"Either one or the other would be equally distasteful to me," he said.
The girl sighed, and turned away to thrust a few small billets into the stove.

She chose them carefully, for the big box whose ugliness she had hidden by a strip of cheap printed cotton was almost empty.

The hired man, seeing no prospect of receiving his wages, had departed after a stormy interview, and shortly after his son followed him.
Townshead discovered that sawing wood was especially unsuited to his constitution.

Then the girl increased the draught a little and endeavoured to repress a shiver.

The house was damp for want of proper packing, and the cold wind that came down from the high peaks moaned about it eerily.