ht then," he said, with a little laugh, drawing her towards him.

She gave him her lips; they were warm and full and soft; he lingered a
little, they were like a flower; then, he knew not how, without meaning
it, he flung his arms round her. She yielded quite silently. Her body was
firm and strong. He felt her heart beat against his. Then he lost his
head. His senses overwhelmed him like a flood of rushing waters. He drew
her into the darker shadow of the hedge.

CXX

Philip slept like a log and awoke with a start to find Harold tickling his
face with a feather. There was a shout of delight when he opened his eyes.
He was drunken with sleep.

"Come on, lazybones," said Jane. "Sally says she won't wait for you unless
you hurry up."

Then he remembered what had happened. His heart sank, and, half out of bed
already, he stopped; he did not know how he was going to face her; he was
overwhelmed with a sudden rush of self-reproach, and bitterly, bitterly,
he regretted what he had done. What would she say to him that morning? He
dreaded meeting her, and he asked himself how he could have been such a
fool. But the children gave him no time; Edward took his bathing-drawers
and his towel, Athelstan tore the bed-clothes away; and in three minutes
they all clattered down into the road. Sally gave him a smile. It was as
sweet and innocent as it had ever been.

"You do take a time to dress yourself," she said. "I thought you was never
coming."

There was not a particle of difference in her manner. He had expected some
change, subtle or abrupt; he fancied that there would be shame in the way
she treated him, or anger, or perhaps some increase of familiarity; but
there was nothing. She was exactly the same as before. They walked towards
the sea all together, talking and laughing; and Sally was quiet, but she
was always that, reserved, but he had never seen her otherwise, and
gentle. She neither sought conversation with him nor avoided it. Philip
was astounded. He had expected the incident of the night before to have
caused some revolution in her, but it was just as though nothing had
happened; it might have been a dream; and as he walked along, a little
girl holding on to one hand and a little boy to the other, while he
chatted as unconcernedly as he could, he sought for an explanation. He
wondered whether Sally meant the affair to be forgotten. Perhaps her
senses had run away with her just as his had, and, treating what h