A rapid thaw set in, and up through the vanishing whiteness dawned the dark colours of the wintry landscape.

For a day or two the soft wet snow lay mixed with water over all the road.

After that came mire and dirt.

But it was still so far off spring, that nobody cared to be reminded of it yet.

So when, after the snow had vanished, a hard black frost set in, it was welcomed by the schoolboys at least, whatever the old people and the poor people, and especially those who were both old and poor, may have thought of the change.