train had a strange air of friendliness as it jogged across
Romney Marsh. It ran familiarly through farmyards and back gardens, it
meekly let the motor-cars race it and pass it as it clanked beside the
roads. The line was single all the way, except for a mile outside
Brodnyx station, where it made a loop to let the up-train pass. The
up-train was late--they had been too long loading up the fish at
Dungeness, or there was a reaping machine being brought from Lydd. For
some minutes Joanna's train stayed halted in the sunshine, in the very
midst of the Three Marshes. Miles of sun-swamped green spread on either
side--the carriage was full of sunshine--it was bright and stuffy like a
greenhouse. Joanna felt drowsy, she lay back in her corner blinking at
the sun--she was all quiet now. A blue-bottle droned against the window,
and the little engine droned, like an impatient fly--it was all very
still, very hot, very peaceful....

Then suddenly something stirred within her--stirred physically. In some
mysterious way she seemed to come alive. She sat up, pressing her hand
to her side. A flood of colour went up into her face--her body trembled,
and the tears started in her eyes ... she felt herself choking with wild
fear, and wild joy.

Sec.34

Oh, she understood now. She understood, and she was certain. She knew
now--she knew, and she was frightened ... oh, she was frightened ... now
everything was over with her indeed.

Joanna nearly fainted. She fell in a heap against the window, looking
more than ever, as the sunshine poured on her, like a great golden,
broken flower. She felt herself choking and managed to right
herself--the window was down, and a faint puff of air came in from the
sea, lifting her hair as she leaned back against the wooden wall of the
carriage, her mouth a little open.... She felt better now, but still so
frightened.... She was done for, she was finished--there would not be
any more talk of going back and picking up things where she had let them
drop. She would have to marry Bertie--there was no help for it, she
would send him a telegram from Brodnyx station. Oh, that this should
have happened!... And she had been feeling so much easier in her
mind--she had almost begun to feel happy again, thinking of the old home
and the old life. And now she knew that they had gone for ever--the old
home and the old life. She had cut herself away from both--she would
have to marry Albert, to shut her little cl