rhythmical with the movements of the horses, now stopping, now
resuming in a sudden peal accompanied by the deadened noise of an
iron-shod hoof, pawing the ground.

The door closed suddenly. All the noise ceased. The frozen
passengers stopped talking: they stood motionless and stiff.

An uninterrupted curtain of white, glistening flakes ceaselessly
fell on the ground; it obliterated the forms of things and powdered
them with an icy foam; and in the great silence of the quiet City,
buried under the winter, one could hear nothing save that vague,
nameless rustle of the falling snow--a sensation rather than
a sound--an intermingling of light atoms which seemed to fill the
space and cover the whole world.

The man reappeared with his lantern, leading by a rope a sad-looking
horse who followed him reluctantly. He placed him against the
shaft, fastened the straps, turned around for a long time to make
sure that the harness was properly fixed, for he could use only
one hand, the other holding the lantern. As he was going to bring
the second animal, he noticed that all the travelers were standing
still, already white with snow, and he told them:--"Why don't you
get in the coach? there you would be under shelter at least."

No doubt this had not occurred to them; at once there was a rush
to get in. The three men installed their wives in the rear of the
coach and then got in themselves; one after the other, the remaining
indistinct and snow covered forms took the last seats without
exchanging a single word.