第50章

And when he came into her,with an intensification of relief and consummation that was pure peace to him,still she was waiting.She felt herself a little left out.And she knew,partly it was her own fault.She willed herself into this separateness.Now perhaps she was condemned to it.She lay still,feeling his motion within her,his deep-sunk intentness,the sudden quiver of him at the springing of his seed,then the slow-subsiding thrust.That thrust of the buttocks,surely it was a little ridiculous.If you were a woman,and a part in all the business,surely that thrusting of the man's buttocks was supremely ridiculous.Surely the man was intensely ridiculous in this posture and this act!

But she lay still,without recoil.Even when he had finished,she did not rouse herself to get a grip on her own satisfaction,as she had done with Michaelis;she lay still,and the tears slowly filled and ran from her eyes.

He lay still,too.But he held her close and tried to cover her poor naked legs with his legs,to keep them warm.He lay on her with a close,undoubting warmth.

'Are yer cold?'he asked,in a soft,small voice,as if she were close,so close.Whereas she was left out,distant.

'No!But I must go,'she said gently.

He sighed,held her closer,then relaxed to rest again.

He had not guessed her tears.He thought she was there with him.

'I must go,'she repeated.

He lifted himself kneeled beside her a moment,kissed the inner side of her thighs,then drew down her skirts,buttoning his own clothes unthinking,not even turning aside,in the faint,faint light from the lantern.

'Tha mun come ter th'cottage one time,'he said,looking down at her with a warm,sure,easy face.

But she lay there inert,and was gazing up at him thinking:Stranger!

Stranger!She even resented him a little.

He put on his coat and looked for his hat,which had fallen,then he slung on his gun.

'Come then!'he said,looking down at her with those warm,peaceful sort of eyes.

She rose slowly.She didn't want to go.She also rather resented staying.

He helped her with her thin waterproof and saw she was tidy.

Then he opened the door.The outside was quite dark.The faithful dog under the porch stood up with pleasure seeing him.The drizzle of rain drifted greyly past upon the darkness.It was quite dark.

'Ah mun ta'e th'lantern,'he said.'The'll be nob'dy.'

He walked just before her in the narrow path,swinging the hurricane lamp low,revealing the wet grass,the black shiny tree-roots like snakes,wan flowers.For the rest,all was grey rain-mist and complete darkness.

'Tha mun come to the cottage one time,'he said,'shall ta?We might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb.'

It puzzled her,his queer,persistent wanting her,when there was nothing between them,when he never really spoke to her,and in spite of herself she resented the dialect.His 'tha mun come'seemed not addressed to her,but some common woman.She recognized the foxglove leaves of the riding and knew,more or less,where they were.

'It's quarter past seven,'he said,'you'll do it.'He had changed his voice,seemed to feel her distance.As they turned the last bend in the riding towards the hazel wall and the gate,he blew out the light.'We'll see from here,'be said,taking her gently by the arm.

But it was difficult,the earth under their feet was a mystery,but he felt his way by tread:he was used to it.At the gate he gave her his electric torch.'It's a bit lighter in the park,'he said;'but take it for fear you get off th'path.'

It was true,there seemed a ghost-glimmer of greyness in the open space of the park.He suddenly drew her to him and whipped his hand under her dress again,feeling her warm body with his wet,chill hand.

'I could die for the touch of a woman like thee,'he said in his throat.

'If tha'would stop another minute.'

She felt the sudden force of his wanting her again.

'No,I must run,'she said,a little wildly.

'Ay,'he replied,suddenly changed,letting her go.

She turned away,and on the instant she turned back to him saying:'Kiss me.'

He bent over her indistinguishable and kissed her on the left eye.She held her mouth and he softly kissed it,but at once drew away.He hated mouth kisses.

'I'll come tomorrow,'she said,drawing away;'if I can,'she added.

'Ay!not so late,'he replied out of the darkness.Already she could not see him at all.

'Goodnight,'she said.

'Goodnight,your Ladyship,'his voice.

She stopped and looked back into the wet dark.She could just see the bulk of him.'Why did you say that?'she said.

'Nay,'he replied.'Goodnight then,run!'

She plunged on in the dark-grey tangible night.She found the side-door open,and slipped into her room unseen.As she closed the door the gong sounded,but she would take her bath all the same--she must take her bath.

'But I won't be late any more,'she said to herself;'it's too annoying.'