Prisoners and captives.
ItwasonedaywhenMotherhadgonetoMaidbridge.Shehadgonealone,butthechildrenweretogotothestationtomeether.And,lovingthestationastheydid,itwasonlynaturalthattheyshouldbethereagoodhourbeforetherewasanychanceofMother’strainarriving,evenifthetrainwerepunctual,whichwasmostunlikely.Nodoubttheywouldhavebeenjustasearly,evenifithadbeenafineday,andallthedelightsofwoodsandfieldsandrocksandrivershadbeenopentothem.Butithappenedtobeaverywetdayand,forJuly,verycold.Therewasawildwindthatdroveflocksofdarkpurplecloudsacrossthesky"likeherdsofdream-elephants,"asPhyllissaid.Andtherainstungsharply,sothatthewaytothestationwasfinishedatarun.Thentherainfellfasterandharder,andbeatslantwiseagainstthewindowsofthebookingofficeandofthechillplacethathadGeneralWaitingRoomonitsdoor.
"It’slikebeinginabesiegedcastle,"Phyllissaid;"lookatthearrowsofthefoestrikingagainstthebattlements!"
"It’smuchmorelikeagreatgarden-squirt,"saidPeter.
Theydecidedtowaitontheupside,forthedownplatformlookedverywetindeed,andtherainwasdrivingrightintothelittlebleakshelterwheredown-passengershavetowaitfortheirtrains.
Thehourwouldbefullofincidentandofinterest,fortherewouldbetwouptrainsandonedowntolookatbeforetheonethatshouldbringMotherback.