"
He turned the horse's head, and they began to jog back toward Hamblin.
Charity sat speechless, staring straight ahead of her, and Mr. Royall
occasionally uttered a word of encouragement to the horse: "Get along
there, Dan.... I gave him a rest at Hamblin; but I brought him along
pretty quick, and it's a stiff pull up here against the wind."
As he spoke it occurred to her for the first time that to reach the top
of the Mountain so early he must have left North Dormer at the coldest
hour of the night, and have travelled steadily but for the halt at
Hamblin; and she felt a softness at her heart which no act of his had
ever produced since he had brought her the Crimson Rambler because she
had given up boarding-school to stay with him.
After an interval he began again: "It was a day just like this, only
spitting snow, when I come up here for you the first time." Then, as if
fearing that she might take his remark as a reminder of past benefits,
he added quickly: "I dunno's you think it was such a good job, either.
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