naivepuzzled
air
.
“
Just
like
a
country
Baroness
!
”
chimed
in
Gudrun
.
Now
the
mother’s
natural
hauteur
became
self-conscious
,
and
the
girls
shrieked
again
.
“
Go
home
,
you
pair
of
idiots
,
great
giggling
idiots
!
”
cried
the
father
inflamed
with
irritation
.
“
Mm-m-er
!
”
booed
Ursula
,
pulling
a
face
at
his
crossness
.
The
yellow
lights
danced
in
his
eyes
,
he
leaned
forward
in
real
rage
.
“
Don’t
be
so
silly
as
to
take
any
notice
of
the
great
gabies
,
”
said
Mrs
Brangwen
,
turning
on
her
way
.
“
I’ll
see
if
I’m
going
to
be
followed
by
a
pair
of
giggling
yelling
jackanapes
—
”
he
cried
vengefully
.
The
girls
stood
still
,
laughing
helplessly
at
his
fury
,
upon
the
path
beside
the
hedge
.
“
Why
you’re
as
silly
as
they
are
,
to
take
any
notice
,
”
said
Mrs
Brangwen
also
becoming
angry
now
he
was
really
enraged
.
“
There
are
some
people
coming
,
father
,
”
cried
Ursula
,
with
mocking
warning
.
He
glanced
round
quickly
,
and
went
on
to
join
his
wife
,
walking
stiff
with
rage
.
And
the
girls
followed
,
weak
with
laughter
.
When
the
people
had
passed
by
,
Brangwen
cried
in
a
loud
,
stupid
voice
:
“
I’m
going
back
home
if
there’s
any
more
of
this
.
I’m
damned
if
I’m
going
to
be
made
a
fool
of
in
this
fashion
,
in
the
public
road
.
”
He
was
really
out
of
temper
.
At
the
sound
of
his
blind
,
vindictive
voice
,
the
laughter
suddenly
left
the
girls
,
and
their
hearts
contracted
with
contempt
.
They
hated
his
words
“
in
the
public
road
.
”
What
did
they
care
for
the
public
road
?
But
Gudrun
was
conciliatory
.
“
But
we
weren’t
laughing
to
hurt
you
,
”
she
cried
,
with
an
uncouth
gentleness
which
made
her
parents
uncomfortable
.
“
We
were
laughing
because
we’re
fond
of
you
.
”
“
We’ll
walk
on
in
front
,
if
they
are
so
touchy
,
”
said
Ursula
,
angry
.
And
in
this
wise
they
arrived
at
Willey
Water
.
The
lake
was
blue
and
fair
,
the
meadows
sloped
down
in
sunshine
on
one
side
,
the
thick
dark
woods
dropped
steeply
on
the
other
.
The
little
pleasure-launch
was
fussing
out
from
the
shore
,
twanging
its
music
,
crowded
with
people
,
flapping
its
paddles
.
Near
the
boat-house
was
a
throng
of
gaily-dressed
persons
,
small
in
the
distance
.
And
on
the
high-road
,
some
of
the
common
people
were
standing
along
the
hedge
,
looking
at
the
festivity
beyond
,
enviously
,
like
souls
not
admitted
to
paradise
.
“
My
eye
!
”
said
Gudrun
,
sotto
voce
,
looking
at
the
motley
of
guests
,
“
there’s
a
pretty
crowd
if
you
like
!
Imagine
yourself
in
the
midst
of
that
,
my
dear
.
”
Gudrun’s
apprehensive
horror
of
people
in
the
mass
unnerved
Ursula
.
“
It
looks
rather
awful
,
”
she
said
anxiously
.
“
And
imagine
what
they’ll
be
like
—
imagine
!
”
said
Gudrun
,
still
in
that
unnerving
,
subdued
voice
.
Yet
she
advanced
determinedly
.
“
I
suppose
we
can
get
away
from
them
,
”
said
Ursula
anxiously
.
“
We’re
in
a
pretty
fix
if
we
can’t
,
”
said
Gudrun
.
Her
extreme
ironic
loathing
and
apprehension
was
very
trying
to
Ursula
.
“
We
needn’t
stay
,
”
she
said
.
“
I
certainly
shan’t
stay
five
minutes
among
that
little
lot
,
”
said
Gudrun
.
They
advanced
nearer
,
till
they
saw
policemen
at
the
gates
.
“
Policemen
to
keep
you
in
,
too
!
”
said
Gudrun
.
“
My
word
,
this
is
a
beautiful
affair
.
”
“
We’d
better
look
after
father
and
mother
,
”
said
Ursula
anxiously
.
“
Mother’s
perfectly
capable
of
getting
through
this
little
celebration
,
”
said
Gudrun
with
some
contempt
.
But
Ursula
knew
that
her
father
felt
uncouth
and
angry
and
unhappy
,
so
she
was
far
from
her
ease
.
They
waited
outside
the
gate
till
their
parents
came
up
.
The
tall
,
thin
man
in
his
crumpled
clothes
was
unnerved
and
irritable
as
a
boy
,
finding
himself
on
the
brink
of
this
social
function
.
He
did
not
feel
a
gentleman
,
he
did
not
feel
anything
except
pure
exasperation
.
Ursula
took
her
place
at
his
side
,
they
gave
their
tickets
to
the
policeman
,
and
passed
in
on
to
the
grass
,
four
abreast
;
the
tall
,
hot
,
ruddy-dark
man
with
his
narrow
boyish
brow
drawn
with
irritation
,
the
fresh-faced
,
easy
woman
,
perfectly
collected
though
her
hair
was
slipping
on
one
side
,
then
Gudrun
,
her
eyes
round
and
dark
and
staring
,
her
full
soft
face
impassive
,
almost
sulky
,
so
that
she
seemed
to
be
backing
away
in
antagonism
even
whilst
she
was
advancing
;
and
then
Ursula
,
with
the
odd
,
brilliant
,
dazzled
look
on
her
face
,
that
always
came
when
she
was
in
some
false
situation
.
Birkin
was
the
good
angel
.
He
came
smiling
to
them
with
his
affected
social
grace
,
that
somehow
was
never
quite
right
.
But
he
took
off
his
hat
and
smiled
at
them
with
a
real
smile
in
his
eyes
,
so
that
Brangwen
cried
out
heartily
in
relief
:
“
How
do
you
do
?
You’re
better
,
are
you
?
”
“
Yes
,
I’m
better
.
How
do
you
do
,
Mrs
Brangwen
?
I
know
Gudrun
and
Ursula
very
well
.
”
His
eyes
smiled
full
of
natural
warmth
.
He
had
a
soft
,
flattering
manner
with
women
,
particularly
with
women
who
were
not
young
.
“
Yes
,
”
said
Mrs
Brangwen
,
cool
but
yet
gratified
.
“
I
have
heard
them
speak
of
you
often
enough
.
”
He
laughed
.
Gudrun
looked
aside
,
feeling
she
was
being
belittled
.
People
were
standing
about
in
groups
,
some
women
were
sitting
in
the
shade
of
the
walnut
tree
,
with
cups
of
tea
in
their
hands
,
a
waiter
in
evening
dress
was
hurrying
round
,
some
girls
were
simpering
with
parasols
,
some
young
men
,
who
had
just
come
in
from
rowing
,
were
sitting
cross-legged
on
the
grass
,
coatless
,
their
shirt-sleeves
rolled
up
in
manly
fashion
,
their
hands
resting
on
their
white
flannel
trousers
,
their
gaudy
ties
floating
about
,
as
they
laughed
and
tried
to
be
witty
with
the
young
damsels
.
“
Why
,
”
thought
Gudrun
churlishly
,
“
don’t
they
have
the
manners
to
put
their
coats
on
,
and
not
to
assume
such
intimacy
in
their
appearance
.
”
She
abhorred
the
ordinary
young
man
,
with
his
hair
plastered
back
,
and
his
easy-going
chumminess
.
Hermione
Roddice
came
up
,
in
a
handsome
gown
of
white
lace
,
trailing
an
enormous
silk
shawl
blotched
with
great
embroidered
flowers
,
and
balancing
an
enormous
plain
hat
on
her
head
.
