Rawson-Clew looked in the direction she did; he had seen so much of the world, and she had seen so little of it—­that is, of the part which is solitary and beautiful.  Yet he felt something of her enthusiasm for this sunny, empty place—­than which he had seen many finer things every year of his life.

Perhaps this thought occurred to her, for she turned to him rather wistfully:  “I expect it does not seem very much to you,” she said; “you have seen such a great deal.”

“I do not remember to have seen anything quite like this,” he answered; “and if I had, what then?  One does not get tired of things.”

Julia looked at him thoughtfully.  “I wonder,” she said, “if one would?  If one would get weary of it, and want to go back to the other kind of life?”

She was not thinking of Dune country, rather of the simple life it represented to her just then.  Rawson-Clew caught the note of seriousness in her tone and reminded her that thought for the past or future was no part of a holiday.  “Remember,” he said, “you are to-day to emulate dogs and boys.”

She laughed.  “How am I to begin?” she asked.  “How will you?”

“I shall sit down,” he said; “I feel I could be inconsequent much better if I sat down to it; that is no doubt because I am past my first youth.”

“No,” she said, sitting down and putting her hat beside her; “it is because your folly-muscles are stiff from want of use; you have played lots of things, I expect—­it is part of your necessary equipment to be able to do so, but I doubt if you have ever played the fool systematically.  I don’t believe you have ever done, and certainly never enjoyed anything inconsequent or foolish in your life.”

“If you were to ask me,” he returned, “I should hardly say you excelled in that direction either.  How many inconsequent and foolish things have you done in your life?”

“Some, and I should like to do some more.  If I were alone now, do you know what I should do?  You see that deep hollow of sparkling white sand?  I should take off my clothes and lie there in the sun.”

Rawson-Clew turned so that his back was that way.  “Do not let me prevent you,” he said.

Julia made use of the opportunity to empty the sand out of her boots.

He looked round as she was finishing fastening them.  “But why put them on again?” he asked.

“Because I haven’t retired from the world, yet,” she answered, “and so I can’t do quite all I like.”

“When you do retire, will this ideal summer costume also be included in the programme?  Your taste in dress grows simpler; quite ancient British, in fact.”

“The ancient Britons wore paint, and probably had fashions in it; I don’t think of imitating them.  Tell me,” she said, turning now to gather the sweet-scented wild thyme, “did you ever really do anything foolish in your life?  I should like to know.”

He answered her that he had, but without convincing her.  Afterwards, he came to the conclusion that, whatever might have been the case before, he that day qualified to take rank with any one in the matter.