past middle age; and
at the end of the third mile she wished that she had hired Fairway to
drive her a portion at least of the distance. But from the point at
which she had arrived it was as easy to reach Clym's house as to get
home again. So she went on, the air around her pulsating silently,
and oppressing the earth with lassitude. She looked at the sky
overhead, and saw that the sapphirine hue of the zenith in spring and
early summer had been replaced by a metallic violet.

Occasionally she came to a spot where independent worlds of ephemerons
were passing their time in mad carousal, some in the air, some on the
hot ground and vegetation, some in the tepid and stringy water of a
nearly dried pool. All the shallower ponds had decreased to a vaporous
mud amid which the maggoty shapes of innumerable obscure creatures
could be indistinctly seen, heaving and wallowing with enjoyment.
Being a woman not disinclined to philosophize she sometimes sat down
under her umbrella to rest and to watch their happiness, for a certain
hopefulness as to the result of her visit gave ease to her mind, and
between important thoughts left it free to dwell on any infinitesimal
matter which caught her eyes.

Mrs. Yeobright had never before been to her son's house, and its
exact position was unknown to her. She tried one ascending path and
another, and found that they led her astray. Retracing her steps, she
came again to an open level, where she perceived at a distance a man
at work. She went towards him and inquired the way.

The labourer pointed out the direction, and added, "Do you see that
furze-cutter, ma'am, going up that footpath yond?"

Mrs. Yeobright strained her eyes, and at last said that she did
perceive him.

"Well, if you follow him you can make no mistake. He's going to the
same place, ma'am."

She followed the figure indicated. He appeared of a russet hue,
not more distinguishable from the scene around him than the green
caterpillar from the leaf it feeds on. His progress when actually
walking was more rapid than Mrs. Yeobright's; but she was enabled to
keep at an equable distance from him by his habit of stopping whenever
he came to a brake of brambles, where he paused awhile. On coming
in her turn to each of these spots she found half a dozen long limp
brambles which he had cut from the bush during his halt and laid
out straight beside the path. They were evidently intended for
furze-faggot bonds which he meant to c