,' he continued. 'She will miss you, won't she?'
'I know she cried herself to sleep last night. You mightn't guess it, but she is extremely sensitive.'
'Not guess it? Why not? I am sure she is. Do you know--I am very fond of your sister. She's a simply delightful child. And there's a lot in her, too. She's so quick and bright, and somehow like a little woman.'
'She's exactly like a woman sometimes,' Anna agreed. 'Sometimes I fancy she's a great deal older than I am.'
'I'm glad you like her,' Anna said, content. 'She thinks all the world of you.' And she added: 'My word, wouldn't she be vexed if she knew I had told you that!'
This appreciation of Agnes brought them into closer intimacy, and they talked the more easily of other things.
'It will freeze to-night,' Mynors said; and then, suddenly looking at her in the twilight: 'You are feeling chill.'
'But you are. Put this muffler round your neck.' He took a muffler from his pocket.
'Oh, no, really! You will need it yourself.' She drew a little away from him, as if to avoid the muffler.
She did so, and thanked him, tying it loosely and untidily round her throat. That feeling of the untidiness of the muffler, of its being something strange to her skin, something with the rough virtue of masculinity, which no one could detect in the gloom, was in itself pleasant.
'I wager Mrs. Sutton has a good fire burning when we get in,' he said.
She thought with joyous anticipation of the warm, bright, sitting-room, the supper, and the vivacious good-natured conversation. Though the walk was nearly at an end, other delights were in store. Of the holiday, thirteen complete days yet remained, each to be as happy as the one now closing. It was an age! At last they entered the human cosiness of the village. As they walked up the steps of their lodging and he opened the door for her, she quickly drew off the muffler and returned it to him with a word of thanks.
On Monday morning, when Beatrice and Anna came downstairs, they found the breakfast odorously cooling on the table, and nobody in the room.