By four o'clock or half-past it was almost dark, and, once the sun had gone down, cold, with a peculiar biting coldness not felt farther north, where the temperature is more equable and the contrasts less sudden.
Grandmother put on her fur-lined cloak and set off to meet the little market-women.

Once, twice thrice she walked to the corner of the road--they were not to be seen, and she was beginning to fear the temptations of the shops had delayed them unduly, when they suddenly came in view; and the moment they caught sight of her familiar figure off they set, as if touched at the same instant by an electric thrill, running towards her like two lapwings.
"Dear grandmother, how good of you to come to meet us," said Sylvia.

"We have got such nice things.

They are in Marcelline's basket," nodding back towards Marcelline, jogging along after them in her usual deliberate fashion.
"_Such_ nice things," echoed Molly.

"But oh, grandmother dear, you don't know what we saw.