They walked slowly.

Stella knew that she should quicken her feet but she could not bring herself to do more than know it.

She sought to take into her heart every tiniest detail of that walk so that in memory she might, years after, walk it again and so never be quite alone.

They passed out through the great iron gates and turned into the lane.

Here great elms overhung and now they walked in darkness, and now again were bathed in light.