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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。