It was just after sunset and the distant hills were purple against the melting saffron of the sky in the west and the crystalline blue of the sky in the south . Eastward , just over the fir woods , were clouds , white and high heaped like snow mountains , and the westernmost of them shone with a rosy glow as of sunset on an Alpine height . The higher worlds of air were still full of light -- perfect , stainless light , unmarred of earth shadow ; but down in the orchard and under the spruces the light had almost gone , giving place to a green , dewy dusk , made passionately sweet with the breath of the apple blossoms and mint , and the balsamic odours that rained down upon them from the firs . Eric told her of his life , and the life in the great outer world , in which she was girlishly and eagerly interested . She asked him many questions about it -- direct and incisive questions which showed that she had already formed decided opinions and views about it . Yet it was plain to be seen that she did not regard it as anything she might ever share herself . Hers was the dispassionate interest with which she might have listened to a tale of the land of fairy or of some great empire long passed away from earth . Eric discovered that she had read a great deal of poetry and history , and a few books of biography and travel . She did not know what a novel meant and had never heard of one . Curiously enough , she was well informed regarding politics and current events , from the weekly paper for which her uncle subscribed . `` I never read the newspaper while mother was alive , '' she wrote , `` nor any poetry either . She taught me to read and write and I read the Bible all through many times and some of the histories . After mother died Aunt Janet gave me all her books . She had a great many . Most of them had been given to her as prizes when she was a girl at school , and some of them had been given to her by my father . Do you know the story of my father and mother ? '' Eric nodded . `` Yes , Mrs. Williamson told me all about it . She was a friend of your mother . '' `` I am glad you have heard it .
It is so sad that I would not like XXXXX tell it , but you will understand everything better because you know .
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