238 THE LIFE OF RICHARD JEFFERIES 



gleamed in the cool shade, more so than the yellow 

 iris flowers, though they had the advantage of bright 

 colour. 



' The beauty of a perfect skin is so great, to gaze at it 

 is happiness. The world holds no enjoyment like the view 

 of beauty. 



' Her white feet were at the very edge of the dull 

 boards, so that her reflection was complete in the water 

 had anyone been looking from the opposite shore. She 

 put up her hands to settle the strings of pearls in her hair, 

 to make certain that they would not come loose. It was 

 Felise's fancy to wear her pearls — her only jewellery and 

 dowry — when she bathed out of doors in the sunshine. 

 She decked herself for the bath — the bath not only in 

 water, but in the air and light — as if she had been going 

 to a temple in the ancient times. 



' With her hands employed at the back of her head and 

 arms raised, the contour of her form was accentuated. 

 The deep broad chest, the bust, the hips, filled out. The 

 action of lifting the arms in this manner opens the ribs, 

 decreases the waist, slightly curves the back, and extends 

 and develops every line. A sculptor should have chosen 

 her in such an attitude. 



' In a moment, lifting her hands and joining them high 

 above her head, she dived — the pearls glistened as she 

 passed out of the shadow into the sunlight, and the water 

 hid her completely. 



' The dove flew, startled from his branch in the beech ; 

 a swallow that had been coming to drink, as he flew, 

 mounted again into the air. 



' She rose at some distance from the diving-platform, 

 and immediately struck out slowly, swimming on her 

 chest. Her chin was well out of water, and sometimes 

 her neck ; her chest held so large a volume of air that she 

 was as buoyant as a water-bird. It needed no effort to 

 keep afloat ; all her strength was at liberty to be used in 

 propulsion. Swimming towards the hatch, presently she 

 turned and came back to the platform, then out again into 