She
looked
striking
,
astonishing
,
almost
macabre
,
so
tall
,
with
the
fringe
of
her
great
cream-coloured
vividly-blotched
shawl
trailing
on
the
ground
after
her
,
her
thick
hair
coming
low
over
her
eyes
,
her
face
strange
and
long
and
pale
,
and
the
blotches
of
brilliant
colour
drawn
round
her
.
“
Doesn’t
she
look
weird
!
”
Gudrun
heard
some
girls
titter
behind
her
.
And
she
could
have
killed
them
.
“
How
do
you
do
!
”
sang
Hermione
,
coming
up
very
kindly
,
and
glancing
slowly
over
Gudrun’s
father
and
mother
.
It
was
a
trying
moment
,
exasperating
for
Gudrun
.
Hermione
was
really
so
strongly
entrenched
in
her
class
superiority
,
she
could
come
up
and
know
people
out
of
simple
curiosity
,
as
if
they
were
creatures
on
exhibition
.
Gudrun
would
do
the
same
herself
.
But
she
resented
being
in
the
position
when
somebody
might
do
it
to
her
.
Hermione
,
very
remarkable
,
and
distinguishing
the
Brangwens
very
much
,
led
them
along
to
where
Laura
Crich
stood
receiving
the
guests
.
“
This
is
Mrs
Brangwen
,
”
sang
Hermione
,
and
Laura
,
who
wore
a
stiff
embroidered
linen
dress
,
shook
hands
and
said
she
was
glad
to
see
her
.
Then
Gerald
came
up
,
dressed
in
white
,
with
a
black
and
brown
blazer
,
and
looking
handsome
.
He
too
was
introduced
to
the
Brangwen
parents
,
and
immediately
he
spoke
to
Mrs
Brangwen
as
if
she
were
a
lady
,
and
to
Brangwen
as
if
he
were
not
a
gentleman
.
Gerald
was
so
obvious
in
his
demeanour
.
He
had
to
shake
hands
with
his
left
hand
,
because
he
had
hurt
his
right
,
and
carried
it
,
bandaged
up
,
in
the
pocket
of
his
jacket
.
Gudrun
was
very
thankful
that
none
of
her
party
asked
him
what
was
the
matter
with
the
hand
.
The
steam
launch
was
fussing
in
,
all
its
music
jingling
,
people
calling
excitedly
from
on
board
.
Gerald
went
to
see
to
the
debarkation
,
Birkin
was
getting
tea
for
Mrs
Brangwen
,
Brangwen
had
joined
a
Grammar-School
group
,
Hermione
was
sitting
down
by
their
mother
,
the
girls
went
to
the
landing-stage
to
watch
the
launch
come
in
.
She
hooted
and
tooted
gaily
,
then
her
paddles
were
silent
,
the
ropes
were
thrown
ashore
,
she
drifted
in
with
a
little
bump
.
Immediately
the
passengers
crowded
excitedly
to
come
ashore
.
“
Wait
a
minute
,
wait
a
minute
,
”
shouted
Gerald
in
sharp
command
.
They
must
wait
till
the
boat
was
tight
on
the
ropes
,
till
the
small
gangway
was
put
out
.
Then
they
streamed
ashore
,
clamouring
as
if
they
had
come
from
America
.
“
Oh
it’s
so
nice
!
”
the
young
girls
were
crying
.
“
It’s
quite
lovely
.
”
The
waiters
from
on
board
ran
out
to
the
boat-house
with
baskets
,
the
captain
lounged
on
the
little
bridge
.
Seeing
all
safe
,
Gerald
came
to
Gudrun
and
Ursula
.
“
You
wouldn’t
care
to
go
on
board
for
the
next
trip
,
and
have
tea
there
?
”
he
asked
.
“
No
thanks
,
”
said
Gudrun
coldly
.
“
You
don’t
care
for
the
water
?
”
“
For
the
water
?
Yes
,
I
like
it
very
much
.
”
He
looked
at
her
,
his
eyes
searching
.
“
You
don’t
care
for
going
on
a
launch
,
then
?
”
She
was
slow
in
answering
,
and
then
she
spoke
slowly
.
“
No
,
”
she
said
.
“
I
can’t
say
that
I
do
.
”
Her
colour
was
high
,
she
seemed
angry
about
something
.
“
Un
peu
trop
de
monde
,
”
said
Ursula
,
explaining
.
“
Eh
?
Trop
de
monde
!
”
He
laughed
shortly
.
“
Yes
there’s
a
fair
number
of
’em
.
”
Gudrun
turned
on
him
brilliantly
.
“
Have
you
ever
been
from
Westminster
Bridge
to
Richmond
on
one
of
the
Thames
steamers
?
”
she
cried
.
“
No
,
”
he
said
,
“
I
can’t
say
I
have
.
”
“
Well
,
it’s
one
of
the
most
vile
experiences
I’ve
ever
had
.
”
She
spoke
rapidly
and
excitedly
,
the
colour
high
in
her
cheeks
.
“
There
was
absolutely
nowhere
to
sit
down
,
nowhere
,
a
man
just
above
sang
‘Rocked
in
the
Cradle
of
the
Deep’
the
whole
way
;
he
was
blind
and
he
had
a
small
organ
,
one
of
those
portable
organs
,
and
he
expected
money
;
so
you
can
imagine
what
that
was
like
;
there
came
a
constant
smell
of
luncheon
from
below
,
and
puffs
of
hot
oily
machinery
;
the
journey
took
hours
and
hours
and
hours
;
and
for
miles
,
literally
for
miles
,
dreadful
boys
ran
with
us
on
the
shore
,
in
that
awful
Thames
mud
,
going
in
up
to
the
waist
—
they
had
their
trousers
turned
back
,
and
they
went
up
to
their
hips
in
that
indescribable
Thames
mud
,
their
faces
always
turned
to
us
,
and
screaming
,
exactly
like
carrion
creatures
,
screaming
‘’Ere
y’are
sir
,
’ere
y’are
sir
,
’ere
y’are
sir
,
’
exactly
like
some
foul
carrion
objects
,
perfectly
obscene
;
and
paterfamilias
on
board
,
laughing
when
the
boys
went
right
down
in
that
awful
mud
,
occasionally
throwing
them
a
ha’penny
.
And
if
you’d
seen
the
intent
look
on
the
faces
of
these
boys
,
and
the
way
they
darted
in
the
filth
when
a
coin
was
flung
—
really
,
no
vulture
or
jackal
could
dream
of
approaching
them
,
for
foulness
.
I
never
would
go
on
a
pleasure
boat
again
—
never
.
”
Gerald
watched
her
all
the
time
she
spoke
,
his
eyes
glittering
with
faint
rousedness
.
It
was
not
so
much
what
she
said
;
it
was
she
herself
who
roused
him
,
roused
him
with
a
small
,
vivid
pricking
.
“
Of
course
,
”
he
said
,
“
every
civilised
body
is
bound
to
have
its
vermin
.
”
“
Why
?
”
cried
Ursula
.
“
I
don’t
have
vermin
.
”
“
And
it’s
not
that
—
it’s
the
quality
of
the
whole
thing
—
paterfamilias
laughing
and
thinking
it
sport
,
and
throwing
the
ha’pennies
,
and
materfamilias
spreading
her
fat
little
knees
and
eating
,
continually
eating
—
”
replied
Gudrun
.
“
Yes
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
It
isn’t
the
boys
so
much
who
are
vermin
;
it’s
the
people
themselves
,
the
whole
body
politic
,
as
you
call
it
.
”
Gerald
laughed
.
“
Never
mind
,
”
he
said
.
“
You
shan’t
go
on
the
launch
.
”
Gudrun
flushed
quickly
at
his
rebuke
.
There
were
a
few
moments
of
silence
.
Gerald
,
like
a
sentinel
,
was
watching
the
people
who
were
going
on
to
the
boat
.
