But before he got down to the point where the corner of the park abutted on the main road, he had leaned on it too heavily, and for all its seeming strength, it had broken in the middle.

The two pieces were but luggage to him and just as he came to the road, he threw them away into a wooded hollow that adjoined the path.

The stick had broken straight across; it was no use to think of having it mended.
* * * * * He was out of the wind here, and since there was still some ten minutes to spare, he sat down on the grassy edge of the road to smoke a cigarette.

The woods of the park basked in the fresh sunshine; three hundred yards away was Falmer Station, and beyond that the line was visible for a mile as it ran up the straight valley.

Indeed he need hardly move till he saw the steam of his train on the limit of the horizon.