'Oh , there's plenty of time,' the forester said , and yawned and stretched himself .sx 'Why do you wear those wellingtons when it's so hot ?sx ' she asked .sx 'I don't know , I always wear them when I'm out working .sx They're useful , I suppose .sx ' Then they were silent for a time .sx Mary shaded the sun from her eyes and looked out over the valley .sx Julian watched the sawing .sx The grass was very warm .sx There was not a breath of wind and the branches of the tree were quite motionless .sx He saw that the forester had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply .sx For a moment , as the sawing stopped for the next pair to take over , he heard curlews far above them on the hillside .sx He felt drowsy and lay back again .sx Some minutes later they shouted over for the forester to come and take his turn once more .sx 'Hi , Johnnie !sx Wake him up , will you !sx ' Julian sat up .sx The forester seemed to be fast asleep .sx Mary was smiling and obviously waiting to see what would happen .sx Julian realised that it was up to him to do the waking .sx He crawled over and shook the foot of one of the wellingtons , but to no effect .sx 'Hit him !sx ' one of the men shouted .sx Julian tapped him on the arm , and then pulled at his wrist , but still there was no sign of life apart from the heavy breathing of his chest .sx A large stick , coming from the direction of the workmen , just missed Julian and embedded itself in the turf .sx He looked round angrily and then glanced at Mary who was watching him with an odd , rather anxious smile .sx Another stick flew over his head .sx He stood up , and then knelt down again and shook the forester by both shoulders , and then let go quickly as he opened his eyes and sat up .sx 'They're calling for you,' Julian said , moving back and sitting down again beside Mary .sx 'Are they ?sx Well , well !sx ' He waved towards the tree and then stood up .sx 'You stay here , you'll be quite safe here , it won't be very long now .sx You watch and see exactly where it falls !sx I'll go and tell your friends to come up here with you .sx ' He strode off down the slope .sx 'He's funny,' Mary said , rather doubtfully .sx 'He can make the trees do just what he likes , but he's no idea how he does it !sx He's almost like an animal .sx ' 'And he doesn't care at all what happens to the trees , or why it's happening !sx ' Julian said , feeling a need to criticise the forester .sx 'You'd think he'd be more concerned about that sort of thing , considering he's obviously such a good craftsman !sx He just does what he's told to do .sx But he seems to do it very well , of course .sx And do you remember how the driver said the woodcutters had gone , how it was more like a factory , the way the people worked in the forest now ?sx Well , he was wrong !sx This man here must be as good a craftsman as any , to know all about the felling like that !sx He must be one of the old kind !sx I imagine he's lived out here all his life .sx Don't you think it would be wonderful to live like that ?sx You remember when I said I'd come away from home to have a complete change , to break the chain ?sx And you asked me what it was I came away to find ?sx Well , this is the sort of thing I wanted to find !sx Somewhere where I could live the sort of life this forester's living .sx His way of life is really what I wanted to find .sx That sort of way of life .sx You know what I mean ?sx ' He looked round at her .sx 'I don't really .sx No,' she said .sx 'But you just couldn't live that sort of life !sx You're not that sort of person , are you ?sx You might just as well try to change the colour of your hair .sx Why ever should you want that sort of life ?sx ' Julian wished he had not said so much , he felt foolish .sx He had said it partly because he really did feel it , and partly because he thought it would make her think more highly of him .sx This second reason seemed quite absurd to him even before she had replied .sx 'You do like that kind of person , though ?sx ' he asked her .sx 'How can I say ?sx ' she said abruptly .sx 'He's a better sort than Hanson , more honest and straightforward .sx I don't exactly find him irresistible though .sx ' 'I don't think you quite see what I mean,' he replied , as Hanson and Elizabeth came up to them and sat down near them on the grass .sx 'No , it seems I don't,' she said , ignoring them .sx 'So it's coming down soon,' Hanson said .sx 'What was he talking about ?sx ' 'Nothing much,' Julian replied .sx 'Only that it's going to fall just where you were .sx He's got it all worked out , or judged rather , to the inch .sx We're quite safe here .sx ' 'It's lucky there's no wind,' Elizabeth said .sx The blond forester was busy at one end of the saw again .sx It was difficult to see how much farther they had to go , but the other men were no longer resting .sx They were standing back and watching intently , some down at the cut , others up at the top of the tree .sx 'Did you tell him we disapproved ?sx ' Hanson asked .sx 'I said I thought it was a pity,' Julian replied .sx 'And what did he say to that ?sx ' 'He didn't seem to know anything about it , beyond how to fell it .sx Anyway , it's too late now to do anything about it .sx ' 'And what do you think you could have done about it before ?sx ' Mary asked him , quietly .sx 'I don't know .sx Tried to persuade them to leave it , I suppose .sx They mightn't have known anyone cared about it .sx ' 'And why do you care about it ?sx ' she asked , still completely ignoring the other two .sx 'I suppose because it's taken ages to grow as perfect and beautiful and tall as that , and because it only takes a few moments to destroy it .sx And because it's impossible to create it again !sx It's