He
was
very
good-looking
and
self-contained
,
but
his
air
of
soldierly
alertness
was
rather
irritating
.
“
Will
you
have
tea
here
then
,
or
go
across
to
the
house
,
where
there’s
a
tent
on
the
lawn
?
”
he
asked
.
“
Can’t
we
have
a
rowing
boat
,
and
get
out
?
”
asked
Ursula
,
who
was
always
rushing
in
too
fast
.
“
To
get
out
?
”
smiled
Gerald
.
“
You
see
,
”
cried
Gudrun
,
flushing
at
Ursula’s
outspoken
rudeness
,
“
we
don’t
know
the
people
,
we
are
almost
complete
strangers
here
.
”
“
Oh
,
I
can
soon
set
you
up
with
a
few
acquaintances
,
”
he
said
easily
.
Gudrun
looked
at
him
,
to
see
if
it
were
ill-meant
.
Then
she
smiled
at
him
.
“
Ah
,
”
she
said
,
“
you
know
what
we
mean
.
Can’t
we
go
up
there
,
and
explore
that
coast
?
”
She
pointed
to
a
grove
on
the
hillock
of
the
meadow-side
,
near
the
shore
half
way
down
the
lake
.
“
That
looks
perfectly
lovely
.
We
might
even
bathe
.
Isn’t
it
beautiful
in
this
light
.
Really
,
it’s
like
one
of
the
reaches
of
the
Nile
—
as
one
imagines
the
Nile
.
”
Gerald
smiled
at
her
factitious
enthusiasm
for
the
distant
spot
.
“
You’re
sure
it’s
far
enough
off
?
”
he
asked
ironically
,
adding
at
once
:
“
Yes
,
you
might
go
there
,
if
we
could
get
a
boat
.
They
seem
to
be
all
out
.
”
He
looked
round
the
lake
and
counted
the
rowing
boats
on
its
surface
.
“
How
lovely
it
would
be
!
”
cried
Ursula
wistfully
.
“
And
don’t
you
want
tea
?
”
he
said
.
“
Oh
,
”
said
Gudrun
,
“
we
could
just
drink
a
cup
,
and
be
off
.
”
He
looked
from
one
to
the
other
,
smiling
.
He
was
somewhat
offended
—
yet
sporting
.
“
Can
you
manage
a
boat
pretty
well
?
”
he
asked
.
“
Yes
,
”
replied
Gudrun
,
coldly
,
“
pretty
well
.
”
“
Oh
yes
,
”
cried
Ursula
.
“
We
can
both
of
us
row
like
water-spiders
.
”
“
You
can
?
There’s
a
light
little
canoe
of
mine
,
that
I
didn’t
take
out
for
fear
somebody
should
drown
themselves
.
Do
you
think
you’d
be
safe
in
that
?
”
“
Oh
perfectly
,
”
said
Gudrun
.
“
What
an
angel
!
”
cried
Ursula
.
“
Don’t
,
for
my
sake
,
have
an
accident
—
because
I’m
responsible
for
the
water
.
”
“
Sure
,
”
pledged
Gudrun
.
“
Besides
,
we
can
both
swim
quite
well
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
Well
—
then
I’ll
get
them
to
put
you
up
a
tea-basket
,
and
you
can
picnic
all
to
yourselves
,
—
that’s
the
idea
,
isn’t
it
?
”
“
How
fearfully
good
!
How
frightfully
nice
if
you
could
!
”
cried
Gudrun
warmly
,
her
colour
flushing
up
again
.
It
made
the
blood
stir
in
his
veins
,
the
subtle
way
she
turned
to
him
and
infused
her
gratitude
into
his
body
.
“
Where’s
Birkin
?
”
he
said
,
his
eyes
twinkling
.
“
He
might
help
me
to
get
it
down
.
”
“
But
what
about
your
hand
?
Isn’t
it
hurt
?
”
asked
Gudrun
,
rather
muted
,
as
if
avoiding
the
intimacy
.
This
was
the
first
time
the
hurt
had
been
mentioned
.
The
curious
way
she
skirted
round
the
subject
sent
a
new
,
subtle
caress
through
his
veins
.
He
took
his
hand
out
of
his
pocket
.
It
was
bandaged
.
He
looked
at
it
,
then
put
it
in
his
pocket
again
.
Gudrun
quivered
at
the
sight
of
the
wrapped
up
paw
.
“
Oh
I
can
manage
with
one
hand
.
The
canoe
is
as
light
as
a
feather
,
”
he
said
.
“
There’s
Rupert
!
—
Rupert
!
”
Birkin
turned
from
his
social
duties
and
came
towards
them
.
“
What
have
you
done
to
it
?
”
asked
Ursula
,
who
had
been
aching
to
put
the
question
for
the
last
half
hour
.
“
To
my
hand
?
”
said
Gerald
.
“
I
trapped
it
in
some
machinery
.
”
“
Ugh
!
”
said
Ursula
.
“
And
did
it
hurt
much
?
”
“
Yes
,
”
he
said
.
“
It
did
at
the
time
.
It’s
getting
better
now
.
It
crushed
the
fingers
.
”
“
Oh
,
”
cried
Ursula
,
as
if
in
pain
,
“
I
hate
people
who
hurt
themselves
.
I
can
feel
it
.
”
And
she
shook
her
hand
.
“
What
do
you
want
?
”
said
Birkin
.
The
two
men
carried
down
the
slim
brown
boat
,
and
set
it
on
the
water
.
“
You’re
quite
sure
you’ll
be
safe
in
it
?
”
Gerald
asked
.
“
Quite
sure
,
”
said
Gudrun
.
“
I
wouldn’t
be
so
mean
as
to
take
it
,
if
there
was
the
slightest
doubt
.
But
I’ve
had
a
canoe
at
Arundel
,
and
I
assure
you
I’m
perfectly
safe
.
”
So
saying
,
having
given
her
word
like
a
man
,
she
and
Ursula
entered
the
frail
craft
,
and
pushed
gently
off
.
The
two
men
stood
watching
them
.
Gudrun
was
paddling
.
She
knew
the
men
were
watching
her
,
and
it
made
her
slow
and
rather
clumsy
.
The
colour
flew
in
her
face
like
a
flag
.
“
Thanks
awfully
,
”
she
called
back
to
him
,
from
the
water
,
as
the
boat
slid
away
.
“
It’s
lovely
—
like
sitting
in
a
leaf
.
”
He
laughed
at
the
fancy
.
Her
voice
was
shrill
and
strange
,
calling
from
the
distance
.
He
watched
her
as
she
paddled
away
.
There
was
something
childlike
about
her
,
trustful
and
deferential
,
like
a
child
.
He
watched
her
all
the
while
,
as
she
rowed
.
And
to
Gudrun
it
was
a
real
delight
,
in
make-belief
,
to
be
the
childlike
,
clinging
woman
to
the
man
who
stood
there
on
the
quay
,
so
good-looking
and
efficient
in
his
white
clothes
,
and
moreover
the
most
important
man
she
knew
at
the
moment
.
She
did
not
take
any
notice
of
the
wavering
,
indistinct
,
lambent
Birkin
,
who
stood
at
his
side
.
One
figure
at
a
time
occupied
the
field
of
her
attention
.
The
boat
rustled
lightly
along
the
water
.
They
passed
the
bathers
whose
striped
tents
stood
between
the
willows
of
the
meadow’s
edge
,
and
drew
along
the
open
shore
,
past
the
meadows
that
sloped
golden
in
the
light
of
the
already
late
afternoon
.
Other
boats
were
stealing
under
the
wooded
shore
opposite
,
they
could
hear
people’s
laughter
and
voices
.
But
Gudrun
rowed
on
towards
the
clump
of
trees
that
balanced
perfect
in
the
distance
,
in
the
golden
light
.
The
sisters
found
a
little
place
where
a
tiny
stream
flowed
into
the
lake
,
with
reeds
and
flowery
marsh
of
pink
willow
herb
,
and
a
gravelly
bank
to
the
side
.
