She re-entered the cottage and continued some household duties.

I sat quite still, with my eyes steadily fixed upon a dark object a little to the left of those white palings.

Above my head a starling in a wicker cage was making an insane cackling, on the green patch in front a couple of tame rabbits sat and watched me, pink-eyed, imperturbable.

Inside I could hear the slow ticking of an eight-day clock.

The woman was humming to herself as she worked.