CHAPTER TEN

The idea to go for a swim had, of course, been Robert's. He made the suggestion and many people decided that it was an excellent idea and headed right away for the beach. Robert, however, was the last to go. He wanted to be among the couple. He would chat with them and sometimes even stand in the middle, separating the two lovers. No one knew why he did this. Was he joking or being mean? Robert, himself, did not even know.

Edna, who was walking with her husband and the Ratignolles, was aware of Robert walking some distance behind her. She thought it strange that he chose not to walk with them. It made her think about how, lately, he had not been spending as much time with her as before. She found that she missed his company when he was not around.

The air was full of interesting smells and sounds, all surrounding the various groups of people walking toward the sea. Music could be heard coming from a nearby hotel, and there was the smell of freshly cut grass and recently dug dirt. The night sky was full of the moon's soft brightness.

The sea was very calm. Everyone went into the water as naturally as they walked in the fields. Edna, who, up until that time, had not known how to swim, suddenly found herself able to do it on her own. It was like a young child realizing for the first time that it could walk. She cried out happily. She felt as though she had total control over her body and could do almost anything.

Everyone who had tried to teach her to swim that summer felt that it was his lessons that had finally helped her to be successful.

"It's so simple!" Edna thought to herself. "Why did it take me so long to realize how simple it is?" She had no desire to join the others in their games in the water. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of swimming all on her own. She swam toward the light of the moon on the water. It seemed as though she were reaching for the end of the world every time she stretched her arms forward. After a short while, she looked back to see how far she had gone. In fact, she was still quite close to the beach; however, for a new swimmer, the distance seemed quite great. She felt as though she would never be able to get back. For a moment, she believed that she might die out there, but then she managed to gather up enough strength to make it back safely.

She did not tell anyone, except her husband, about her moment of fear. "I thought that I was in serious trouble out there."

"No, no. You were still quite near. I had my eye on you the whole time," her husband assured her.

Edna then got out of the water, dried herself off, and, after changing into her evening clothes, began to walk back to her cottage. The people in the water began to shout for her to come back. She just raised her hand and waved to say 'No, thanks' and continued along the path.

A few minutes later, Robert caught up with her.

"I didn't leave because I feared the water," she said.

"I know that," he answered.

"Well, why did you stop swimming and come to me now?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I just don't."

"Oh, I have no more energy."

"I thought you were tired."

"What do you mean? How should you know I'm tired? You can't possibly understand what I'm feeling this evening. It's been such a wonderfully unusual night. I don't think I'll ever experience another one like it. Everything seems different. The people around me seem to be almost ghosts."

"That's because there are ghosts out tonight," said Robert, "It's the twenty-eighth of August."

"What day is that?"

"Every year, on this day, an old ghost will come from out of the sea and look for the best human to join him, for a short time, in the mysterious world in which he lives. He comes at twelve o'clock at night and only if the moon is bright. Up until this year, he has never found anyone who was good enough, but this year he has chosen you. And it's possible he may never remove this wonderful feeling you now have. As a result, in the future you may find that being with humans is quite boring and unpleasant."

"Don't make fun of me!" Edna said. It upset her that Robert did not seem to take her seriously. However, she did not realize that he had been quite serious. He knew what she was feeling. Instead of explaining, he simply gave her his arm to hold onto, for she was tired. She accepted his arm, but continued to use her own strength to carry herself forward. She was not thinking about her tiredness now. Her mind was somewhere else and she was trying to catch up with it.

Robert helped her to lie down on a hammock that was in front of her cottage.

"Will you remain outside until your husband returns?" he asked.

"Yes, goodbye," she said.

"Do you want a pillow?"

"I have one already," she answered, searching for it through the darkness.

"Oh, but it's dirty! Your kids must have been playing with it."

"It's fine." She placed the pillow comfortably under her head. Then, taking a big breath, she relaxed into the hammock.

"How about I wait here with you for your husband?" he suggested, sitting down on the porch floor and taking hold of the rope that connected the hammock to a nearby tree.

"It's up to you. Please, don't move the hammock. Would you mind handing me the sweater that's sitting in the window over there?"

"Of course, are you getting cold?"

"Not yet, but I think I will soon."

"Do you realize how late it is now? Will you stay out here for a long time?"

"Could you just hand me my sweater, please?"

He got up and walked across the yard to the window. Edna followed him with her eyes as he passed under different areas of shadow and moonlight. The night was silent. He then returned with her sweater and she took it from him, but did not put it on.

"I can't remember. Am I to wait for Mr Pontellier with you?" he asked.

"I said that you could do whatever you wanted," she answered.

He then decided to make a new cigarette. Once he finished, he lit it and smoked quietly. Nobody said a word for the rest of the night, because it would have been impossible to put into words how much they wanted one another at that moment.

Soon, they could hear the other people returning from the beach. Robert stood up immediately and told her "goodnight" before walking away. She did not respond, but simply followed him with her eyes again as he passed through the darkness and light of the night.

(end of section)