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to marry。 Marriage is a duty。 I am sure that she will be happy；
for we know Mr。 Vyse； too。 He has been most kind。 He met us by
chance in the National Gallery； and arranged everything about
this delightful house。 Though I hope I have not vexed Sir Harry
Otway。 I have met so few Liberal landowners； and I was anxious to
compare his attitude towards the game laws with the Conservative
attitude。 Ah； this wind！ You do well to bathe。 Yours is a
glorious country； Honeychurch！〃
〃Not a bit！〃 mumbled Freddy。 〃I mustthat is to say； I have to
have the pleasure of calling on you later on； my mother says； I
hope。〃
〃CALL； my lad？ Who taught us that drawing…room twaddle？ Call on
your grandmother！ Listen to the wind among the pines！ Yours is a
glorious country。〃
Mr。 Beebe came to the rescue。
〃Mr。 Emerson； he will call； I shall call； you or your son will
return our calls before ten days have elapsed。 I trust that you
have realized about the ten days' interval。 It does not count
that I helped you with the stair…eyes yesterday。 It does not
count that they are going to bathe this afternoon。〃
〃Yes； go and bathe； George。 Why do you dawdle talking？ Bring them
back to tea。 Bring back some milk； cakes； honey。 The change will
do you good。 George has been working very hard at his office。 I
can't believe he's well。〃
George bowed his head； dusty and sombre； exhaling the peculiar
smell of one who has handled furniture。
〃Do you really want this bathe？〃 Freddy asked him。 〃It is only a
pond； don't you know。 I dare say you are used to something
better。〃
〃YesI have said 'Yes' already。〃
Mr。 Beebe felt bound to assist his young friend； and led the way
out of the house and into the pine…woods。 How glorious it was！ For
a little time the voice of old Mr。 Emerson pursued them
dispensing good wishes and philosophy。 It ceased； and they only
heard the fair wind blowing the bracken and the trees。 Mr。 Beebe；
who could be silent； but who could not bear silence； was
compelled to chatter； since the expedition looked like a failure；
and neither of his companions would utter a word。 He spoke of
Florence。 George attended gravely； assenting or dissenting with
slight but determined gestures that were as inexplicable as the
motions of the tree…tops above their heads。
And what a coincidence that you should meet Mr。 Vyse！ Did you
realize that you would find all the Pension Bertolini down here？〃
〃I did not。 Miss Lavish told me。〃
〃When I was a young man； I always meant to write a 'History of
Coincidence。'〃
No enthusiasm。
〃Though； as a matter of fact； coincidences are much rarer than we
suppose。 For example； it isn't purely coincidentally that you are
here now； when one comes to reflect。〃
To his relief； George began to talk。
〃It is。 I have reflected。 It is Fate。 Everything is Fate。 We are
flung together by Fate； drawn apart by Fateflung together；
drawn apart。 The twelve winds blow uswe settle nothing〃
〃You have not reflected at all；〃 rapped the clergyman。 〃Let me
give you a useful tip； Emerson： attribute nothing to Fate。 Don't
say； 'I didn't do this；' for you did it； ten to one。 Now I'll
cross…question you。 Where did you first meet Miss Honeychurch and
myself？〃
〃Italy。〃
〃And where did you meet Mr。 Vyse； who is going to marry Miss
Honeychurch？〃
〃National Gallery。〃
〃Looking at Italian art。 There you are； and yet you talk of
coincidence and Fate。 You naturally seek out things Italian； and
so do we and our friends。 This narrows the field immeasurably
we meet again in it。〃
〃It is Fate that I am here；〃 persisted George。 〃But you can call
it Italy if it makes you less unhappy。〃
Mr。 Beebe slid away from such heavy treatment of the subject。
But he was infinitely tolerant of the young； and had no desire
to snub George。
〃And so for this and for other reasons my 〃'History of
Coincidence' is still to write。〃
Silence。
Wishing to round off the episode； he added； 〃We are all so glad
that you have come。〃
Silence。
〃Here we are！〃 called Freddy。
〃Oh； good！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Beebe； mopping his brow。
〃In there's the pond。 I wish it was bigger；〃 he added
apologetically。
They climbed down a slippery bank of pine…needles。 There lay the
pond； set in its little alp of greenonly a pond； but large
enough to contain the human body； and pure enough to reflect the
