Page 287 - erewhon

me, nor had he any conception of the existence of a certain
steady upper current of air which was always setting in one
direction, as could be seen by the shape of the higher clouds,
which pointed invariably from south-east to north- west. I
had myself long noticed this peculiarity in the climate, and
attributed it, I believe justly, to a trade-wind which was
constant at a few thousand feet above the earth, but was
disturbed by local influences at lower elevations.
My next business was to break the plan to Arowhena,
and to devise the means for getting her into the car. I felt
sure that she would come with me, but had made up my
mind that if her courage failed her, the whole thing should
come to nothing. Arowhena and I had been in constant
communication through her maid, but I had thought it best
not to tell her the details of my scheme till everything was
settled. The time had now arrived, and I arranged with the
maid that I should be admitted by a private door into Mr.
Nosnibor’s garden at about dusk on the following evening.
I came at the appointed time; the girl let me into the gar-
den and bade me wait in a secluded alley until Arowhena
should come. It was now early summer, and the leaves were
so thick upon the trees that even though some one else had
entered the garden I could have easily hidden myself. The
night was one of extreme beauty; the sun had long set, but
there was still a rosy gleam in the sky over the ruins of the
railway station; below me was the city already twinkling
with lights, while beyond it stretched the plains for many
a league until they blended with the sky. I just noted these
things, but I could not heed them. I could heed nothing, till,

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