Out of the Past — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

130 Out of the Past. Robert! Look at the changing, lovely thing. And the swish of it along the beach—the touch of a goddess’ gar- ment. I should call the sea feminine. Just look how sin- uous she is and alluring, and there are the white sails she woos. How fine they are in the offing! Do you know we are very late? Half after nine!” Robert laid either hand upon hers, looking out over her shoulder. “Does it matter, dear?” “Only that Father Benedict comes at noon.” “So much the better. We shall be the fresher to re- ceive him.” “There goes Babette with the rolls. Must I bid you to breakfast ?” “Not if you precede me.” She slipped from his hands and beckoned him out. When he had placed her to his satisfaction, where she had full view of the sea with the swinging baskets behind her and the burnished urns red glowing at her hand, he drew a chair where he could watch her best, deftly preparing their coffee and other preliminaries. When these had been comfortably fin- ished, he broke the silence reminiscently. “A year ago we were like the unfitted parts of a deli- cate machine, incomplete and valueless. Now we should be worth something. Did you know that you have taught ECORNIEOOOKS»C©