Here
they
ran
delicately
ashore
,
with
their
frail
boat
,
the
two
girls
took
off
their
shoes
and
stockings
and
went
through
the
water’s
edge
to
the
grass
.
The
tiny
ripples
of
the
lake
were
warm
and
clear
,
they
lifted
their
boat
on
to
the
bank
,
and
looked
round
with
joy
.
They
were
quite
alone
in
a
forsaken
little
stream-mouth
,
and
on
the
knoll
just
behind
was
the
clump
of
trees
.
“
We
will
bathe
just
for
a
moment
,
”
said
Ursula
,
“
and
then
we’ll
have
tea
.
”
They
looked
round
.
Nobody
could
notice
them
,
or
could
come
up
in
time
to
see
them
.
In
less
than
a
minute
Ursula
had
thrown
off
her
clothes
and
had
slipped
naked
into
the
water
,
and
was
swimming
out
.
Quickly
,
Gudrun
joined
her
.
They
swam
silently
and
blissfully
for
a
few
minutes
,
circling
round
their
little
stream-mouth
.
Then
they
slipped
ashore
and
ran
into
the
grove
again
,
like
nymphs
.
“
How
lovely
it
is
to
be
free
,
”
said
Ursula
,
running
swiftly
here
and
there
between
the
tree
trunks
,
quite
naked
,
her
hair
blowing
loose
.
The
grove
was
of
beech-trees
,
big
and
splendid
,
a
steel-grey
scaffolding
of
trunks
and
boughs
,
with
level
sprays
of
strong
green
here
and
there
,
whilst
through
the
northern
side
the
distance
glimmered
open
as
through
a
window
.
When
they
had
run
and
danced
themselves
dry
,
the
girls
quickly
dressed
and
sat
down
to
the
fragrant
tea
.
They
sat
on
the
northern
side
of
the
grove
,
in
the
yellow
sunshine
facing
the
slope
of
the
grassy
hill
,
alone
in
a
little
wild
world
of
their
own
.
The
tea
was
hot
and
aromatic
,
there
were
delicious
little
sandwiches
of
cucumber
and
of
caviare
,
and
winy
cakes
.
“
Are
you
happy
,
Prune
?
”
cried
Ursula
in
delight
,
looking
at
her
sister
.
“
Ursula
,
I’m
perfectly
happy
,
”
replied
Gudrun
gravely
,
looking
at
the
westering
sun
.
“
So
am
I
.
”
When
they
were
together
,
doing
the
things
they
enjoyed
,
the
two
sisters
were
quite
complete
in
a
perfect
world
of
their
own
.
And
this
was
one
of
the
perfect
moments
of
freedom
and
delight
,
such
as
children
alone
know
,
when
all
seems
a
perfect
and
blissful
adventure
.
When
they
had
finished
tea
,
the
two
girls
sat
on
,
silent
and
serene
.
Then
Ursula
,
who
had
a
beautiful
strong
voice
,
began
to
sing
to
herself
,
softly
:
“
Ännchen
von
Tharau
.
”
Gudrun
listened
,
as
she
sat
beneath
the
trees
,
and
the
yearning
came
into
her
heart
.
Ursula
seemed
so
peaceful
and
sufficient
unto
herself
,
sitting
there
unconsciously
crooning
her
song
,
strong
and
unquestioned
at
the
centre
of
her
own
universe
.
And
Gudrun
felt
herself
outside
.
Always
this
desolating
,
agonised
feeling
,
that
she
was
outside
of
life
,
an
onlooker
,
whilst
Ursula
was
a
partaker
,
caused
Gudrun
to
suffer
from
a
sense
of
her
own
negation
,
and
made
her
,
that
she
must
always
demand
the
other
to
be
aware
of
her
,
to
be
in
connection
with
her
.
“
Do
you
mind
if
I
do
Dalcroze
to
that
tune
,
Hurtler
?
”
she
asked
in
a
curious
muted
tone
,
scarce
moving
her
lips
.
“
What
did
you
say
?
”
asked
Ursula
,
looking
up
in
peaceful
surprise
.
“
Will
you
sing
while
I
do
Dalcroze
?
”
said
Gudrun
,
suffering
at
having
to
repeat
herself
.
Ursula
thought
a
moment
,
gathering
her
straying
wits
together
.
“
While
you
do
—
?
”
she
asked
vaguely
.
“
Dalcroze
movements
,
”
said
Gudrun
,
suffering
tortures
of
self-consciousness
,
even
because
of
her
sister
.
“
Oh
Dalcroze
!
I
couldn’t
catch
the
name
.
Do
—
I
should
love
to
see
you
,
”
cried
Ursula
,
with
childish
surprised
brightness
.
“
What
shall
I
sing
?
”
“
Sing
anything
you
like
,
and
I’ll
take
the
rhythm
from
it
.
”
But
Ursula
could
not
for
her
life
think
of
anything
to
sing
.
However
,
she
suddenly
began
,
in
a
laughing
,
teasing
voice
:
“
My
love
—
is
a
high-born
lady
—
”
Gudrun
,
looking
as
if
some
invisible
chain
weighed
on
her
hands
and
feet
,
began
slowly
to
dance
in
the
eurythmic
manner
,
pulsing
and
fluttering
rhythmically
with
her
feet
,
making
slower
,
regular
gestures
with
her
hands
and
arms
,
now
spreading
her
arms
wide
,
now
raising
them
above
her
head
,
now
flinging
them
softly
apart
,
and
lifting
her
face
,
her
feet
all
the
time
beating
and
running
to
the
measure
of
the
song
,
as
if
it
were
some
strange
incantation
,
her
white
,
rapt
form
drifting
here
and
there
in
a
strange
impulsive
rhapsody
,
seeming
to
be
lifted
on
a
breeze
of
incantation
,
shuddering
with
strange
little
runs
.
Ursula
sat
on
the
grass
,
her
mouth
open
in
her
singing
,
her
eyes
laughing
as
if
she
thought
it
was
a
great
joke
,
but
a
yellow
light
flashing
up
in
them
,
as
she
caught
some
of
the
unconscious
ritualistic
suggestion
of
the
complex
shuddering
and
waving
and
drifting
of
her
sister’s
white
form
,
that
was
clutched
in
pure
,
mindless
,
tossing
rhythm
,
and
a
will
set
powerful
in
a
kind
of
hypnotic
influence
.
“
My
love
is
a
high-born
lady
—
She
is-s-s
—
rather
dark
than
shady
—
”
rang
out
Ursula’s
laughing
,
satiric
song
,
and
quicker
,
fiercer
went
Gudrun
in
the
dance
,
stamping
as
if
she
were
trying
to
throw
off
some
bond
,
flinging
her
hands
suddenly
and
stamping
again
,
then
rushing
with
face
uplifted
and
throat
full
and
beautiful
,
and
eyes
half
closed
,
sightless
.
The
sun
was
low
and
yellow
,
sinking
down
,
and
in
the
sky
floated
a
thin
,
ineffectual
moon
.
Ursula
was
quite
absorbed
in
her
song
,
when
suddenly
Gudrun
stopped
and
said
mildly
,
ironically
:
“
Ursula
!
”
“
Yes
?
”
said
Ursula
,
opening
her
eyes
out
of
the
trance
.
Gudrun
was
standing
still
and
pointing
,
a
mocking
smile
on
her
face
,
towards
the
side
.
“
Ugh
!
”
cried
Ursula
in
sudden
panic
,
starting
to
her
feet
.
“
They’re
quite
all
right
,
”
rang
out
Gudrun’s
sardonic
voice
.
On
the
left
stood
a
little
cluster
of
Highland
cattle
,
vividly
coloured
and
fleecy
in
the
evening
light
,
their
horns
branching
into
the
sky
,
pushing
forward
their
muzzles
inquisitively
,
to
know
what
it
was
all
about
.
Their
eyes
glittered
through
their
tangle
of
hair
,
their
naked
nostrils
were
full
of
shadow
.
“
Won’t
they
do
anything
?
”
cried
Ursula
in
fear
.
