Without saying a word, Vitalis tramped on, his back almost bent double, but despite the cold, his hand burned in mine. It seemed to me that he was trembling. Sometimes, when he stopped to lean for a minute against my shoulder, I felt all his body shaken with trembling. Ordinarily, I would not dare to have questioned him, but I felt I must to-night. Besides, I had a great wish to tell him how much I loved him or, at least, that I wanted to do something for him. "You are ill?" I said, when he stopped again. "I'm afraid so; anyway, I'm very tired. This cold is too severe for my old blood. I need a good bed and a supper before a fire. But that's a dream. Forward! March! Children." Forward! March! We had left the city behind us; we were now in the suburbs. We saw no people or policemen or street lights, only a lighted window here and there, and over our heads the dark-blue sky dotted with a few stars. The wind, which blew more bitter and more violently, stuck our clothing to our bodies. Fortunately, it was at our backs, but as the sleeves of my coat were all torn near the shoulders, it blew in and slipped along my arms, chilling me to the bone. Although it was dark and the streets continually crossed each other, Vitalis walked like a man who knows his way, and was perfectly sure of his road. So I followed, feeling sure that we should not lose ourselves. Suddenly, he stopped. "Do you see a group of trees?" he asked. "I don't see anything." "You don't see a big black mass?" I looked on all sides before answering. I saw no trees or houses. Space all around us. There was no other sound save the whistle of the wind. "See, down there!" He stretched out his right hand before him, then, as I did not reply, for I was afraid to say that I saw nothing, he trudged on again. Some minutes passed in silence; then he stopped once more and asked me if I did not see a group of trees. A vague fear made my voice tremble when I replied that I saw nothing. "It is fear, my boy, that makes your eyes dance; look again." "I tell you, I do not see any trees." "Not on the big road?" "I can't see anything." "We've made a mistake." I could say nothing, for I did not know where we were, nor where we were going. "Let us walk for another five minutes and, if we do not see the trees, we will come back here. I might have made a mistake on the road." Now that I knew that we had gone astray, I seemed to have no more strength left. Vitalis pulled me by the arm. "Come, come." "I can't walk any farther." "Ah, and do you think I'm going to carry you?" I followed him. "Are there any deep ruts in the road?" "No." "Then we must turn back." We turned. Now we faced the wind. It stung our faces like a lash. It seemed that my face was being scorched with a flame. "We have to take a road leading from the cross-roads," said my master feebly; "tell me when you see it."