Behind this was a deep green valley, with distinct hills on either side.

On the slope of the right-hand hill white houses with brown roofs were settled, like nesting sea-birds, and at intervals cypresses striped the hill with black bars.

Mountains whose sides were flushed with red, but whose crowns were bald, rose as a pinnacle, half-concealing another pinnacle behind it.

The hour being still early, the whole view was exquisitely light and airy; the blues and greens of sky and tree were intense but not sultry.

As they drew nearer and could distinguish details, the effect of the earth with its minute objects and colours and different forms of life was overwhelming after four weeks of the sea, and kept them silent.
"Three hundred years odd," said Mr.Pepper meditatively at length.
As nobody said, "What ?" he merely extracted a bottle and swallowed a pill.