midday
She would drive to the foot of the hill , and leave the carriage there , and not take Lewis to see where she went . How she did it , Hazel never remembered afterwards . She left the carriage with a cheery word to Reo , and then set her face to the hill ; the little feet toiling on with swift eagerness through briers and over stones , finding her way she knew not how ; conscious only that she did not feel the ground under her feet , but seemed to be walking on nothing , so that she had every now and then a sort of fear of pitching forward . She had set out in good season , but it was past midday when she stood before the cottage . If she knocked as no other hand had ever knocked there ; if her face at the opening door startled Gyda beyond words ; of this , too , the girl knew nothing . For with the first sight of Gyda , there came such a surge of the sorrows in which she was plunged , that Hazel stepped one step within the door and dropped all unconscious at the old Norsewoman 's feet . Gyda was quite unable to lift her , light as the burden would have been ; but what she could she was prompt and skilful to do .