All the
world was greyer and dimmer in a moment, as it were, and Coniston Lake
in its distant valley disappeared beneath a veil of mist, while the
shimmering sea-line upon the verge of the horizon melted and vanished
among the clouds that overhung it. The weather changes very quickly in
this part of the world. Sharp drops of rain came spitting at Hammond and
Mary as they climbed the crest of the Pike, and stopped, somewhat
breathless, to look back at Maulevrier. He was trudging blithely down
the winding way, and seemed to have done wonders while they had been
doing very little.
'How fast he is going!' said Mary.
'Easy is the descent of Avernus. He is going down-hill, and we are going
upwards. That makes all the difference in life, you see,' answered
Hammond.
Mary looked at him with divine compassion. She thought that for him the
hill of life would be harder than Helvellyn. He was brave, honest,
clever; but her grandmother had impressed upon her that modern
civilisation hardly has room for a young man who wants to get on in the
world, without either fortune or powerful connexions.
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