VIII
　　When Audrey had dressed she went along the beach and out along a jutting¹ point of rocks, joining Thomas Royde, who was sitting there smoking a pipe,exactly opposite to Gull's Point, which stood white and serene² on the opposite side of the river.
　　Thomas turned his head at Audrey's approach, but he did not move. She sat down beside him without speaking. They were silent with the comfortable silence of two people who know each other very well indeed.
　　"How near it looks!" said Audrey at last breaking the silence. Thomas looked across at Gull's Point. "Yes, we could swim home.""Not at this tide. There was a housemaid Camilla had once. She was an enthusiastic bather, used to swim across and back whenever the tide was right. It has to be high or low - but when it's running out it sweeps you right down to the mouth of the river. It did that to her one day - only luckily she kept her head and came ashore³ all right on Easter Point - only very exhausted⁴.""It doesn't say anything about its being dangerous here.""It isn't this side. The current is the other side. It's deep there under the cliffs. There was a would-be suicide last year - threw himself off Stark⁵ Head - but he was caught by a tree half-way down the cliff and the coastguards got to him all right.""Poor devil," said Thomas. "I bet he didn't thank them. Must be sickening to have made up your mind to get out of it all and then be saved. Makes a fellow feel a fool.""Perhaps he's glad now," suggested Audrey dreamily.
　　She wondered vaguely⁶ where the man was now and what he was doing.
　　Thomas puffed⁷ away at his pipe. By turning his head very slightly he could look at Audrey. He noted⁸ her grave, absorbed face as she stared across the water. The long brown

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