But Blanche looked up at it with some dismay.

The scene under the wintry sky looked wild and singularly dreary.

Many of the fields were under water, and stretches of the marshy land were still covered with wide streaks of snow.

Across the now sullen-looking, cloudy sky there moved a long processional flight of cawing rooks.
The whole party closed up for a few moments.

Then they walked up the steps which led to the high causeway along which Varick had promised his friends a dry walk.