“the holiday parade of the epauletted waves”
“Expectant minds do not lend themselves to sound slumber.”
“They could not muster up energy enough to walk down the beach and back, and yet they were wearied to death of the inaction. After a little they became irritable toward one another. Each suspected the other of doing less than he should. You who know men will realise what this meant.”
mulct - swindle?