Near at hand came the long rows of dwellings, approaching curved up the hill-slope, in straight lines along the brow of the hill.

They were of darkened red brick, brittle, with dark slate roofs.

The path on which the sisters walked was black, trodden-in by the feet of the recurrent colliers, and bounded from the field by iron fences; the stile that led again into the road was rubbed shiny by the moleskins of the passing miners.

Now the two girls were going between some rows of dwellings, of the poorer sort.

Women, their arms folded over their coarse aprons, standing gossiping at the end of their block, stared after the Brangwen sisters with that long, unwearying stare of aborigines; children called out names.
Gudrun went on her way half dazed.