Life seemed
to be not such a lost cause after all. Then suddenly, quite clearly,
just as I was about to pull myself up on the shore, I saw a woman
standing on the bank and heard her shouting in a very conventional
voice:
"Private property! Private property!"
I sank. This was too much. As I came up for the first count, and just
before I sank back beneath the blue, I had time to hear her repeat:
"Private property! Please keep off!"
I went down very quickly this time and very far. When I arose I saw as
though in a dream another woman standing by the first one and
seemingly arguing with her.
"He's drowning!" she said.
"I'm sure I can't help that!" the other one answered. And then in a
loud, imperious voice:
"Private property! No visitors allowed!"
The water closed over my head and stilled her hateful voice.
"No," she was saying as I came up for the third time; "I can't do it.
If I make an exception of one I must make an exception of all."
Although I hated to be rude about it, having always disliked forcing
myself upon people, I decided on my fourth trip down that unless I
wanted to be a dead sailor I had better be taking steps. It was almost
too late.
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