第28部分(第2/7 頁)

change

indeed！

He　surveyed　the　rind　of　the　world：　houses；　factories；　trams；

the　discarded　rind；　people　scurrying　about；　work　going　on；　all

on　the　discarded　surface。　An　earthquake　had　burst　it　all　from

inside。　It　was　as　if　the　surface　of　the　world　had　been　broken

away　entire：　Ilkeston；　streets；　church；　people；　work；

rule…of…the…day；　all　intact；　and　yet　peeled　away　into　unreality；

leaving　here　exposed　the　inside；　the　reality：　one's　own　being；

strange　feelings　and　passions　and　yearnings　and　beliefs　and

aspirations；　suddenly　bee　present；　revealed；　the　permanent

bedrock；　knitted　one　rock　with　the　woman　one　loved。　It　was

confounding。　Things　are　not　what　they　seem！　When　he　was　a　child；

he　had　thought　a　woman　was　a　woman　merely　by　virtue　of　her

skirts　and　petticoats。　And　now；　lo；　the　whole　world　could　be

divested　of　its　garment；　the　garment　could　lie　there　shed　away

intact；　and　one　could　stand　in　a　new　world；　a　new　earth；　naked

in　a　new；　naked　universe。　It　was　too　astounding　and

miraculous。

This　then　was　marriage！　The　old　things　didn't　matter　any

more。　One　got　up　at　four　o'clock；　and　had　broth　at　tea…time　and

made　toffee　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　One　didn't　put　on　one's

clothes　or　one　did　put　on　one's　clothes。　He　still　was　not　quite

sure　it　was　not　criminal。　But　it　was　a　discovery　to　find　one

might　be　so　supremely　absolved。　All　that　mattered　was　that　he

should　love　her　and　she　should　love　him　and　they　should　live

kindled　to　one　another；　like　the　Lord　in　two　burning　bushes　that

were　not　consumed。　And　so　they　lived　for　the　time。

She　was　less　hampered　than　he；　so　she　came　more　quickly　t