第11部分(第4/7 頁)

age　between

them。　She　might　go　away。　He　did　not　feel　like　a　master；　husband；

father　of　her　children。　She　belonged　elsewhere。　Any　moment；　she

might　be　gone。　And　he　was　ever　drawn　to　her；　drawn　after　her；

with　ever…raging；　ever…unsatisfied　desire。　He　must　always　turn

home；　wherever　his　steps　were　taking　him；　always　to　her；　and　he

could　never　quite　reach　her；　he　could　never　quite　be　satisfied；

never　be　at　peace；　because　she　might　go　away。

At　evening；　he　was　glad。　Then；　when　he　had　finished　in　the

yard；　and　e　in　and　washed　himself；　when　the　child　was　put　to

bed；　he　could　sit　on　the　other　side　of　the　fire　with　his　beer　on

the　hob　and　his　long　white　pipe　in　his　fingers；　conscious　of　her

there　opposite　him；　as　she　worked　at　her　embroidery；　or　as　she

talked　to　him；　and　he　was　safe　with　her　now；　till　morning。　She

was　curiously　self…sufficient　and　did　not　say　very　much。

Occasionally　she　lifted　her　head；　her　grey　eyes　shining　with　a

strange　light；　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　him　or　with　this

place；　and　would　tell　him　about　herself。　She　seemed　to　be　back

again　in　the　past；　chiefly　in　her　childhood　or　her　girlhood；

with　her　father。　She　very　rarely　talked　of　her　first　husband。

But　sometimes；　all　shining…eyed；　she　was　back　at　her　own　home；

telling　him　about　the　riotous　times；　the　trip　to　Paris　with　her

father；　tales　of　the　mad　acts　of　the　peasants　when　a　burst　of

religious；　self…hurting　fervour　had　passed　over　the　country。

She　would　lift　her　head　and　say：

〃When　they　brought　the　railway　across　the　country；　they　made

afterwards　smaller　railways；　of　shorter　width；　to　e　down　to

our　town…a　hundred　miles。