75 



covering and easeful bed and when 

 foregone, it is a deliberate renuncia- 

 tion for some recognised good. After 

 all, those things do not touch the 

 soul, and life in the mountains does. 

 Under its spell the unimportant de- 

 tails of a routine life in the East shrink 

 to their proper size and one expands 

 as the purple lupin unfolds its sensi- 

 tive leaves to the sun, and shuts 

 them again in the dark. 



In the morning I opened eyes on 

 the figure of Nimrod perched on a 

 chair peering through a small win- 

 dow in the roof. 



"Well?" 



"Can't see a thing. A thick grey 

 fog might as well be on board ship. 

 What luck!" 



About eleven there were signs of 

 the fog lifting and we, eager with 

 anticipation, put on rubber coats 

 and goloshes. We were cautioned 

 not to go more than a hundred feet 

 from the door, as the Canon began 

 abruptly. Hand in hand we ad- 

 vanced through the mist until sud- 

 denly we stopped and drew back 

 breathless. The peculiar difference 

 in the blankness before us showed 



