He loved Lord Evelyn; but the life he offered was not for Peter, not for
Thomas as yet; though Thomas, in the years to come, should choose his own
path. At present there was for both of them the merry, shifting life of
the roads, the passing friendships, lightly made, lightly loosed, the
olive hills, silver like ghostly armies in the pale moonlight, the
sweetness of the starry flowers at their twisted stems, the sudden blue
bays that laughed below bends of the road, the cities, like many-coloured
nosegays on a pale chain, the intimate sweetness of lemon gardens by day
and night, the happy morning on the hills and sea.

For these--Peter analysed the distinction--are, or may be, for all
alike. There is no grabbing here; a man may share the overflowing sun not
with one but with all. The down-at-heels, limping, broken, army of the
Have-Nots are not denied such beauty and such peace as this, if they will
but take it and be glad. The lust to possess here finds no fulfilment;
having nothing, yet possessing all things, the empty-handed legion laughs
along its way. The last, the gayest, the most hilarious laughter begins
when, destitute utterly, the wrecked pick up coloured shells upon the lee
shore. For there are shells enough and to spare for all; there is no
grasping here.

Peter, with a mind at ease and Francesco grinning at his heels, sauntered
down the warm, dusty road to find Thomas and have lunch.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEE SHORE***

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