1 Denis laughed, and gave the horse a cut that brought him quickly abreast of her retreating figure.
2 Suddenly he heard the brisk play of sleigh-bells and a cutter passed him, drawn by a free-going horse.
3 "Jotham Powell's down in the wood-lot, and Dan'l Byrne says he darsn't leave that horse," she returned.
4 The fitful bursts of sleet had changed into a steady rain and the horses had heavy work even without a load behind them.
5 When it was in place they stood side by side on the door-step, watching Daniel Byrne plunge off behind his fidgety horse.
6 It was what Jotham called a sour morning for work, and the horses, shivering and stamping under their wet blankets, seemed to like it as little as the men.
7 She gave him a last nod of sympathy while her son chirped to the horse; and Ethan, as she drove off, stood in the middle of the road and stared after the retreating sleigh.
8 It was long past the dinner-hour when the job was done, and Ethan had to give up going to the village because he wanted to lead the injured horse home and wash the cut himself.
9 But the old horse was there alone, mumbling his crib with toothless jaws, and Ethan whistled cheerfully while he bedded down the grays and shook an extra measure of oats into their mangers.
10 The barn was empty when the horses turned into it and, after giving them the most perfunctory ministrations they had ever received from him, he strode up to the house and pushed open the kitchen door.
11 As he passed the bridle over the horse's head, and wound the traces around the shafts, he remembered the day when he had made the same preparations in order to drive over and meet his wife's cousin at the Flats.
12 She let Denis Eady lead out the horse, climb into the cutter and fling back the bearskin to make room for her at his side; then, with a swift motion of flight, she turned about and darted up the slope toward the front of the church.
13 Great was her amazement, and that of old Mrs. Varnum, on learning that Ethan Frome's old horse had carried me to and from Corbury Junction through the worst blizzard of the winter; greater still their surprise when they heard that his master had taken me in for the night.