noon
He got up behind her and took the reins from under her arm . With the other arm it was necessary to embrace her ; she allowed it sedately . Then they ambled off together , making a Darby and Joan affair of it . But the sun was now close upon noon , burning upon them out of a sky of brass . There was no wind , and the flies were maddening . After a while he noticed that the girl simply stooped her head to the heat , as if she were wilting like a picked flower . When he felt her heavy on his arm he saw that he must stop .