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Echo answers Faintly to the laughing dancers； 'Free'and faintly laughs；
and still； Within the hollows of the hill； Faintlier laughs and whispers；
'Free；' Fadingly； diminishingly： 'Free；' and laughter faints away。。。 Sing
Holiday！ Sing Holiday！〃
He folded the sheet carefully and put it in his pocket。 The thing had
its merits。 Oh； decidedly； decidedly！ But how unpleasant the crowd
smelt！ He lit a cigarette。 The smell of cows was preferable。 He
passed through the gate in the park wall into the garden。 The swimming…
pool was a centre of noise and activity。
〃Second Heat in the Young Ladies' Championship。〃 It was the polite
voice of Henry Wimbush。 A crowd of sleek； seal…like figures in black
bathing…dresses surrounded him。 His grey bowler hat； smooth； round；
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and motionless in the midst of a moving sea； was an island of aristocratic
calm。
Holding his tortoise…shell…rimmed pince…nez an inch or two in front of
his eyes； he read out names from a list。
〃Miss Dolly Miles； Miss Rebecca Balister； Miss Doris Gabell。。。〃
Five young persons ranged themselves on the brink。 From their seats
of honour at the other end of the pool； old Lord Moleyn and Mr。 Callamay
looked on with eager interest。
Henry Wimbush raised his hand。 There was an expectant silence。
〃When I say 'Go；' go。 Go！〃 he said。 There was an almost simultaneous
splash。
Denis pushed his way through the spectators。 Somebody plucked
him by the sleeve； he looked down。 It was old Mrs。 Budge。
〃Delighted to see you again； Mr。 Stone；〃 she said in her rich； husky
voice。 She panted a little as she spoke； like a short… winded lap…dog。 It
was Mrs。 Budge who； having read in the 〃Daily Mirror〃 that the
Government needed peach stoneswhat they needed them for she never
knewhad made the collection of peach stones her peculiar 〃bit〃 of war
work。 She had thirty…six peach trees in her walled garden； as well as four
hot…houses in which trees could be forced； so that she was able to eat
peaches practically the whole year round。 In 1916 she ate 4200 peaches；
and sent the stones to the Government。 In 1917 the military authorities
called up three of her gardeners； and what with this and the fact that it was
a bad year for wall fruit； she only managed to eat 2900 peaches during that
crucial period of the national destinies。 In 1918 she did rather better； for
between January 1st and the date of the Armistice she ate 3300 peaches。
Since the Armistice she had relaxed her efforts； now she did not eat more
than two or three peaches a day。 Her constitution； she complained； had
suffered； but it had suffered for a good cause。
Denis answered her greeting by a vague and polite noise。
〃So nice to see the young people enjoying themselves；〃 Mrs。 Budge
went on。 〃And the old people too； for that matter。 Look at old Lord
Moleyn and dear Mr。 Callamay。 Isn't it delightful to see the way they
enjoy themselves？〃
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Denis looked。 He wasn't sure whether it was so very delightful after
all。 Why didn't they go and watch the sack races？ The two old
gentlemen were engaged at the moment in congratulating the winner of
the race； it seemed an act of supererogatory graciousness； for； after all； she
had only won a heat。
〃Pretty little thing； isn't she？〃 said Mrs。 Budge huskily； and panted two
or three times。
〃Yes；〃 Denis nodded agreement。 Sixteen； slender； but nubile； he said
to himself； and laid up the phrase in his memory as a happy one。 Old Mr。
Callamay had put on his spectacles to congratulate the victor； and Lord
Moleyn； leaning forward over his walking… stick； showed his long ivory
teeth； hungrily smiling。
〃Capital performance； capital；〃 Mr。 Callamay was saying in his deep
voice。
The victor wriggled with embarrassment。 She stood with her hands
behind her back； rubbing one foot nervously on the other。 Her wet
bathing…dress shone； a torso of black polished marble。
〃Very good indeed；〃 said Lord Moleyn。 His voice seemed to come
from just behind his teeth； a toothy voice。 It was as though a dog should
suddenly begin to speak。 He smiled again； Mr。 Callamay readjusted his
spectacles。
〃When I say 'Go；' go。 Go！〃
Splash！ The third heat had started。
〃Do you know； I never could learn to swim；〃 said Mrs。 Budge。
〃Really？〃
〃But I used to be able to float。〃
Denis imagined her floatingup and down； up and down on a great
green swell。 A blown black bladder； no； that wasn't good； that wasn't
good at all。 A new winner was being congratulated。 She was
atrociously stubby and fat。 The last one； long and harmoniously；
continuously curved from knee to breast； had been an Eve by Cranach； but
this； this one was a bad Rubens。
〃。。。gogogo！〃 Henry Wimbush's polite level voice once more
pronounced the formula。 Another batch of young ladies dived in。
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Grown a little weary of sustaining a conversation with Mrs。 Budge；
Denis conveniently remembered that his duties as a steward called him
elsewhere。 He pushed out through the lines of spectators and made his
way along the path left clear behind them。 He was thinking again that his
soul was a pale； tenuous membrane； when he was startled by hearing a
thin； sibilant voice； speaking apparently from just above his head；
pronounce the single word 〃Disgusting！〃
He looked up sharply。 The path along which he was walking passed
under the lee of a wall of clipped yew。 Behind the hedge the ground
sloped steeply up towards the foot of the terrace and the house； for one
standing on the higher ground it was easy to look over the dark barrier。
Looking up； Denis saw two heads overtopping the hedge immediately
above him。 He recognised the iron mask of Mr。 Bodiham and the pale；
colourless face of his wife。 They were looking over his head； over the
heads of the spectators； at the swimmers in the pond。
〃Disgusting！〃 Mrs。 Bodiham repeated； hissing softly。
The rector turned up his iron mask towards the solid cobalt of the sky。
〃How long？〃 he said； as though to himself； 〃how long？〃 He lowered his
eyes again； and they fell on Denis's upturned curious face。 There was an
abrupt movement； and Mr。 and Mrs。 Bodiham popped out of sight behind
the hedge。
Denis continued his promenade。 He wandered past the merry…go…
round； through the thronged streets of the canvas village； the membrane of
his soul flapped tumultuously in the noise and laughter。 In a roped…off
space beyond； Mary was directing the children's sports。 Little creatures
seethed round about her； making a shrill； tinny clamour； others clustered
about the skirts and trousers of their parents。 Mary's face was shining in
the heat； with an immense output of energy she started a three…legged race。
Denis looked on in admiration。
〃You're wonderful；〃 he said； coming up behind her and touching her
on the arm。 〃I've never seen such energy。〃
She turned towards him a face； round； red； and honest as the setting
sun； the golden bell of her hair swung silently as she moved her head and
quivered to rest。
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〃Do you know； Denis；〃 she said； in a low； serious voice； gasping a
little as she spoke〃do you know that there's a woman here who has