第17部分(第4/7 頁)

interested。　You　do　not　make　me　want　you。〃

〃And　you　don't　make　me　want　you；　do　you　now？〃　There　was　a

silence。　They　were　such　strangers。

〃Would　you　like　to　have　another　woman？〃　she　asked。

His　eyes　grew　round；　he　did　not　know　where　he　was。　How　could

she；　his　own　wife；　say　such　a　thing？　But　she　sat　there；　small

and　foreign　and　separate。　It　dawned　upon　him　she　did　not

consider　herself　his　wife；　except　in　so　far　as　they　agreed。　She

did　not　feel　she　had　married　him。　At　any　rate；　she　was　willing

to　allow　he　might　want　another　woman。　A　gap；　a　space　opened

before　him。

〃No；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃What　other　woman　should　I　want？〃

〃Like　your　brother；〃　she　said。

He　was　silent　for　some　time；　ashamed　also。

〃What　of　her？〃　he　said。　〃I　didn't　like　the　woman。〃

〃Yes；　you　liked　her；〃　she　answered　persistently。

He　stared　in　wonder　at　his　own　wife　as　she　told　him　his　own

heart　so　callously。　And　he　was　indignant。　What　right　had　she　to

sit　there　telling　him　these　things？　She　was　his　wife；　what　right

had　she　to　speak　to　him　like　this；　as　if　she　were　a

stranger。

〃I　didn't；〃　he　said。　〃I　want　no　woman。〃

〃Yes；　you　would　like　to　be　like　Alfred。〃

His　silence　was　one　of　angry　frustration。　He　was　astonished。

He　had　told　her　of　his　visit　to　Wirksworth；　but　briefly；　without

interest；　he　thought。

As　she　sat　with　her　strange　dark　face　turned　towards　him；　her

eyes　watched　him；　inscrutable；　casting　him　up。　He　began　to

oppose　her。　She　was　again　the　active　unknown　facing　him。　Must　he

admit　her？　He　resisted　involuntarily。

〃Why　should　you　want　to　find　a　woman　who　is　more　to　you　than

me？〃　she　said。