And as she vanished away up the hillside, it seemed as if her cry, 'I
am beautiful, I am beautiful,' was coming from among the stars in the
heavens.
There was a cold wind creeping among the rushes, and Hanrahan began
to shiver, and he rose up to go to some house where there would be a
fire on the hearth. But instead of turning down the hill as he was
used, he went on up the hill, along the little track that was maybe a
road and maybe the dry bed of a stream. It was the same way Winny had
gone, and it led to the little cabin where she stopped when she
stopped in any place at all. He walked very slowly up the hill as if
he had a great load on his back, and at last he saw a light a little
to the left, and he thought it likely it was from Winny's house it
was shining, and he turned from the path to go to it. But clouds had
come over the sky, and he could not well see his way, and after he
had gone a few steps his foot slipped and he fell into a bog drain,
and though he dragged himself out of it, holding on to the roots of
the heather, the fall had given him a great shake, and he felt better
fit to lie down than to go travelling. But he had always great
courage, and he made his way on, step by step, till at last he came
to Winny's cabin, that had no window, but the light was shining from
the door. He thought to go into it and to rest for a while, but when
he came to the door he did not see Winny inside it, but what he saw
was four old grey-haired women playing cards, but Winny herself was
not among them.
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