Gudrun
,
who
was
usually
frightened
of
cattle
,
now
shook
her
head
in
a
queer
,
half-doubtful
,
half-sardonic
motion
,
a
faint
smile
round
her
mouth
.
“
Don’t
they
look
charming
,
Ursula
?
”
cried
Gudrun
,
in
a
high
,
strident
voice
,
something
like
the
scream
of
a
seagull
.
“
Charming
,
”
cried
Ursula
in
trepidation
.
“
But
won’t
they
do
anything
to
us
?
”
Again
Gudrun
looked
back
at
her
sister
with
an
enigmatic
smile
,
and
shook
her
head
.
“
I’m
sure
they
won’t
,
”
she
said
,
as
if
she
had
to
convince
herself
also
,
and
yet
,
as
if
she
were
confident
of
some
secret
power
in
herself
,
and
had
to
put
it
to
the
test
.
“
Sit
down
and
sing
again
,
”
she
called
in
her
high
,
strident
voice
.
“
I’m
frightened
,
”
cried
Ursula
,
in
a
pathetic
voice
,
watching
the
group
of
sturdy
short
cattle
,
that
stood
with
their
knees
planted
,
and
watched
with
their
dark
,
wicked
eyes
,
through
the
matted
fringe
of
their
hair
.
Nevertheless
,
she
sank
down
again
,
in
her
former
posture
.
“
They
are
quite
safe
,
”
came
Gudrun’s
high
call
.
“
Sing
something
,
you’ve
only
to
sing
something
.
”
It
was
evident
she
had
a
strange
passion
to
dance
before
the
sturdy
,
handsome
cattle
.
Ursula
began
to
sing
,
in
a
false
quavering
voice
:
“
Way
down
in
Tennessee
—
”
She
sounded
purely
anxious
.
Nevertheless
,
Gudrun
,
with
her
arms
outspread
and
her
face
uplifted
,
went
in
a
strange
palpitating
dance
towards
the
cattle
,
lifting
her
body
towards
them
as
if
in
a
spell
,
her
feet
pulsing
as
if
in
some
little
frenzy
of
unconscious
sensation
,
her
arms
,
her
wrists
,
her
hands
stretching
and
heaving
and
falling
and
reaching
and
reaching
and
falling
,
her
breasts
lifted
and
shaken
towards
the
cattle
,
her
throat
exposed
as
in
some
voluptuous
ecstasy
towards
them
,
whilst
she
drifted
imperceptibly
nearer
,
an
uncanny
white
figure
,
towards
them
,
carried
away
in
its
own
rapt
trance
,
ebbing
in
strange
fluctuations
upon
the
cattle
,
that
waited
,
and
ducked
their
heads
a
little
in
sudden
contraction
from
her
,
watching
all
the
time
as
if
hypnotised
,
their
bare
horns
branching
in
the
clear
light
,
as
the
white
figure
of
the
woman
ebbed
upon
them
,
in
the
slow
,
hypnotising
convulsion
of
the
dance
.
She
could
feel
them
just
in
front
of
her
,
it
was
as
if
she
had
the
electric
pulse
from
their
breasts
running
into
her
hands
.
Soon
she
would
touch
them
,
actually
touch
them
.
A
terrible
shiver
of
fear
and
pleasure
went
through
her
.
And
all
the
while
,
Ursula
,
spell-bound
,
kept
up
her
high-pitched
thin
,
irrelevant
song
,
which
pierced
the
fading
evening
like
an
incantation
.
Gudrun
could
hear
the
cattle
breathing
heavily
with
helpless
fear
and
fascination
.
Oh
,
they
were
brave
little
beasts
,
these
wild
Scotch
bullocks
,
wild
and
fleecy
.
Suddenly
one
of
them
snorted
,
ducked
its
head
,
and
backed
.
“
Hue
!
Hi-eee
!
”
came
a
sudden
loud
shout
from
the
edge
of
the
grove
.
The
cattle
broke
and
fell
back
quite
spontaneously
,
went
running
up
the
hill
,
their
fleece
waving
like
fire
to
their
motion
.
Gudrun
stood
suspended
out
on
the
grass
,
Ursula
rose
to
her
feet
.
It
was
Gerald
and
Birkin
come
to
find
them
,
and
Gerald
had
cried
out
to
frighten
off
the
cattle
.
“
What
do
you
think
you’re
doing
?
”
he
now
called
,
in
a
high
,
wondering
vexed
tone
.
“
Why
have
you
come
?
”
came
back
Gudrun’s
strident
cry
of
anger
.
“
What
do
you
think
you
were
doing
?
”
Gerald
repeated
,
automatically
.
“
We
were
doing
eurythmics
,
”
laughed
Ursula
,
in
a
shaken
voice
.
Gudrun
stood
aloof
looking
at
them
with
large
dark
eyes
of
resentment
,
suspended
for
a
few
moments
.
Then
she
walked
away
up
the
hill
,
after
the
cattle
,
which
had
gathered
in
a
little
,
spell-bound
cluster
higher
up
.
“
Where
are
you
going
?
”
Gerald
called
after
her
.
And
he
followed
her
up
the
hill-side
.
The
sun
had
gone
behind
the
hill
,
and
shadows
were
clinging
to
the
earth
,
the
sky
above
was
full
of
travelling
light
.
“
A
poor
song
for
a
dance
,
”
said
Birkin
to
Ursula
,
standing
before
her
with
a
sardonic
,
flickering
laugh
on
his
face
.
And
in
another
second
,
he
was
singing
softly
to
himself
,
and
dancing
a
grotesque
step-dance
in
front
of
her
,
his
limbs
and
body
shaking
loose
,
his
face
flickering
palely
,
a
constant
thing
,
whilst
his
feet
beat
a
rapid
mocking
tattoo
,
and
his
body
seemed
to
hang
all
loose
and
quaking
in
between
,
like
a
shadow
.
“
I
think
we’ve
all
gone
mad
,
”
she
said
,
laughing
rather
frightened
.
“
Pity
we
aren’t
madder
,
”
he
answered
,
as
he
kept
up
the
incessant
shaking
dance
.
Then
suddenly
he
leaned
up
to
her
and
kissed
her
fingers
lightly
,
putting
his
face
to
hers
and
looking
into
her
eyes
with
a
pale
grin
.
She
stepped
back
,
affronted
.
“
Offended
—
?
”
he
asked
ironically
,
suddenly
going
quite
still
and
reserved
again
.
“
I
thought
you
liked
the
light
fantastic
.
”
“
Not
like
that
,
”
she
said
,
confused
and
bewildered
,
almost
affronted
.
Yet
somewhere
inside
her
she
was
fascinated
by
the
sight
of
his
loose
,
vibrating
body
,
perfectly
abandoned
to
its
own
dropping
and
swinging
,
and
by
the
pallid
,
sardonic-smiling
face
above
.
Yet
automatically
she
stiffened
herself
away
,
and
disapproved
.
It
seemed
almost
an
obscenity
,
in
a
man
who
talked
as
a
rule
so
very
seriously
.
“
Why
not
like
that
?
”
he
mocked
.
And
immediately
he
dropped
again
into
the
incredibly
rapid
,
slack-waggling
dance
,
watching
her
malevolently
.
And
moving
in
the
rapid
,
stationary
dance
,
he
came
a
little
nearer
,
and
reached
forward
with
an
incredibly
mocking
,
satiric
gleam
on
his
face
,
and
would
have
kissed
her
again
,
had
she
not
started
back
.
“
No
,
don’t
!
”
she
cried
,
really
afraid
.
“
Cordelia
after
all
,
”
he
said
satirically
.
She
was
stung
,
as
if
this
were
an
insult
.
She
knew
he
intended
it
as
such
,
and
it
bewildered
her
.
“
And
you
,
”
she
cried
in
retort
,
“
why
do
you
always
take
your
soul
in
your
mouth
,
so
frightfully
full
?
”
“
So
that
I
can
spit
it
out
the
more
readily
,
”
he
said
,
pleased
by
his
own
retort
.
Gerald
Crich
,
his
face
narrowing
to
an
intent
gleam
,
followed
up
the
hill
with
quick
strides
,
straight
after
Gudrun
.
