THE BATHING SEASON. 155 



grinding them over the pebbles : every one knows how 

 pebbles grate and grind their teeth as a wave subsides. 

 Left lying on their faces, I guessed from their attitudes 

 that they had dug their finger-nails into the pebbles 

 in an effort to seize something that would hold. 

 Somehow they got on their knees and crept up the 

 slope of the beach. Beyond these three some had 

 been standing about up to their knees; these were 

 simply buried as before — quite concealed and thrown 

 like beams of timber, head first, feet first, high up on 

 shore. Group after group went down as the roller 

 xeached them, and the sea was dyed for a minute with 

 blue dresses, purple di-esses, pink dresses; they 

 coloured the wave which submerged them. From 

 end to end the whole rank was again overwhelmed, 

 nor did any position prove of advantage / those who 

 sprang up as the wave came were simply turned over 

 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 philosophizing admirably in this strain when 



