TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

They came there regularly every c
drawn by some need. It was as if th<:
floated off and set sailing thoughts whi
grown stagnant on dry land, and gave t
bodies even some sort of physical relief,
the pulse of colour flooded the bay wit]
and the heart expanded with It and th<
swam, only the next instant to be check
chilled by the prickly blackness on the
waves. Then, up behind the great blacl
almost every evening spurted irregularly,
one had to watch for it and it was a deligh
it came, a fountain of white water; anc
while one waited for that, one watched,
pale semicircular beach, wave after wave sh
again and again smoothly a film of mot
pearL

They both smiled, standing there. Th<
felt a common hilarity, excited by the 2
waves; and then by the swift cutting ra<
sailing boat, which, having sliced a curve
bay, stopped; shivered; let its sail drop do'v
then, with a natural instinct to comph
picture, after this swift movement, both c
looked at the dunes far away, and inst
merriment felt come over them some sad
because the thing was completed parti
partly because distant views seem to

36