"Ah," said Amroth, "my time has indeed come. I am summoned."
He waved his hand to the man, who came up quickly and even breathlessly,
and handed Amroth a sealed paper. Amroth tore it open, read it
smilingly, gave a nod to the officer, saying "Many thanks." The officer
saluted him; he was a brisk young man, with a fresh air; and he then,
without a word, turned from us and went over the moorland.
"Come," said Amroth, "let us descend. You can do this for yourself now;
you do not need my help." He took my hand, and a mist enveloped us.
Suddenly the mist broke up and streamed away. I looked round me in
curiosity.
We were standing in a very mean street of brick-built houses, with
slated roofs; over the roofs we could see a spire, and the chimneys of
mills, spouting smoke. The houses had tiny smoke-dried gardens in front
of them. At the end of the street was an ugly, ill-tended field, on
which much rubbish lay. There were some dirty children playing about,
and a few women, with shawls over their heads, were standing together
watching a house opposite. The window of an upper room was open, and out
of it came cries and moans.
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