第23部分(第7/7 頁)

as　set。

To　alter　it　he　must　be　destroyed。　And　he　would　not　be　destroyed。

He　had　no　money。　But　he　would　get　some　from　somewhere；　it　did

not　matter。　He　lay　awake　for　many　hours；　hard　and　clear　and

unthinking；　his　soul　crystallizing　more　inalterably。　Then　he

went　fast　asleep。

It　was　as　if　his　soul　had　turned　into　a　hard　crystal。　He

might　tremble　and　quiver　and　suffer；　it　did　not　alter。

The　next　morning　Tom　Brangwen；　inhuman　with　anger　spoke　to

Anna。

〃What's　this　about　wanting　to　get　married？〃　he　said。

She　stood；　paling　a　little；　her　dark　eyes　springing　to　the

hostile；　startled　look　of　a　savage　thing　that　will　defend

itself；　but　trembles　with　sensitiveness。

〃I　do；〃　she　said；　out　of　her　unconsciousness。

His　anger　rose；　and　he　would　have　liked　to　break　her。

〃You　do…you　do…and　what　for？〃　he　sneered　with　contempt。　The

old；　childish　agony；　the　blindness　that　could　recognize　nobody；

the　palpitating　antagonism　as　of　a　raw；　helpless；　undefended

thing　came　back　on　her。

〃I　do　because　I　do；〃　she　cried；　in　the　shrill；　hysterical　way

of　her　childhood。　〃You　are　not　my　father……my　father

is　dead……you　are　not　my　father。〃

She　was　still　a　stranger。　She　did　not　recognize　him。　The　cold

blade　cut　down；　deep　into　Brangwen's　soul。　It　cut　him　off　from

her。

〃And　what　if　I'm　not？〃　he　said。

But　he　could　not　bear　it。　It　had　been　so　passionately　dear　to

him；　her　〃Father……Daddie。〃

He　went　about　for　some　days　as　if　stunned。　His　wife　was

bemused。　She　did　not　understand。　She　only　thought　the　marriage

was　impeded　for　wan