" In uttering
those words, he was conscious of a girl coming down from the common just
above them. She was outlined against the sky, carrying a basket, and you
could see that sky through the crook of her arm. And Ashurst, who saw
beauty without wondering how it could advantage him, thought: 'How
pretty!' The wind, blowing her dark frieze skirt against her legs,
lifted her battered peacock tam-o'-shanter; her greyish blouse was worn
and old, her shoes were split, her little hands rough and red, her neck
browned. Her dark hair waved untidy across her broad forehead, her face
was short, her upper lip short, showing a glint of teeth, her brows were
straight and dark, her lashes long and dark, her nose straight; but her
grey eyes were the wonder-dewy as if opened for the first time that day.
She looked at Ashurst--perhaps he struck her as strange, limping along
without a hat, with his large eyes on her, and his hair falling back.
He could not take off what was not on his head, but put up his hand in a
salute, and said:
"Can you tell us if there's a farm near here where we could stay the
night? I've gone lame."
"There's only our farm near, sir." She spoke without shyness, in a
pretty soft crisp voice.
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