"I might wash my face and hands, and go back." Hurrying a dozen yards or so to where the bank was lower and the water not above eight or ten inches beneath, he prepared for a simple wash, and laid his towel on a bush; but his conscience attacked him, and, setting his teeth hard, he tore off jacket and vest in a way that was nothing less than vicious.

These he placed on the bush which acted for a chair back, while the morning air struck chill to the bare skin.
"It's horrid," he thought,--"horrid.

How can one go on like this ?" Ugh! how cold the black water looked in that grey dawn, for there was no sign of the sun, the stars being still faintly visible, and to keep his teeth from chattering Nic set them so hard that they began to ache.
"Pretty cowardly fool I should have looked if father had asked me at breakfast if--Bother it all.

Why didn't I take off my shoes ?" Nic had got one leg half out of his trousers, but not being so clever as the black at that crane or stork-like way of standing he overbalanced, tried to save himself failed, and went down on his side, in which safer position he dragged out first one and then the other leg.
"Yes; pretty cowardly fellow I should have looked if father had asked me at breakfast if I enjoyed my swim." He rose and hung up his trousers on the bush, thrust off shoes and stockings, and then stood on the bank white and ghostly-looking, gazing down into the deep, still water overhung by thick bushes, which made it look still more untempting.

For it was big enough--there were two or three acres--to hold any number of terrible monsters.