THE WAVES 
surmount this unintelligible obstacle,” I said. And the others 
passed on. But we are doomed, all of us, by the apple trees, 
by the immitigable tree which we cannot pass. 
“ Now the stricture and rigidity are over; and I will 
continue to make my survey of the purlieus of the house 
in the late afternoon, in the sunset, when the sun makes 
oleaginous spots on the linoleum, and a crack of light kneels 
on the wall, making the chair legs look broken.” 
“1 saw Florrie in the kitchen garden,” said Susan, “ as we 
came back from our walk, with the washing blown out 
round her, the pyjamas, the drawers, the night-gowns blown 
tight. And Ernest kissed her. He was in his green baize 
apron, cleaning silver; and his mouth was sucked like a 
purse in wrinkles and he seized her with the pyjamas blown 
out hard between them. He was blind as a bull, and she 
swooned in anguish, only little veins streaking her white 
cheeks red. Now though they pass plates of bread and 
butter and cups of milk at tea-time I see a crack in the earth 
and hot steam hisses up ; and the urn roars as Ernest roared, 
and I am blown out hard like the pyjamas, even while my 
teeth meet in the soft bread and butter, and I lap the sweet 
milk. I am not afraid of heat, nor of the frozen winter. 
Rhoda dreams, sucking a crust soaked in milk; Louis 
regards the wall opposite with snail-green eyes; Bernard 
moulds his bread into pellets and calls them ° people.’ 
Neville with his clean and decisive ways has finished. He 
has rolled his napkin and slipped it through the silver ring. 
Jinny spins her fingers on the table-cloth, as if they were 
dancing in the sunshine, pirouetting. But I am not afraid 
of the heat or of the frozen winter.” 
“ Now,” said Louis, “ we all rise ; we all stand up. Miss 
Curry spreads wide the black book on the harmonium. 
It is difficult not to weep as we sing, as we pray that God 
may keep us safe while we sleep, calling ourselves little 
children. When we are sad and trembling with appre 
hension it is sweet to sing together, leaning slightly, I towards 
Susan, Susan towards Bernard, clasping hands, afraid of 
rR