第11部分(第2/7 頁)

e　entered。

〃Why　haven't　you　gone　to　bed？〃　he　said。

〃I　thought　I'd　better　stop　an'　lock　up　an'　do；〃　she　said。　Her

agitation　quietened　him。　He　gave　her　some　little　order；　then

returned；　steadied　now；　almost　ashamed；　to　his　wife。　She　stood　a

moment　watching　him；　as　he　moved　with　averted　face。　Then　she

said：

〃You　will　be　good　to　me；　won't　you？〃

She　was　small　and　girlish　and　terrible；　with　a　queer；　wide

look　in　her　eyes。　His　heart　leaped　in　him；　in　anguish　of　love

and　desire；　he　went　blindly　to　her　and　took　her　in　his　arms。

〃I　want　to；〃　he　said　as　he　drew　her　closer　and　closer　in。　She

was　soothed　by　the　stress　of　his　embrace；　and　remained　quite

still；　relaxed　against　him；　mingling　in　to　him。　And　he　let

himself　go　from　past　and　future；　was　reduced　to　the　moment　with

her。　In　which　he　took　her　and　was　with　her　and　there　was　nothing

beyond；　they　were　together　in　an　elemental　embrace　beyond　their

superficial　foreignness。　But　in　the　morning　he　was　uneasy　again。

She　was　still　foreign　and　unknown　to　him。　Only；　within　the　fear

was　pride；　belief　in　himself　as　mate　for　her。　And　she；

everything　forgotten　in　her　new　hour　of　ing　to　life；　radiated

vigour　and　joy；　so　that　he　quivered　to　touch　her。

It　made　a　great　difference　to　him；　marriage。　Things　became　so

remote　and　of　so　little　significance；　as　he　knew　the　powerful

source　of　his　life；　his　eyes　opened　on　a　new　universe；　and　he

wondered　in　thinking　of　his　triviality　before。　A　new；　calm

relationship　showed　to　him　in　the　things　he　saw；　in　the　cattle

he　used；　the　young　wheat　as　it　eddied　in　a　wind。

And　each　time　he　returned　home；　he　went　steadily；