THEYstoodforawhileonaterraceoverlookingtheriverbythesideofthehospital.Immediatelybelow,acrowdofboyswerebathing,animatedandnoisy,chasingandduckingoneanother,runningtoandfrowithmanycries,andsplashinginthemud.
Theriverwasstretchedmorewidelybeforethem.Thesunplayedonitsyellowwaveletssothattheyshonewithaglitterofgold.Atuggruntedpastwithalongtailofbarges,andahugeEastIndiamanglidednoiselesslyby.Inthelateafternoontherewasoverthesceneanold-timeairofeaseandspaciousness.Thestatelyfloodcarriedthemindaway,sothattheonlookerfolloweditinthought,andwentdown,asitbroadened,withitscrowdoftraffic,tillpresentlyasea-smellreachedthenostrils,andtheriver,evermajestic,flowedintothesea.Andtheshipswenteastandwestandsouth,bearingtheirmerchandisetotheuttermostpartsoftheearth,tosouthern,summerlandsofpalm-treesanddark-skinnedpeoples,bearingthenameandwealthofEngland.TheThamesbecameanemblemofthepowerofthemightyempire,andthosewhowatchedfeltstrongerinitsstrength,andproudoftheirnameandoftheundiminishedgloryoftheirrace.
ButGeraldlookedsadly.
“Inaverylittlewhileitmusttakemeawayfromyou,Bertha.”
“Butthinkofthefreedomandthevastness.SometimesinEnglandoneseemsoppressedbythelackofroomonecanhardlybreathe.”
“It’sthethoughtofleavingyou.”
Sheputherhandonhisarmcaressinglyandthen,totakehimfromhissadness,suggestedthattheyshouldwalk.
GreenwichishalfLondon,halfcountrytownandtheunexpecteduniongivesitapeculiarfascination.IfthewharvesanddocksofLondonstillpreservethespiritofCharlesDickens,hereitisthehappybreezinessofCaptainMarryatwhichfillstheimagination.Thosetalesofafreerlifeandofthesea-breezescomebackamidthegraystreets,stillpeopledwiththevividcharactersofPoorJack.Inthepark,bythesideofthelabourers,navviesfromtheneighboringdocks,asleeponthegrass,orwatchingtheboysplayaprimitivecricket,maybeseenfantasticoldpersonswhowouldhavedelightedthegrotesquepenoftheseaman-novelist.
BerthaandGeraldsatbeneaththetrees,lookingatthepeople,tillitgrewlate,andthenwanderedback