a fine sight , I'm sorry to see it go .sx ' 'It'll be a fine sight to see it coming down though , won't it ?sx ' 'Maybe,' Julian said .sx 'Don't you think it's rather fine to see a man who doesn't even know why he's wearing wellingtons bring down something as wonderful as that tree ?sx And for no reason at all , so far as he knows !sx But he does it !sx I rather like that .sx He's really doing something big .sx Do you see what I mean , I wonder ?sx ' 'I don't think I do,' Julian replied .sx 'I think it's very exciting though to watch someone like that doing physically strenuous work .sx I'd much rather he wasn't destroying something at the same time though !sx ' 'I agree .sx It would be exciting , if it wasn't so destructive,' Elizabeth put in .sx She seemed to have very strong unspoken feelings on the matter , judging from the way she was leaning on one arm and staring down and nervously crumbling the dry earth of a molehill beside her .sx 'Destructive !sx Destructive !sx ' Mary said sarcastically , turning to her for the first time .sx 'What you'd call destructive , maybe !sx Oh how unimaginative you all are !sx ' 'Mary , there's no need to indulge in this deliberate spitefulness just because you're angry with yourself,' she said without looking up .sx 'Other people will only help you if you give them a fair chance .sx And why did you speak to me the way you did , down there ?sx I can't understand , how can I tell what you're talking about ?sx What is it you're blaming me for now ?sx ' 'Blaming you ?sx ' Mary jumped up and stood bending towards her sister .sx 'Don't you really know ?sx Well , well !sx You needn't try to pretend that I'm the only person who keeps things secret !sx ' She stepped back and turned on Julian :sx 'My own sister scheming to get me out in the country alone with a boy like you who's run away from his mother and wants to become a blond-haired woodcutter !sx Oh , you understand people so well !sx You're a fine man !sx A real man !sx You've got real feeling !sx ' These last words she directed at Julian in such a withering tone that she seemed completely unable to say anything more .sx She turned and walked away from them , across and down the slope .sx Julian stared after her , dazed .sx He felt profoundly injured , and unjustly but absolutely rejected .sx But this feeling of weakness quickly merged into impotent anger .sx Mary had begun to run , but then she suddenly stopped and stood looking back at them .sx She was too far away for him to see any expression on her face .sx 'Hi , Miss,' one of the foresters shouted to her , 'you'd better move a bit or you'll get your pretty self squashed flat !sx ' She gave no sign that she had even heard him .sx They stopped sawing .sx She's gone back to her old methods , Julian said to himself , she's trying to bully me again , and I thought she'd stopped that sort of thing !sx She's standing there expecting me to go and rescue her .sx She's trying to force me to show some concern for her .sx She wants me to give in and run to drag her away .sx She wants me to commit myself .sx Because if I did go to rescue her she'd consider it absolute proof that I was fond of her .sx But I'm just not going to be forced like that !sx Anyway , what a fool I'd seem to all these onlookers !sx They just think she's playing !sx And she may be playing with them , but with me she's not !sx And she's not hysterical now either .sx She's stone cold and determined .sx She thinks she's got me on the end of a string .sx She thinks she's got me helplessly in her power , but she's wrong !sx He looked round .sx Elizabeth had one hand on Hanson's shoulder , they were both staring intently at Mary .sx All the men were standing watching her too , in exaggerated attitudes of impatience and annoyance .sx Mary was standing in the patch of thistles .sx 'If only she wouldn't make such an exhibition of herself,' Hanson said , and Elizabeth tugged at his shoulder .sx Then the blond forester looked over at the three of them .sx Julian pretended not to notice , he knew he was expecting him to do something about it .sx He felt suddenly afraid that the forester was beginning to think it serious .sx He determined to remain completely aloof .sx Deliberately he looked away , down over the manor .sx He saw a dark circular mark spreading towards them across the meadow .sx It reached the manor and a pillar of dust swirled high into the air .sx Then the huge eddy swept up the slope , catching wisps of grass and catching Mary's dress and snatching at her hair .sx Then the lowest branches of the great fir tree quivered and swayed , and the surging of the heavy masses of dark foliage spread upwards and shook the whole tree as for a moment it became the violent centre of the whirlwind .sx A shout sounded through the strange roaring of the wind and the blond forester ran forward .sx Then the tree , suddenly calm again , towered over .sx It hung a moment against the sky , and then crashed to the ground , lashing into the turf of the slope .sx It rocked and shuddered , and lay still .sx Julian , who had watched in such helpless , petrified amazement that he had been unable to move , ran forward with Elizabeth and Hanson .sx The men clambered over the branches .sx Julian tried to force his way through the foliage where he imagined Mary would be , but he became entangled in the broken branches and could not get very far .sx He felt his legs trembling .sx Then he climbed up on to a large branch .sx Hanson was a little way beyond him , crawling underneath .sx Elizabeth had run round to the other side of the tree .sx He climbed along the branch to the main trunk , his hands getting sticky with resin and his ankles getting scraped as he slipped on the bark .sx