The
cattle
stood
with
their
noses
together
on
the
brow
of
a
slope
,
watching
the
scene
below
,
the
men
in
white
hovering
about
the
white
forms
of
the
women
,
watching
above
all
Gudrun
,
who
was
advancing
slowly
towards
them
.
She
stood
a
moment
,
glancing
back
at
Gerald
,
and
then
at
the
cattle
.
Then
in
a
sudden
motion
,
she
lifted
her
arms
and
rushed
sheer
upon
the
long-horned
bullocks
,
in
shuddering
irregular
runs
,
pausing
for
a
second
and
looking
at
them
,
then
lifting
her
hands
and
running
forward
with
a
flash
,
till
they
ceased
pawing
the
ground
,
and
gave
way
,
snorting
with
terror
,
lifting
their
heads
from
the
ground
and
flinging
themselves
away
,
galloping
off
into
the
evening
,
becoming
tiny
in
the
distance
,
and
still
not
stopping
.
Gudrun
remained
staring
after
them
,
with
a
mask-like
defiant
face
.
“
Why
do
you
want
to
drive
them
mad
?
”
asked
Gerald
,
coming
up
with
her
.
She
took
no
notice
of
him
,
only
averted
her
face
from
him
.
“
It’s
not
safe
,
you
know
,
”
he
persisted
.
“
They’re
nasty
,
when
they
do
turn
.
”
“
Turn
where
?
Turn
away
?
”
she
mocked
loudly
.
“
No
,
”
he
said
,
“
turn
against
you
.
”
“
Turn
against
me
?
”
she
mocked
.
He
could
make
nothing
of
this
.
“
Anyway
,
they
gored
one
of
the
farmer’s
cows
to
death
,
the
other
day
,
”
he
said
.
“
What
do
I
care
?
”
she
said
.
“
I
cared
though
,
”
he
replied
,
“
seeing
that
they’re
my
cattle
.
”
“
How
are
they
yours
!
You
haven’t
swallowed
them
.
Give
me
one
of
them
now
,
”
she
said
,
holding
out
her
hand
.
“
You
know
where
they
are
,
”
he
said
,
pointing
over
the
hill
.
“
You
can
have
one
if
you’d
like
it
sent
to
you
later
on
.
”
She
looked
at
him
inscrutably
.
“
You
think
I’m
afraid
of
you
and
your
cattle
,
don’t
you
?
”
she
asked
.
His
eyes
narrowed
dangerously
.
There
was
a
faint
domineering
smile
on
his
face
.
“
Why
should
I
think
that
?
”
he
said
.
She
was
watching
him
all
the
time
with
her
dark
,
dilated
,
inchoate
eyes
.
She
leaned
forward
and
swung
round
her
arm
,
catching
him
a
light
blow
on
the
face
with
the
back
of
her
hand
.
“
That’s
why
,
”
she
said
,
mocking
.
And
she
felt
in
her
soul
an
unconquerable
desire
for
deep
violence
against
him
.
She
shut
off
the
fear
and
dismay
that
filled
her
conscious
mind
.
She
wanted
to
do
as
she
did
,
she
was
not
going
to
be
afraid
.
He
recoiled
from
the
slight
blow
on
his
face
.
He
became
deadly
pale
,
and
a
dangerous
flame
darkened
his
eyes
.
For
some
seconds
he
could
not
speak
,
his
lungs
were
so
suffused
with
blood
,
his
heart
stretched
almost
to
bursting
with
a
great
gush
of
ungovernable
emotion
.
It
was
as
if
some
reservoir
of
black
emotion
had
burst
within
him
,
and
swamped
him
.
“
You
have
struck
the
first
blow
,
”
he
said
at
last
,
forcing
the
words
from
his
lungs
,
in
a
voice
so
soft
and
low
,
it
sounded
like
a
dream
within
her
,
not
spoken
in
the
outer
air
.
“
And
I
shall
strike
the
last
,
”
she
retorted
involuntarily
,
with
confident
assurance
.
He
was
silent
,
he
did
not
contradict
her
.
She
stood
negligently
,
staring
away
from
him
,
into
the
distance
.
On
the
edge
of
her
consciousness
the
question
was
asking
itself
,
automatically
:
“
Why
are
you
behaving
in
this
impossible
and
ridiculous
fashion
.
”
But
she
was
sullen
,
she
half
shoved
the
question
out
of
herself
.
She
could
not
get
it
clean
away
,
so
she
felt
self-conscious
.
Gerald
,
very
pale
,
was
watching
her
closely
.
His
eyes
were
lit
up
with
intent
lights
,
absorbed
and
gleaming
.
She
turned
suddenly
on
him
.
“
It’s
you
who
make
me
behave
like
this
,
you
know
,
”
she
said
,
almost
suggestive
.
“
I
?
How
?
”
he
said
.
But
she
turned
away
,
and
set
off
towards
the
lake
.
Below
,
on
the
water
,
lanterns
were
coming
alight
,
faint
ghosts
of
warm
flame
floating
in
the
pallor
of
the
first
twilight
.
The
earth
was
spread
with
darkness
,
like
lacquer
,
overhead
was
a
pale
sky
,
all
primrose
,
and
the
lake
was
pale
as
milk
in
one
part
.
Away
at
the
landing
stage
,
tiniest
points
of
coloured
rays
were
stringing
themselves
in
the
dusk
.
The
launch
was
being
illuminated
.
All
round
,
shadow
was
gathering
from
the
trees
.
Gerald
,
white
like
a
presence
in
his
summer
clothes
,
was
following
down
the
open
grassy
slope
.
Gudrun
waited
for
him
to
come
up
.
Then
she
softly
put
out
her
hand
and
touched
him
,
saying
softly
:
“
Don’t
be
angry
with
me
.
”
A
flame
flew
over
him
,
and
he
was
unconscious
.
Yet
he
stammered
:
“
I’m
not
angry
with
you
.
I’m
in
love
with
you
.
”
His
mind
was
gone
,
he
grasped
for
sufficient
mechanical
control
,
to
save
himself
.
She
laughed
a
silvery
little
mockery
,
yet
intolerably
caressive
.
“
That’s
one
way
of
putting
it
,
”
she
said
.
The
terrible
swooning
burden
on
his
mind
,
the
awful
swooning
,
the
loss
of
all
his
control
,
was
too
much
for
him
.
He
grasped
her
arm
in
his
one
hand
,
as
if
his
hand
were
iron
.
“
It’s
all
right
,
then
,
is
it
?
”
he
said
,
holding
her
arrested
.
She
looked
at
the
face
with
the
fixed
eyes
,
set
before
her
,
and
her
blood
ran
cold
.
“
Yes
,
it’s
all
right
,
”
she
said
softly
,
as
if
drugged
,
her
voice
crooning
and
witch-like
.
He
walked
on
beside
her
,
a
striding
,
mindless
body
.
But
he
recovered
a
little
as
he
went
.
He
suffered
badly
.
He
had
killed
his
brother
when
a
boy
,
and
was
set
apart
,
like
Cain
.
They
found
Birkin
and
Ursula
sitting
together
by
the
boats
,
talking
and
laughing
.
Birkin
had
been
teasing
Ursula
.
“
Do
you
smell
this
little
marsh
?
”
he
said
,
sniffing
the
air
.
He
was
very
sensitive
to
scents
,
and
quick
in
understanding
them
.
“
It’s
rather
nice
,
”
she
said
.
“
No
,
”
he
replied
,
“
alarming
.
”
“
Why
alarming
?
”
she
laughed
.
“
It
seethes
and
seethes
,
a
river
of
darkness
,
”
he
said
,
“
putting
forth
lilies
and
snakes
,
and
the
ignis
fatuus
,
and
rolling
all
the
time
onward
.
That’s
what
we
never
take
into
count
—
that
it
rolls
onwards
.
”
“
What
does
?
”
“
The
other
river
,
the
black
river
.
