The Open Air 



and carried on their backs, those who tried to dive 

 under were swept back by the tremendous under-rush. 

 Sitting on the beach, lying at full length, on hands 

 and knees, lying on this side or that, doubled up 

 there they were, as the roller receded, in every dis- 

 consolate attitude imaginable; the curtain rose and 

 disclosed the stage in disorder. Again I thought I 

 saw one or two limp to their machines, but the main 

 body adjusted themselves and faced the sea. 



Was there ever such courage? National untaught 

 courage inbred, and not built of gradual instruction 

 as it were in hardihood. Yet some people hesitate 

 to give women the franchise! actually, a miserable 

 privilege which any poor fool of a man may 

 exercise. 



I was philosophising admirably in this strain when 

 first a shadow came and then the substance, that is, 

 a gentleman sat down by me and wished me good 

 morning, in a slightly different accent to that we 

 usually hear. I looked wistfully at the immense 

 length of empty seats; on both sides of the pier for 

 two hundred yards or more there extended an end- 

 less empty seat. Why could not he have chosen a 

 spot to himself? Why must he place himself just 

 here, so close as to touch me ? Four hundred yards 

 of vacant seats, and he could not find room for 

 himself. 



It is a remarkable fact in natural history that 

 one's elbow is sure to be jogged. It does not matter 

 what you do ; suppose you paint in the most secluded 

 spot, and insert yourself, moreover, in the most incon- 

 spicuous part of that spot, some vacant physiognomy 

 is certain to intrude, glaring at you with glassy eye. 

 Suppose you do nothing (like myself), no matter 

 where you do it some inane humanity obtrudes itself. 



148 



