w minutes to collect my belongings
and make a start."

She knelt down as she spoke and gathered together a quantity of papers
which she had scattered as she rose to greet Philippa. "You must not
expect our progress to be rapid," she continued, speaking in an easy,
good-humoured way; "for my donkey, being an animal of great
discernment, arrived long ago at the knowledge that time means nothing
to us in these parts. We simply don't know the meaning of the word,
and he resolutely refuses to hurry for any inducement I can offer him.
When I first made his acquaintance I wore myself out in vain efforts to
urge him into something that might reasonably be called a trot, but the
experience was so distressing to us both that I gave it up in despair.
Now, I frankly confess that he is my master. If he chooses to reflect
upon the road, I do the same, and say nothing. If he proceeds, well,
so do I. I still say nothing, and am inwardly thankful. But to give
him his due, he is docile, which after all is something, for I cannot
imagine what an unprotected female like myself, with scanty knowledge
of quadrupeds and their ways, would do with a beast who kicked or ran
away, especially in a lonely spot like this, where one so seldom meets
a soul upon the road. Come up, Edward," she added, tugging at the
bridle, and with some difficulty persuading the reluctant animal to
take up his position between the shafts. Philippa went to the rescue,
and between them the deed was done, and in a few moments they were
seated side by side in the little cart, proceeding very deliberately
across the moor.

Philippa saw that her companion was dressed precisely as she had been
at their previous meeting. The same drab cotton frock, or possibly a
duplicate; the same hideously unbecoming hat; but she merely glanced at
these, for her attention was presently drawn to some indefinable change
in Isabella's face. It was some minutes before she realised what it
was. The curious, expectant look was gone, and where, on the previous
occasion, her new acquaintance had seemed possessed by an intense
desire to question, she appeared now to have entirely lost that desire.
Her face hardly showed contentment; there were lines of sadness on it
which could never be obliterated, but it had regained what was probably
its usual calmness--the calmness of one who has forced herself to wait
patiently, who sees her course of action, or inaction, clearly mapped
out before h