We
always
consider
the
silver
river
of
life
,
rolling
on
and
quickening
all
the
world
to
a
brightness
,
on
and
on
to
heaven
,
flowing
into
a
bright
eternal
sea
,
a
heaven
of
angels
thronging
.
But
the
other
is
our
real
reality
—
”
“
But
what
other
?
I
don’t
see
any
other
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
It
is
your
reality
,
nevertheless
,
”
he
said
;
“
that
dark
river
of
dissolution
.
You
see
it
rolls
in
us
just
as
the
other
rolls
—
the
black
river
of
corruption
.
And
our
flowers
are
of
this
—
our
sea-born
Aphrodite
,
all
our
white
phosphorescent
flowers
of
sensuous
perfection
,
all
our
reality
,
nowadays
.
”
“
You
mean
that
Aphrodite
is
really
deathly
?
”
asked
Ursula
.
“
I
mean
she
is
the
flowering
mystery
of
the
death-process
,
yes
,
”
he
replied
.
“
When
the
stream
of
synthetic
creation
lapses
,
we
find
ourselves
part
of
the
inverse
process
,
the
blood
of
destructive
creation
.
Aphrodite
is
born
in
the
first
spasm
of
universal
dissolution
—
then
the
snakes
and
swans
and
lotus
—
marsh-flowers
—
and
Gudrun
and
Gerald
—
born
in
the
process
of
destructive
creation
.
”
“
And
you
and
me
—
?
”
she
asked
.
“
Probably
,
”
he
replied
.
“
In
part
,
certainly
.
Whether
we
are
that
,
in
toto
,
I
don’t
yet
know
.
”
“
You
mean
we
are
flowers
of
dissolution
—
fleurs
du
mal
?
I
don’t
feel
as
if
I
were
,
”
she
protested
.
He
was
silent
for
a
time
.
“
I
don’t
feel
as
if
we
were
,
altogether
,
”
he
replied
.
“
Some
people
are
pure
flowers
of
dark
corruption
—
lilies
.
But
there
ought
to
be
some
roses
,
warm
and
flamy
.
You
know
Herakleitos
says
‘a
dry
soul
is
best.’
I
know
so
well
what
that
means
.
Do
you
?
”
“
I’m
not
sure
,
”
Ursula
replied
.
“
But
what
if
people
are
all
flowers
of
dissolution
—
when
they’re
flowers
at
all
—
what
difference
does
it
make
?
”
“
No
difference
—
and
all
the
difference
.
Dissolution
rolls
on
,
just
as
production
does
,
”
he
said
.
“
It
is
a
progressive
process
—
and
it
ends
in
universal
nothing
—
the
end
of
the
world
,
if
you
like
.
But
why
isn’t
the
end
of
the
world
as
good
as
the
beginning
?
”
“
I
suppose
it
isn’t
,
”
said
Ursula
,
rather
angry
.
“
Oh
yes
,
ultimately
,
”
he
said
.
“
It
means
a
new
cycle
of
creation
after
—
but
not
for
us
.
If
it
is
the
end
,
then
we
are
of
the
end
—
fleurs
du
mal
if
you
like
.
If
we
are
fleurs
du
mal
,
we
are
not
roses
of
happiness
,
and
there
you
are
.
”
“
But
I
think
I
am
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
I
think
I
am
a
rose
of
happiness
.
”
“
Ready-made
?
”
he
asked
ironically
.
“
No
—
real
,
”
she
said
,
hurt
.
“
If
we
are
the
end
,
we
are
not
the
beginning
,
”
he
said
.
“
Yes
we
are
,
”
she
said
.
“
The
beginning
comes
out
of
the
end
.
”
“
After
it
,
not
out
of
it
.
After
us
,
not
out
of
us
.
”
“
You
are
a
devil
,
you
know
,
really
,
”
she
said
.
“
You
want
to
destroy
our
hope
.
You
want
us
to
be
deathly
.
”
“
No
,
”
he
said
,
“
I
only
want
us
to
know
what
we
are
.
”
“
Ha
!
”
she
cried
in
anger
.
“
You
only
want
us
to
know
death
.
”
“
You’re
quite
right
,
”
said
the
soft
voice
of
Gerald
,
out
of
the
dusk
behind
.
Birkin
rose
.
Gerald
and
Gudrun
came
up
.
They
all
began
to
smoke
,
in
the
moments
of
silence
.
One
after
another
,
Birkin
lighted
their
cigarettes
.
The
match
flickered
in
the
twilight
,
and
they
were
all
smoking
peacefully
by
the
water-side
.
The
lake
was
dim
,
the
light
dying
from
off
it
,
in
the
midst
of
the
dark
land
.
The
air
all
round
was
intangible
,
neither
here
nor
there
,
and
there
was
an
unreal
noise
of
banjoes
,
or
suchlike
music
.
As
the
golden
swim
of
light
overhead
died
out
,
the
moon
gained
brightness
,
and
seemed
to
begin
to
smile
forth
her
ascendancy
.
The
dark
woods
on
the
opposite
shore
melted
into
universal
shadow
.
And
amid
this
universal
under-shadow
,
there
was
a
scattered
intrusion
of
lights
.
Far
down
the
lake
were
fantastic
pale
strings
of
colour
,
like
beads
of
wan
fire
,
green
and
red
and
yellow
.
The
music
came
out
in
a
little
puff
,
as
the
launch
,
all
illuminated
,
veered
into
the
great
shadow
,
stirring
her
outlines
of
half-living
lights
,
puffing
out
her
music
in
little
drifts
.
All
were
lighting
up
.
Here
and
there
,
close
against
the
faint
water
,
and
at
the
far
end
of
the
lake
,
where
the
water
lay
milky
in
the
last
whiteness
of
the
sky
,
and
there
was
no
shadow
,
solitary
,
frail
flames
of
lanterns
floated
from
the
unseen
boats
.
There
was
a
sound
of
oars
,
and
a
boat
passed
from
the
pallor
into
the
darkness
under
the
wood
,
where
her
lanterns
seemed
to
kindle
into
fire
,
hanging
in
ruddy
lovely
globes
.
And
again
,
in
the
lake
,
shadowy
red
gleams
hovered
in
reflection
about
the
boat
.
Everywhere
were
these
noiseless
ruddy
creatures
of
fire
drifting
near
the
surface
of
the
water
,
caught
at
by
the
rarest
,
scarce
visible
reflections
.
Birkin
brought
the
lanterns
from
the
bigger
boat
,
and
the
four
shadowy
white
figures
gathered
round
,
to
light
them
.
Ursula
held
up
the
first
,
Birkin
lowered
the
light
from
the
rosy
,
glowing
cup
of
his
hands
,
into
the
depths
of
the
lantern
.
It
was
kindled
,
and
they
all
stood
back
to
look
at
the
great
blue
moon
of
light
that
hung
from
Ursula’s
hand
,
casting
a
strange
gleam
on
her
face
.
It
flickered
,
and
Birkin
went
bending
over
the
well
of
light
.
His
face
shone
out
like
an
apparition
,
so
unconscious
,
and
again
,
something
demoniacal
.
Ursula
was
dim
and
veiled
,
looming
over
him
.
“
That
is
all
right
,
”
said
his
voice
softly
.
She
held
up
the
lantern
.
It
had
a
flight
of
storks
streaming
through
a
turquoise
sky
of
light
,
over
a
dark
earth
.
“
This
is
beautiful
,
”
she
said
.
“
Lovely
,
”
echoed
Gudrun
,
who
wanted
to
hold
one
also
,
and
lift
it
up
full
of
beauty
.
“
Light
one
for
me
,
”
she
said
.
Gerald
stood
by
her
,
incapacitated
.
Birkin
lit
the
lantern
she
held
up
.
Her
heart
beat
with
anxiety
,
to
see
how
beautiful
it
would
be
.
It
was
primrose
yellow
,
with
tall
straight
flowers
growing
darkly
from
their
dark
leaves
,
lifting
their
heads
into
the
primrose
day
,
while
butterflies
hovered
about
them
,
in
the
pure
clear
light
.
Gudrun
gave
a
little
cry
of
excitement
,
as
if
pierced
with
delight
.
