第92部分(第5/7 頁)

above　her。　She　pursued　her

way　with　bent　head。　She　did　not　want　to　lift　her　face　to　them。

She　did　not　want　to　know　they　were　there。　She　went　on　in　the

wild　track。

She　knew　the　heaviness　on　her　heart。　It　was　the　weight　of　the

horses。　But　she　would　circumvent　them。　She　would　bear　the　weight

steadily；　and　so　escape。　She　would　go　straight　on；　and　on；　and

be　gone　by。

Suddenly　the　weight　deepened　and　her　heart　grew　tense　to　bear

it。　Her　breathing　was　laboured。　But　this　weight　also　she　could

bear。　She　knew　without　looking　that　the　horses　were　moving

nearer。　What　were　they？　She　felt　the　thud　of　their　heavy　hoofs

on　the　ground。　What　was　it　that　was　drawing　near　her；　what

weight　oppressing　her　heart？　She　did　not　know；　she　did　not

look。

Yet　now　her　way　was　cut　off。　They　were　blocking　her　back。　She

knew　they　had　gathered　on　a　log　bridge　over　the　sedgy　dike；　a

dark；　heavy；　powerfully　heavy　knot。　Yet　her　feet　went　on　and　on。

They　would　burst　before　her。　They　would　burst　before　her。　Her

feet　went　on　and　on。　And　tense；　and　more　tense　became　her　nerves

and　her　veins；　they　ran　hot；　they　ran　white　hot；　they　must　fuse

and　she　must　die。

But　the　horses　had　burst　before　her。　In　a　sort　of　lightning

of　knowledge　their　movement　travelled　through　her；　the　quiver

and　strain　and　thrust　of　their　powerful　flanks；　as　they　burst

before　her　and　drew　on；　beyond。

She　knew　they　had　not　gone；　she　knew　they　awaited　her　still。

But　she　went　on　over　the　log　bridge　that　their　hoofs　had　churned

and　drummed；　she　went　on；　knowing　things　about　them。　She　was

aware　of　their　breasts　gripped；　clenched　narrow　in　a　hold　th