登陆注册
19901600000050

第50章

Again they looked at each other.She suddenly sprang up, turned her back to him, and walked away.He too rose slowly and went to the water's edge, where, crouching, he began to amuse himself unconsciously.Picking a daisy he dropped it on the pond, so that the stem was a keel, the flower floated like a little water lily, staring with its open face up to the sky.It turned slowly round, in a slow, slow Dervish dance, as it veered away.

He watched it, then dropped another daisy into the water, and after that another, and sat watching them with bright, absolved eyes, crouching near on the bank.Ursula turned to look.A strange feeling possessed her, as if something were taking place.But it was all intangible.And some sort of control was being put on her.She could not know.She could only watch the brilliant little discs of the daisies veering slowly in travel on the dark, lustrous water.The little flotilla was drifting into the light, a company of white specks in the distance.

`Do let us go to the shore, to follow them,' she said, afraid of being any longer imprisoned on the island.And they pushed off in the punt.

She was glad to be on the free land again.She went along the bank towards the sluice.The daisies were scattered broadcast on the pond, tiny radiant things, like an exaltation, points of exaltation here and there.Why did they move her so strongly and mystically?

`Look,' he said, `your boat of purple paper is escorting them, and they are a convoy of rafts.'

Some of the daisies came slowly towards her, hesitating, making a shy bright little cotillion on the dark clear water.Their gay bright candour moved her so much as they came near, that she was almost in tears.

`Why are they so lovely,' she cried.`Why do I think them so lovely?'

`They are nice flowers,' he said, her emotional tones putting a constraint on him.

`You know that a daisy is a company of florets, a concourse, become individual.Don't the botanists put it highest in the line of development?

I believe they do.'

`The compositae, yes, I think so,' said Ursula, who was never very sure of anything.Things she knew perfectly well, at one moment, seemed to become doubtful the next.

`Explain it so, then,' he said.`The daisy is a perfect little democracy, so it's the highest of flowers, hence its charm.'

`No,' she cried, `no -- never.It isn't democratic.'

`No,' he admitted.`It's the golden mob of the proletariat, surrounded by a showy white fence of the idle rich.'

`How hateful -- your hateful social orders!' she cried.

`Quite! It's a daisy -- we'll leave it alone.'

`Do.Let it be a dark horse for once,' she said: `if anything can be a dark horse to you,' she added satirically.

They stood aside, forgetful.As if a little stunned, they both were motionless, barely conscious.The little conflict into which they had fallen had torn their consciousness and left them like two impersonal forces, there in contact.

He became aware of the lapse.He wanted to say something, to get on to a new more ordinary footing.

`You know,' he said, `that I am having rooms here at the mill? Don't you think we can have some good times?'

`Oh are you?' she said, ignoring all his implication of admitted intimacy.

He adjusted himself at once, became normally distant.

`If I find I can live sufficiently by myself,' he continued, `I shall give up my work altogether.It has become dead to me.I don't believe in the humanity I pretend to be part of, I don't care a straw for the social ideals I live by, I hate the dying organic form of social mankind -- so it can't be anything but trumpery, to work at education.I shall drop it as soon as I am clear enough -- tomorrow perhaps -- and be by myself.'

`Have you enough to live on?' asked Ursula.

`Yes -- I've about four hundred a year.That makes it easy for me.'

There was a pause.

`And what about Hermione?' asked Ursula.

`That's over, finally -- a pure failure, and never could have been anything else.'

`But you still know each other?'

`We could hardly pretend to be strangers, could we?'

There was a stubborn pause.

`But isn't that a half-measure?' asked Ursula at length.

`I don't think so,' he said.`You'll be able to tell me if it is.'

Again there was a pause of some minutes' duration.He was thinking.

`One must throw everything away, everything -- let everything go, to get the one last thing one wants,' he said.

`What thing?' she asked in challenge.

`I don't know -- freedom together,' he said.

She had wanted him to say `love.'

There was heard a loud barking of the dogs below.He seemed disturbed by it.She did not notice.Only she thought he seemed uneasy.

`As a matter of fact,' he said, in rather a small voice, `I believe that is Hermione come now, with Gerald Crich.She wanted to see the rooms before they are furnished.'

`I know,' said Ursula.`She will superintend the furnishing for you.'

`Probably.Does it matter?'

