Whenever, at the end of each attempt, the thicket brought me up short, I fancied that I heard her laughing on the farther side of the brake; and the ignominy of this chance punishment, and the check which the confinement placed on my rage, almost maddened me.

In the darkness I fell, and rose cursing; I tore my hands with thorns; I stained my suit, which had suffered sadly once before.

At length, when I had almost resigned myself to lie in the wood, I caught sight of the lights of the village, and, trembling between haste and anger, pressed towards them.
In a few minutes I stood in the little street.
The lights of the inn shone only fifty yards away; but before I could show myself even there pride suggested that I should do something to repair my clothes.

I stopped, and scraped and brushed them; and, at the same time, did what I could to compose my features.

Then I advanced to the door and knocked.