tep; for the
four bearers had taken a quick pace, followed by the yelling crowd.
But suddenly, they turned toward the shore, stopped short as they
reached the bank, swung their comrade for a moment, and then, all
four acting together, flung him into the river.

A great shout of joy rang out from all mouths, while the poor
pianist, bewildered, paddled, swore, coughed, and spluttered, and
though sticking in the mud managed to get to the shore. His hat
which floated down the stream was picked up by a boat. Yvette danced
with joy, clapping and repeating: "Oh! Muscade, what fun! what fun!"

Servigny looked on, having become serious, a little disturbed, a
little chilled to see her so much at her ease in this common place.
A sort of instinct revolted in him, that instinct of the proper,
which a well-born man always preserves even when he casts himself
loose, that instinct which avoids too common familiarities and too
degrading contacts. Astonished, he muttered to himself:

"Egad! Then YOU are at home here, are you?" And he wanted to speak
familiarly to her, as a man does to certain women the first time he
meets them. He no longer distinguished her from the russet-haired,
hoarse-voiced creatures who brushed against them. The language of
the crowd was not at all choice, but nobody seemed shocked or
surprised. Yvette did not even appear to notice it.

"Muscade, I want to go in bathing," she said. "We'll go into the
river together."

"At your service," said he.

They went to the bath-office to get bathing-suits. She was ready the
first, and stood on the bank waiting for him, smiling on everyone
who looked at her. Then side by side they went into the luke-warm
water.

She swam with pleasure, with intoxication, caressed by the wave,
throbbing with a sensual delight, raising herself at each stroke as
if she were going to spring from the water. He followed her with
difficulty, breathless, and vexed to feel himself mediocre at the
sport.

But she slackened her pace, and then, turning over suddenly, she
floated, with her arms folded and her eyes wide open to the blue
sky. He observed, thus stretched out on the surface of the river,
the undulating lines of her form, her firm neck and shoulders, her
slightly submerged hips, and bare ankles, gleaming in the water, and
the tiny foot that emerged.

He saw her thus exhibiting herself, as if she were doing it on
purpose, to lure him on, or again to make sport of him. And he began