`Oh no, I should think not,' said Ursula.`Though personally, I can't bear her.I think she is a lie, if you like, you who are always talking about lies.' Then she ruminated for a moment, when she broke out: `Yes, and I do mind if she furnishes your rooms -- I do mind.I mind that you keep her hanging on at all.'

He was silent now, frowning.

`Perhaps,' he said.`I don't want her to furnish the rooms here -- and I don't keep her hanging on.Only, I needn't be churlish to her, need I? At any rate, I shall have to go down and see them now.You'll come, won't you?'

`I don't think so,' she said coldly and irresolutely.

`Won't you? Yes do.Come and see the rooms as well.Do come.'

同类推荐
  • 楞伽阿跋多罗宝经注解

    楞伽阿跋多罗宝经注解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 五家宗旨纂要

    五家宗旨纂要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 爱日斋丛抄

    爱日斋丛抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 唐梵文字

    唐梵文字

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘四法经-实叉难陀

    大乘四法经-实叉难陀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 海那边的风景

    海那边的风景

    我怎么也没有想到,平时很少跟我交流的儿子石川,一见我回家便憨头憨脑地冲我笑。看着儿子可爱的模样,我也顾不得旅途的劳累,一下子把儿子抱在怀里。
  • 重生傲古

    重生傲古

    一代修真奇才慕容潇漓逆天夺命,灵魂重塑成为慕容家遗弃的废物。纵你天赋绝伦,手眼通天,我慕容潇漓得以重生,必然傲世长生。————————新书求一切,稳定更新,人品保证感谢【卿酒】做的封面美美哒~~需要的小伙伴可以直接留言联系哟~~
  • 绝恋之爱恨恢恢

    绝恋之爱恨恢恢

    她,容颜绝世却自小目盲,不可得见。他,才智绝伦,从小远征,战功赫赫。他爱她。他们青梅竹马,理应在一起?不不不,她恨他,恨不得他去死。但她却忘记了,没有爱又哪里来的恨!
  • 佛说月光童子经

    佛说月光童子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 成仙化凡

    成仙化凡

    天若有情天亦老,月如无恨月常圆求仙,到头来到底求的是什么?当他从一介资质平庸的凡人为了追寻他的她,一步步走到仙途顶峰的时候,再回首,才发现一切已经沧海桑田,左手成仙,右手化凡,为了她,该当如何?
  • 异世风华之贪财魔法师

    异世风华之贪财魔法师

    只因为自己小小的贪财就穿越到了一个不熟悉的魔法世界,而且还是身份珍贵的废柴女公爵,可是这未婚夫是怎么回事?她还有更重要的事情要做呢,且看她如何在这个满是魔法横行,斗气强者为尊的世界一步步变大变强,找到自己的真爱。
  • 篮球之恋

    篮球之恋

    也许这辈子我注定了是要欠你的。如果可以,下辈子我一定还给你,一定要和你在一起,再也不让你从我的身边跑掉。如果你是一条鱼,我会变成一池水,任你在里面任性的游淌。如果你是一只飞鸟,我会变成一片云,时时刻刻陪伴在你的左右一生一世永不分离。如果你还是之乐,我就会变成一片泥土,粘在你的脚下任你甩也甩不掉丢也丢不开。
  • 修罗皇后

    修罗皇后

    军机处310办公室金牌特工,却沦为嗜血帝王的禁脔!万蛇魔窟、食人巨兽、残忍酷刑,全都败在她的斗气之下!御灵兽、集斗气、斩邪王,她早已不是那个废柴公主,她是来自地狱的死神!
  • 狐仙不妖娆

    狐仙不妖娆

    【注意:此为不是傻白文也不是严重玛丽苏文,请放心食用】身为一只狐狸没什么,问题是这只狐狸也太平凡了吧!身为一个废物没关系,问题是一千多年两条尾巴都没修出来也是够了啊!身为一个单纯的不谙世事的少女没关系,问题是单纯到被卖了还帮着数钱就不正常了好吧!至于狐狸的姻缘问题……嗯,是高高在上的神狐大人,还是低低在下的笨道士,这是个,值得深究的问题。“泥萌,尊的不打算点进去看看再说咩。”qwq
  • 死党那些事

    死党那些事

    写了几个死党的秘密,他们之间也会有分分合合。