The sole motion was the occasional drift of a vapour-like film of white powder, which the wind would lift like dust from the snowy carpet that covered the street, and wafting it along for a few yards, drop again to its repose, till another stronger gust, prelusive of the wind about to rise at sun-down,--a wind cold and bitter as death--would rush over the street, and raise a denser cloud of the white water-dust to sting the face of any improbable person who might meet it in its passage.

It was a keen, knife-edged frost, even in the house, and what Robert saw to make him stand at the desolate window, I do not know, and I believe he could not himself have told.

There he did stand, however, for the space of five minutes or so, with nothing better filling his outer eyes at least than a bald spot on the crown of the street, whence the wind had swept away the snow, leaving it brown and bare, a spot of March in the middle of January.
He heard the town drummer in the distance, and let the sound invade his passive ears, till it crossed the opening of the street, and vanished 'down the town.' 'There's Dooble Sanny,' he said to himself--'wi' siccan cauld han's, 'at he's playin' upo' the drum-heid as gin he was loupin' in a bowie (leaping in a cask).' Then he stood silent once more, with a look as if anything would be welcome to break the monotony.
While he stood a gentle timorous tap came to the door, so gentle indeed that Betty in the kitchen did not hear it, or she, tall and Roman-nosed as she was, would have answered it before the long-legged dreamer could have reached the door, though he was not above three yards from it.
In lack of anything better to do, Robert stalked to the summons.

As he opened the door, these words greeted him: 'Is Robert at--eh! it's Bob himsel'! Bob, I'm byous (exceedingly) cauld.' 'What for dinna ye gang hame, than ?' 'What for wasna ye at the schuil the day ?' 'I spier ae queston at you, and ye answer me wi' anither.' 'Weel, I hae nae hame to gang till.' 'Weel, and I had a sair heid (a headache).

But whaur's yer hame gane till than ?' 'The hoose is there a' richt, but whaur my mither is I dinna ken.