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we must make haste. It is tea time, and they are expecting me at home.”

They started up lively and energetic from this spot, but soon slackened their pace, and did not look around any longer; notwithstanding this they felt gloomy, anticipating the bare fields beyond.

All at once two women appeared; they were resting on the edge of a deep, miry ditch. One of them was sitting, with her feet crossed, and attentively looking down. She wore a kerchief round her head, which fell off, showing a quantity of plaited hair. She was hump-backed, and wore a dirty coloured bodice, and did not even look at any passer-by. The second woman was half lying down, near her companion, and leaning her head on her palm. Her face was of the large common kind, with the features of a man. Under her eyes and on the prominent bones of her cheeks were burning