登陆注册
37340700000050

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, ****** 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 -- ******* 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
热门推荐
  • 浮生劫:锦赋离思

    浮生劫:锦赋离思

    她曾是天界的九天玄女,只因一次下凡在蛟龙爪下救下了他。从此冰冻了千年的心被他捂热了。为了能和他在一起,她历尽劫难!被除仙位,去仙缘,下界为人。他为了她,放弃龙王身份,一朝入魔界!多年后,在人间寻到了她的踪迹,便不顾一切的前往人间。..........。再一次的被她救起,她已不记得他是谁了。。这一次,他和她还能再续前缘吗?
  • 一笑倾城:美人殇

    一笑倾城:美人殇

    这一场异世之旅,就像一场梦一样意外,他曾说:“若你回头,执子之手。”她却冷冷的不屑一顾,重新转世,他再次遇到了她,他仍“若你回头,执子之手。”只是她心里却被复仇填满。再次转世,她遇到了他,她说:“若你回头,执子之手。”他却已无力再爱。她悲痛欲绝,却得知他要大婚的消息。她再次提出:“若你回头,执子之手。”他淡淡一笑:“若人生只如初见。”她抬头,湿了眼。却只看见他决然的脚步。这一场爱起始于桃花,结束于桃花。这一段情起始于箫声,结束于箫声。男的武功高强、能言善辩。女的聪明伶俐、多愁善感。欢迎入坑!
  • 英雄联盟之联盟大陆

    英雄联盟之联盟大陆

    异世重生,英雄联盟的游戏经验与武道结合!游戏与修炼并进,作品内英雄使用方法攻略与当前版本相同
  • 都市之我的神级抽奖系统

    都市之我的神级抽奖系统

    阴差阳错之下成了校花的保镖,从此走上了一条护美的道路。被打成致命伤?不要慌,我有仙豆在手。觉得异能不够用?没关系,来一颗恶魔果实。什么!一大群人想围杀我?他奶奶的,让你们见识一下神罗天征!【另有百万字完结老书:重生都市之神级主宰,欢迎品阅!新书:都市之妖孽仙帝,欢迎观看】
  • 大明好伴读

    大明好伴读

    新书已发,《大明从揍了武宗开始》谢至穿越了,成了内阁大学士谢迁之子。什么?要让我进宫做朱厚照那厮的伴读?没问题,我爱学习,学习使我快乐!什么,还是太子主动提出的,目的是为了让我背锅?对不起,我可不是背锅侠,我真是来学习的。这是一个不学无术的纨绔从太子伴读成长为大明优秀青年的故事。
  • 这个刺客有点中二

    这个刺客有点中二

    安寒成功的混上了穿越者大军,却未曾想过自己居然与王哈桑融为一体。而且还得到了穿越者大军的系统时,他......中二了!“你们知道我的幸运为什么是E吗?要是幸运A的话那我还无双个屁啊!一进去就被发现不就是给了我无双的理由了吗?”某个拿着大剑和盾牌的男子大言不惭道。“我这一刀下去你可能要死的哦!”安寒穿着披风看着灭霸微微一笑。“废话!你特么拿着那么大的一把剑指着我的屁股!不被吓死也会痛死的啊混蛋!”灭霸脸色发青的咆哮道。人多?无双!甲厚?无双!信仰三红往死里打。什么你说隐蔽行动?把目击者都干掉不就没人知道你来过了。所以我说你们啊,还要学习一点经验。看看我!安寒指着一地的尸体不满的说道。“学不来!学不来!”其他人惊恐的摇着头,大哥你这也是太秀了啊!“我已经无欲无求了!无敌是多么的寂寞啊!”安寒独自一人仰天长叹道。“老大!有人要对你老婆下手!”“什么!孤这就去砍了他的狗头!”
  • 三国景皇司马师

    三国景皇司马师

    何晏:“惟几也,故能成天下之务,司马子元是也。”不一样的世界,不一样的鬼神命运霸图。看穿越附体的铁骨少年,谱写出司马景皇。
  • 玄爱

    玄爱

    神秘的混沌光团化为人形,从纯洁小女孩如何一步步成长为令三界战栗的女魔修?她,一代女魔修,却美得惊天动地,嗜血狂傲,却只为一人留手。看女修手持混沌铃铛,收天收地掌苍穹的异界奇幻之旅。
  • 凤惊天下:逆袭至尊妃

    凤惊天下:逆袭至尊妃

    简介:她,是二十一世纪的绝顶杀手,一生一世都注定活在血海之中,杀人已成为日常琐事,对于她,只相信死人不会说话……却因为一次意外,因‘紫云萧’而重生,但却来到‘碧萧大陆’他,霸道、邪魅、强势、腹黑、毒舌,天赋异禀,无人能敌,宛若神袛,如同天降王者,他若说第二,无人敢说第一。对所有人都狼心狗肺,但对她却掏心掏肺……慢慢上演一场爱情戏
  • Criticism and Fiction

    Criticism and Fiction

    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。