TheroadfromAngleburytoHolmstokeisingenerallevel；butthereisoneplacewhereasharpascentbreaksitsmonotony。Farmershomeward-boundfromtheformermarket-town，whotrotalltherestoftheway，walktheirhorsesupthisshortincline。
Thenextevening，whilethesunwasyetbright，ahandsomenewgig，withalemon-colouredbodyandredwheels，wasspinningwestwardalongthelevelhighwayattheheelsofapowerfulmare。Thedriverwasayeomanintheprimeoflife，cleanlyshavenlikeanactor，hisfacebeingtonedtothatbluish-vermilionhuewhichsooftengracesathrivingfarmer’sfeatureswhenreturninghomeaftersuccessfuldealingsinthetown。Besidehimsatawoman，manyyearshisjunior——almost，indeed，agirl。Herfacetoowasfreshincolour，butitwasofatotallydifferentquality——softandevanescent，likethelightunderaheapofrose-petals。
Fewpeopletravelledthisway，foritwasnotamainroad；andthelongwhiteribandofgravelthatstretchedbeforethemwasempty，saveofonesmallscarce-movingspeck，whichpresentlyresolveditselfintothefigureofboy，whowascreepingonatasnail’space，andcontinuallylookingbehindhim——theheavybundlehecarriedbeingsomeexcusefor，ifnotthereasonof，hisdilatoriness。Whenthebouncinggig-partyslowedatthebottomoftheinclineabovementioned，thepedestrianwasonlyafewyardsinfront。Supportingthelargebundlebyputtingonehandonhiship，heturnedandlookedstraightatthefarmer’swifeasthoughhewouldreadherthroughandthrough，pacingalongabreastofthehorse。
Thelowsunwasfullinherface，renderingeveryfeature，shade，andcontourdistinct，fromthecurveofherlittlenostriltothecolourofhereyes。Thefarmer，thoughheseemedannoyedattheboy’spersistentpresence，didnotorderhimtogetoutoftheway；
andthustheladprecededthem，hishardgazeneverleavingher，tilltheyreachedthetopoftheascent，whenthefarmertrottedonwithreliefinhislineaments——havingtakennooutwardnoticeoftheboywhatever。