sky。 On account of the rains； the waters had flooded the
surrounding grass； which showed like a beautiful emerald path；
tempting these feet towards the central pool。
〃It's distinctly successful； as ponds go；〃 said Mr。 Beebe。 〃No
apologies are necessary for the pond。〃
George sat down where the ground was dry； and drearily unlaced
his boots。
〃Aren't those masses of willow…herb splendid？ I love willow…herb
in seed。 What's the name of this aromatic plant？〃
No one knew； or seemed to care。
〃These abrupt changes of vegetationthis little spongeous
tract of water plants； and on either side of it all the growths
are tough or brittleheather； bracken； hurts； pines。 Very
charming； very charming。
〃Mr。 Beebe； aren't you bathing？〃 called Freddy； as he stripped
himself。
Mr。 Beebe thought he was not。
〃Water's wonderful！〃 cried Freddy； prancing in。
〃Water's water；〃 murmured George。 Wetting his hair firsta sure
sign of apathyhe followed Freddy into the divine； as
indifferent as if he were a statue and the pond a pail of
soapsuds。 It was necessary to use his muscles。 It was necessary
to keep clean。 Mr。 Beebe watched them； and watched the seeds of
the willow…herb dance chorically above their heads。
〃Apooshoo； apooshoo； apooshoo；〃 went Freddy； swimming for two
strokes in either direction； and then becoming involved in reeds
or mud。
〃Is it worth it？〃 asked the other； Michelangelesque on the
flooded margin。
The bank broke away； and he fell into the pool before he had
weighed the question properly。
〃Hee…poofI've swallowed a pollywog； Mr。 Beebe； water's
wonderful； water's simply ripping。〃
〃Water's not so bad；〃 said George； reappearing from his plunge；
and sputtering at the sun。
〃Water's wonderful。 Mr。 Beebe； do。〃
〃Apooshoo； kouf。〃
Mr。 Beebe； who was hot； and who always acquiesced where possible；
looked around him。 He could detect no parishioners except the
pine…trees； rising up steeply on all sides； and gesturing to each
other against the blue。 How glorious it was！ The world of
motor…cars and rural Deans receded inimitably。 Water； sky；
evergreens； a windthese things not even the seasons can touch；
and surely they lie beyond the intrusion of man？
〃I may as well wash too〃； and soon his garments made a third
little pile on the sward； and he too asserted the wonder of the
water。
It was ordinary water； nor was there very much of it； and； as
Freddy said； it reminded one of swimming in a salad。 The three
gentlemen rotated in the pool breast high； after the fashion of
the nymphs in Gotterdammerung。 But either because the rains had
given a freshness or because the sun was shedding a most glorious
heat； or because two of the gentlemen were young in years and the
third young in spiritfor some reason or other a change came
over them； and they forgot Italy and Botany and Fate。 They began
to play。 Mr。 Beebe and Freddy splashed each other。 A little
deferentially； they splashed George。 He was quiet： they feared
they had offended him。 Then all the forces of youth burst out。 He
smiled； flung himself at them； splashed them； ducked them； kicked
them； muddied them； and drove them out of the pool。
〃Race you round it； then；〃 cried Freddy； and they raced in the
sunshine； and George took a short cut and dirtied his shins； and
had to bathe a second time。 Then Mr。 Beebe consented to runa
memorable sight。
They ran to get dry； they bathed to get cool； they played at
being Indians in the willow…herbs and in the bracken； they bathed
to get clean。 And all the time three little bundles lay
discreetly on the sward； proclaiming：
〃No。 We are what matters。 Without us shall no enterprise begin。
To us shall all flesh turn in the end。〃
〃A try！ A try！〃 yelled Freddy； snatching up George's bundle and
placing it beside an imaginary goal…post。
〃Socker rules；〃 George retorted； scattering Freddy's bundle
with a kick。
〃Goal！〃
〃Goal！〃
〃Pass！〃
〃Take care my watch！〃 cried Mr。 Beebe。
Clothes flew in all directions。
〃Take care my hat！ No； that's enough； Freddy。 Dress now。 No； I
say！〃
But the two young men were delirious。 Away they twinkled into the
trees； Freddy with a clerical waistcoat under his arm； George
with a wide…awake hat on his dripping hair。
〃That'll do！〃 shouted Mr。 Beebe； remembering that after all he
was in his own parish。 Then his voice changed as if every
pine…tree was a Rural Dean。