“
Isn’t
it
beautiful
,
oh
,
isn’t
it
beautiful
!
”
Her
soul
was
really
pierced
with
beauty
,
she
was
translated
beyond
herself
.
Gerald
leaned
near
to
her
,
into
her
zone
of
light
,
as
if
to
see
.
He
came
close
to
her
,
and
stood
touching
her
,
looking
with
her
at
the
primrose-shining
globe
.
And
she
turned
her
face
to
his
,
that
was
faintly
bright
in
the
light
of
the
lantern
,
and
they
stood
together
in
one
luminous
union
,
close
together
and
ringed
round
with
light
,
all
the
rest
excluded
.
Birkin
looked
away
,
and
went
to
light
Ursula’s
second
lantern
.
It
had
a
pale
ruddy
sea-bottom
,
with
black
crabs
and
sea-weed
moving
sinuously
under
a
transparent
sea
,
that
passed
into
flamy
ruddiness
above
.
“
You’ve
got
the
heavens
above
,
and
the
waters
under
the
earth
,
”
said
Birkin
to
her
.
“
Anything
but
the
earth
itself
,
”
she
laughed
,
watching
his
live
hands
that
hovered
to
attend
to
the
light
.
“
I’m
dying
to
see
what
my
second
one
is
,
”
cried
Gudrun
,
in
a
vibrating
rather
strident
voice
,
that
seemed
to
repel
the
others
from
her
.
Birkin
went
and
kindled
it
.
It
was
of
a
lovely
deep
blue
colour
,
with
a
red
floor
,
and
a
great
white
cuttle-fish
flowing
in
white
soft
streams
all
over
it
.
The
cuttle-fish
had
a
face
that
stared
straight
from
the
heart
of
the
light
,
very
fixed
and
coldly
intent
.
“
How
truly
terrifying
!
”
exclaimed
Gudrun
,
in
a
voice
of
horror
.
Gerald
,
at
her
side
,
gave
a
low
laugh
.
“
But
isn’t
it
really
fearful
!
”
she
cried
in
dismay
.
Again
he
laughed
,
and
said
:
“
Change
it
with
Ursula
,
for
the
crabs
.
”
Gudrun
was
silent
for
a
moment
.
“
Ursula
,
”
she
said
,
“
could
you
bear
to
have
this
fearful
thing
?
”
“
I
think
the
colouring
is
lovely
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
So
do
I
,
”
said
Gudrun
.
“
But
could
you
bear
to
have
it
swinging
to
your
boat
?
Don’t
you
want
to
destroy
it
at
once
?
”
“
Oh
no
,
”
said
Ursula
.
“
I
don’t
want
to
destroy
it
.
”
“
Well
do
you
mind
having
it
instead
of
the
crabs
?
Are
you
sure
you
don’t
mind
?
”
Gudrun
came
forward
to
exchange
lanterns
.
“
No
,
”
said
Ursula
,
yielding
up
the
crabs
and
receiving
the
cuttle-fish
.
Yet
she
could
not
help
feeling
rather
resentful
at
the
way
in
which
Gudrun
and
Gerald
should
assume
a
right
over
her
,
a
precedence
.
“
Come
then
,
”
said
Birkin
.
“
I’ll
put
them
on
the
boats
.
”
He
and
Ursula
were
moving
away
to
the
big
boat
.
“
I
suppose
you’ll
row
me
back
,
Rupert
,
”
said
Gerald
,
out
of
the
pale
shadow
of
the
evening
.
“
Won’t
you
go
with
Gudrun
in
the
canoe
?
”
said
Birkin
.
“
It’ll
be
more
interesting
.
”
There
was
a
moment’s
pause
.
Birkin
and
Ursula
stood
dimly
,
with
their
swinging
lanterns
,
by
the
water’s
edge
.
The
world
was
all
illusive
.
“
Is
that
all
right
?
”
said
Gudrun
to
him
.
“
It’ll
suit
me
very
well
,
”
he
said
.
“
But
what
about
you
,
and
the
rowing
?
I
don’t
see
why
you
should
pull
me
.
”
“
Why
not
?
”
she
said
.
“
I
can
pull
you
as
well
as
I
could
pull
Ursula
.
”
By
her
tone
he
could
tell
she
wanted
to
have
him
in
the
boat
to
herself
,
and
that
she
was
subtly
gratified
that
she
should
have
power
over
them
both
.
He
gave
himself
,
in
a
strange
,
electric
submission
.
She
handed
him
the
lanterns
,
whilst
she
went
to
fix
the
cane
at
the
end
of
the
canoe
.
He
followed
after
her
,
and
stood
with
the
lanterns
dangling
against
his
white-flannelled
thighs
,
emphasising
the
shadow
around
.
“
Kiss
me
before
we
go
,
”
came
his
voice
softly
from
out
of
the
shadow
above
.
She
stopped
her
work
in
real
,
momentary
astonishment
.
“
But
why
?
”
she
exclaimed
,
in
pure
surprise
.
“
Why
?
”
he
echoed
,
ironically
.
And
she
looked
at
him
fixedly
for
some
moments
.
Then
she
leaned
forward
and
kissed
him
,
with
a
slow
,
luxurious
kiss
,
lingering
on
the
mouth
.
And
then
she
took
the
lanterns
from
him
,
while
he
stood
swooning
with
the
perfect
fire
that
burned
in
all
his
joints
.
They
lifted
the
canoe
into
the
water
,
Gudrun
took
her
place
,
and
Gerald
pushed
off
.
“
Are
you
sure
you
don’t
hurt
your
hand
,
doing
that
?
”
she
asked
,
solicitous
.
“
Because
I
could
have
done
it
perfectly
.
”
“
I
don’t
hurt
myself
,
”
he
said
in
a
low
,
soft
voice
,
that
caressed
her
with
inexpressible
beauty
.
And
she
watched
him
as
he
sat
near
her
,
very
near
to
her
,
in
the
stern
of
the
canoe
,
his
legs
coming
towards
hers
,
his
feet
touching
hers
.
And
she
paddled
softly
,
lingeringly
,
longing
for
him
to
say
something
meaningful
to
her
.
But
he
remained
silent
.
“
You
like
this
,
do
you
?
”
she
said
,
in
a
gentle
,
solicitous
voice
.
He
laughed
shortly
.
“
There
is
a
space
between
us
,
”
he
said
,
in
the
same
low
,
unconscious
voice
,
as
if
something
were
speaking
out
of
him
.
And
she
was
as
if
magically
aware
of
their
being
balanced
in
separation
,
in
the
boat
.
She
swooned
with
acute
comprehension
and
pleasure
.
“
But
I’m
very
near
,
”
she
said
caressively
,
gaily
.
“
Yet
distant
,
distant
,
”
he
said
.
Again
she
was
silent
with
pleasure
,
before
she
answered
,
speaking
with
a
reedy
,
thrilled
voice
:
“
Yet
we
cannot
very
well
change
,
whilst
we
are
on
the
water
.
”
She
caressed
him
subtly
and
strangely
,
having
him
completely
at
her
mercy
.
A
dozen
or
more
boats
on
the
lake
swung
their
rosy
and
moon-like
lanterns
low
on
the
water
,
that
reflected
as
from
a
fire
.
In
the
distance
,
the
steamer
twanged
and
thrummed
and
washed
with
her
faintly-splashing
paddles
,
trailing
her
strings
of
coloured
lights
,
and
occasionally
lighting
up
the
whole
scene
luridly
with
an
effusion
of
fireworks
,
Roman
candles
and
sheafs
of
stars
and
other
simple
effects
,
illuminating
the
surface
of
the
water
,
and
showing
the
boats
creeping
round
,
low
down
.
Then
the
lovely
darkness
fell
again
,
the
lanterns
and
the
little
threaded
lights
glimmered
softly
,
there
was
a
muffled
knocking
of
oars
and
a
waving
of
music
.
Gudrun
paddled
almost
imperceptibly
.
Gerald
could
see
,
not
far
ahead
,
the
rich
