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Load after load was dumped into the trough-like arrangement and stamped down tight and hard by old Tom's huge feet and little Willie's eager but ineffective ones and then the top board was fastened down, and never a cold winter wind could find its way under the floors with such a protective bulwark around the house.... And in the spring the boards had to be taken down and countless bleached bugs fairly oozed out into the spring sunlight and the snow-wet soggy leaves were raked out and burned, and the smoke was so thick and heavy that it hardly got out of the yard.
Then he led his horse up a little ravine and hitched it among the snowy holly and rhododendrons, and slipped toward the light. There was a dog somewhere, of course; and like a thief he climbed over the low rail-fence and stole through the tall snow-wet grass until he leaned against an apple-tree with the sill of the window two feet above the level of his eyes.
If he were insane, however, his was a very cool and collected insanity: I had never seen that handsome-featured face of his look more like chiselled marble than it did just now, as he put aside his snow-wet hair from his forehead and let the firelight shine free on his pale brow and cheek as pale, where it grieved me to discover the hollow trace of care or sorrow now so plainly graved.
Then, one evening, coming in from a long tramp in the park, snow covered and bedraggled, she faced him in her own little parlour! "My blessed child!" cried he, rushing toward her. "What have you been doing to yourself?" She was in his arms; his hands were taking off her snow-wet coat and hat.
And at eight o'clock, as she was putting her kitchen in order, a tired driver appeared, clumsily engineering something through the narrow hall; a great coaster, its brave red and gold showing through the flimsy, snow-wet wrappings. "Teddy from Dad," Martie, bewildered, read on the card. Not to the excited child himself would it bring the joy it gave his mother. Poor Wallace always generous!
But Foley forestalled him and slipped handcuffs on him, while Nucky cursed and fought with all the venom that did the eight or ten other occupants of the room. A small roulette board smashed into the sealed fire-place. Brown Liz broke a bottle of whiskey on an officer's helmet and the reek of alcohol merged with that of cigarette smoke and snow-wet clothes.
I went out of the house and down the steep slope, at risk of breaking my leg between the rocks. I knew the ground so well and yet I got well shaken before I drew near the thorn-trees. Yes, it was a bird. It was Joey. It was the grey-brown peacock with a blue neck. He was snow-wet and spent. 'Joey Joey, de-urr! I said, staggering unevenly towards him.
"Nothing, father," said Nettie, "only lay me on the bed, please; and then you and mother have supper." Mr. Mathieson took her to the bed and laid her gently down, removing the snow-wet counterpane which was round her. "What is the matter?" faltered Mrs. Mathieson. "Nothing much, mother," said Nettie, quietly; "only I was a little sick. Wont you bake the waffles and have supper?"
But beyond that we might have our doubts. Are we right in wearing the strange costumes we do, in choosing the path that pleases us athwart this rock and turf, in coming striding with unfumigated rucksacks and snow-wet hobnails into what is conceivably an extremely neat and orderly world?
"I have led her home, my love, my only friend; There is none like her, none! And never yet so warmly ran my blood, And sweetly on and on, Calming itself to the long-wished-for end, Full to the banks, close on the promised good." Britta was in the kitchen, dragging off her snow-wet cloak and fur mufflers, and crying heartily all the while.
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