The whole land, saturated still with the fast receding sea, seemed to gleam and glitter with a strange iridescence.

Great pools in unaccustomed places shone like burnished silver, the wet sands were sparkling and brilliant, the creeks had become swollen rivers full of huge masses of emerald seaweed, running far up into the marshland and spreading themselves out over the meadows beyond.

There was salt in the very atmosphere.

I felt it on my tongue, and my cheeks were rough with it.

Overhead the seagulls in great flocks were returning from shelter, screaming as though with joy as they dived down to the sea.