第73部分(第7/7 頁)

illings　and

one　penny。　She　was　very　proud　that　day。　She　had　never　had　so

much　money　before。　And　she　had　earned　it　all　herself。　She　sat　on

the　top　of　the　tram…car　fingering　the　gold　and　fearing　she　might

lose　it。　She　felt　so　established　and　strong；　because　of　it。　And

when　she　got　home　she　said　to　her　mother：

〃It　is　pay　day　to…day；　mother。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　her　mother；　coolly。

Then　Ursula　put　down　fifty　shillings　on　the　table。

〃That　is　my　board；〃　she　said。

〃Ay；〃　said　her　mother；　letting　it　lie。

Ursula　was　hurt。　Yet　she　had　paid　her　scot。　She　was　free。　She

paid　for　what　she　had。　There　remained　moreover　thirty…two

shillings　of　her　own。　She　would　not　spend　any；　she　who　was

naturally　a　spendthrift；　because　she　could　not　bear　to　damage

her　fine　gold。

She　had　a　standing　ground　now　apart　from　her　parents。　She　was

something　else　besides　the　mere　daughter　of　William　and　Anna

Brangwen。　She　was　independent。　She　earned　her　own　living。　She

was　an　important　member　of　the　working　munity。　She　was　sure

that　fifty　shillings　a　month　quite　paid　for　her　keep。　If　her

mother　received　fifty　shillings　a　month　for　each　of　the

children；　she　would　have　twenty　pounds　a　month　and　no　clothes　to

provide。　Very　well　then。

Ursula　was　independent　of　her　parents。　She　now　adhered

elsewhere。　Now；　the　'Board　of　Education'　was　a　phrase　that　rang

significant　to　her；　and　she　felt　Whitehall　far　beyond　her　as　her

ultimate　home。　In　the　government；　she　knew　which　minister　had

supreme　control　over　Education；　and　it　seemed