It opened--and there stood the silver-grey night, fearful to him, after the tawny light of the lamp.

He hurried back.
When Mrs.Morel entered, she saw him almost running through the door to the stairs.

He had ripped his collar off his neck in his haste to be gone ere she came in, and there it lay with bursten button-holes.

It made her angry.
She warmed and soothed herself.

In her weariness forgetting everything, she moved about at the little tasks that remained to be done, set his breakfast, rinsed his pit-bottle, put his pit-clothes on the hearth to warm, set his pit-boots beside them, put him out a clean scarf and snap-bag and two apples, raked the fire, and went to bed.