The next day, they descended at the tiny railway station of Hohenhausen, at the end of the tiny valley railway. It was snow everywhere, a white, perfect cradle of snow, new and frozen, sweeping up an either side, black crags, and white sweeps of silver towards the blue pale heavens.

As they stepped out on the naked platform, with only snow around and above, Gudrun shrank as if it chilled her heart.

‘My God, Jerry,’ she said, turning to Gerald with sudden intimacy, ‘you’ve done it now.’

‘What?’

She made a faint gesture, indicating the world on either hand.

‘Look at it!’

She seemed afraid to go on. He laughed.