e same water with her dear
mistress. The girl moved her limbs voluptuously, and swam by
herself, deliciously, yet with a craving of unsatisfaction. She
wanted to touch the other, to touch her, to feel her.

"I will race you, Ursula," came the well-modulated voice.

Ursula started violently. She turned to see the warm,
unfolded face of her mistress looking at her, to her. She was
acknowledged. Laughing her own beautiful, startled laugh, she
began to swim. The mistress was just ahead, swimming with easy
strokes. Ursula could see the head put back, the water
flickering upon the white shoulders, the strong legs kicking
shadowily. And she swam blinded with passion. Ah, the beauty of
the firm, white, cool flesh! Ah, the wonderful firm limbs. Ah,
if she did not so despise her own thin, dusky fragment of a
body, if only she too were fearless and capable.

She swam on eagerly, not wanting to win, only wanting to be
near her mistress, to swim in a race with her. They neared the
end of the bath, the deep end. Miss Inger touched the pipe,
swung herself round, and caught Ursula round the waist in the
water, and held her for a moment.

"I won," said Miss Inger, laughing.

There was a moment of suspense. Ursula's heart was beating so
fast, she clung to the rail, and could not move. Her dilated,
warm, unfolded, glowing face turned to the mistress, as if to
her very sun.

"Good-bye," said Miss Inger, and she swam away to the other
pupils, taking professional interest in them.

Ursula was dazed. She could still feel the touch of the
mistress's body against her own--only this, only this. The
rest of the swimming time passed like a trance. When the call
was given to leave the water, Miss Inger walked down the bath
towards Ursula. Her rust-red, thin tunic was clinging to her,
the whole body was defined, firm and magnificent, as it seemed
to the girl.

"I enjoyed our race, Ursula, did you?" said Miss Inger.

The girl could only laugh with revealed, open, glowing
face.

The love was now tacitly confessed. But it was some time
before any further progress was made. Ursula continued in
suspense, in inflamed bliss.

Then one day, when she was alone, the mistress came near to
her, and touching her cheek with her fingers, said with some
difficulty.

"Would you like to come to tea with me on Saturday,
Ursula?"

The girl flushed all gratitude.

"We'll go to a lovely little bungalow on the Soar, shall we?
I stay the week-ends t