BETWEEN RIVER AND SEA "We had a grand talk last night--Sir Charles was in splendid form.

I enjoyed it down to the ground." Tom Verity lay, at full length on the upward sloping, sun-warmed bank of sand and shingle.

Only to youth is given enjoyment of perfect laziness joined with perfect physical vigour.

Just because he felt equal to vaulting the moon or long-jumping an entire continent, should such prodigious feats be required of him, could he lie thus in glorious idleness letting the earth cradle and the sun soak into him.

Doubts and disturbances of last night melted in daylight to an almost ludicrous nothingness and self-confidence reigned; so that he declared the world a super-excellent place, snapping his fingers at problems and mysteries.