He had become very lean by the time it was all over. Gray glintedon his temples; gray softened his sandy mustache: youth was finishedas far as he was concerned.

An odd idea persisted inside his mind that it had been winter for manyyears. And the world thawed out somewhat slowly for him.

But broken trees leaf out, and hewed roots sprout; and what he hadso long mistaken for wintry ashes now gleamed warmly like the orangeand platinum of early autumn. After a while he began to go about more orless--little excursions from the dim privacy of mind and soul--andhe found the sun not somewhat gray; and a south wind blowing in theworld once more.