By herself?
Yes--by herself.

In what direction?
Up the valley, towards Browndown.
I instantly arrived at my own conclusion.
She had got the start of me--thanks to my laziness in sleeping away the precious hours of the morning in bed.

The one thing to do, was to follow her as speedily as possible.

In half an hour more, _I_ was out for a little walk by myself--and (what do you think ?) _my_ direction also was up the valley, towards Browndown.
A pastoral solitude reigned round the lonely little house.

I went on beyond it, into the next winding of the valley.