‘Oh, I can’t say,’ Gerald replied. ‘Till we get tired of it.’

‘You’re not afraid of the snow melting first?’ asked Birkin.

Gerald laughed.

‘Does it melt?’ he said.

‘Things are all right with you then?’ said Birkin.

Gerald screwed up his eyes a little.

‘All right?’ he said. ‘I never know what those common words mean. All right and all wrong, don’t they become synonymous, somewhere?’

‘Yes, I suppose. How about going back?’ asked Birkin.

‘Oh, I don’t know. We may never get back. I don’t