Thenextfewmonthspassedaway，asmanyyearscanpassaway，withoutdefiniteevents，andyet，ifsuddenlydisturbed，itwouldbeseenthatsuchmonthsoryearshadacharacterunlikeothers。
ThethreemonthswhichhadpassedhadbroughtthemtothebeginningofMarch。Theclimatehadkeptitspromise，andthechangeofseasonfromwintertospringhadmadeverylittledifference，sothatHelen，whowassittinginthedrawing-roomwithapeninherhand，couldkeepthewindowsopenthoughagreatfireoflogsburntononesideofher。Below，theseawasstillblueandtheroofsstillbrownandwhite，thoughthedaywasfadingrapidly。
Itwasduskintheroom，which，largeandemptyatalltimes，nowappearedlargerandemptierthanusual。Herownfigure，asshesatwritingwithapadonherknee，sharedthegeneraleffectofsizeandlackofdetail，fortheflameswhichranalongthebranches，suddenlydevouringlittlegreentufts，burntintermittentlyandsentirregularilluminationsacrossherfaceandtheplasterwalls。
Therewerenopicturesonthewallsbuthereandthereboughsladenwithheavy-petalledflowersspreadwidelyagainstthem。
Ofthebooksfallenonthebarefloorandheapeduponthelargetable，itwasonlypossibleinthislighttotracetheoutline。