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.