He felt that
some introduction of himself was due to these welcoming people. He
tried to give it mixed with an itinerary and a sketch of his
experiences. He praised the heather country and Harting Coombe and
the Hartings. He told them that London had suddenly become
intolerable--"In the spring sunshine."
"You live in London?" said Mrs. Wilder.
Yes. And he had wanted to think things out. In London one could do
no thinking--
"Here we do nothing else," said Amanda.
"Except dog-fights," said the elder cousin.
"I thought I would just wander and think and sleep in the open air.
Have you ever tried to sleep in the open air?"
"In the summer we all do," said the younger cousin. "Amanda makes
us. We go out on to the little lawn at the back."
"You see Amanda has some friends at Limpsfield. And there they all
go out and camp and sleep in the woods."
"Of course," reflected Mrs. Wilder, "in April it must be different."
"It IS different," said Benham with feeling; "the night comes five
hours too soon. And it comes wet." He described his experiences
and his flight to Shere and the kindly landlord and the cup of
coffee.
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