'THE DEWY MORN' 239 



the centre of the pool, where she floated, dived under, and 

 floated again. 



' Gathering energy from practice and the touch of the 

 water, she now swam on her side, following the margin of 

 the pool all round, so as to have a larger course. Twice 

 she went round without a pause — swimming her swiftest, 

 equal, in a direct line, to several hundred yards. Still 

 joying in the sunlight and the water, she continued again 

 for the third circle. Her passage was even swifter, her 

 vigour grew with the labour. 



' The water drew back the tunic from her right shoulder, 

 which shone almost at the surface ; her white right arm 

 swept backwards, grasping the wave ; her left arm was 

 concealed, being under her, and deeper. It is the fastest, 

 the easiest, and the most graceful mode of swimming. In 

 the moment when her rounded right arm was sweeping 

 backwards, clearly visible in the limpid water — just as 

 the stroke was nearly completed — the sculptor might again 

 have obtained an inspiration. For at that moment there 

 was repose in action, the exertion of the stroke finishing, 

 the form gliding easily, the left cheek resting as if reposing 

 on the surface. 



' At the completion of the third round, Felise swam to 

 the shallow grassy shore, where Shaw was now waiting 

 for her. 



' " Oh, how you do panck !" (pant), said Shaw, laugh- 

 ing, as Felise walked up out of the water on to the turf, 

 and sat down at the edge of the shadow of the beech. 

 Her breast was heaving with the labour, her deep grey 

 eyes shone as if enlarged ; there was a slight increase of 

 colour in her face. She was not in the least exhausted ; 

 she was exhilarated to the utmost. Shaw chatted 

 beside her ; Felise neither heard nor heeded : she was 

 full of the influence of the air and light and limpid 

 fountain. 



' There was something almost sacred to her in the 

 limpid water, in the sweet air, and the light of day. The 

 flower in the grass was not only colour, it was alive. The 



