第48部分(第6/7 頁)

ip；　his　kisses

were　a　wonder　to　her。　She　always　thought　about　them；　and

wondered　over　them。　She　never　wanted　to　kiss　him　back。　In　her

idea；　the　man　kissed；　and　the　woman　examined　in　her　soul　the

kisses　she　had　received。

She　had　never　quite　recovered　from　her　prostration　of　the

first　days；　or　nights；　of　marriage。　He　had　taken　her　to　Vienna；

and　she　was　utterly　alone　with　him；　utterly　alone　in　another

world；　everything；　everything　foreign；　even　he　foreign　to　her。

Then　came　the　real　marriage；　passion　came　to　her；　and　she　became

his　slave；　he　was　her　lord；　her　lord。　She　was　the　girl…bride；

the　slave；　she　kissed　his　feet；　she　had　thought　it　an　honour　to

touch　his　body；　to　unfasten　his　boots。　For　two　years；　she　had

gone　on　as　his　slave；　crouching　at　his　feet；　embracing　his

knees。

Children　had　e；　he　had　followed　his　ideas。　She　was　there

for　him；　just　to　keep　him　in　condition。　She　was　to　him　one　of

the　baser　or　material　conditions　necessary　for　his　welfare　in

prosecuting　his　ideas；　of　nationalism；　of　liberty；　of

science。

But　gradually；　at　twenty…three；　twenty…four；　she　began　to

realize　that　she　too　might　consider　these　ideas。　By　his

acceptance　of　her　self…subordination；　he　exhausted　the　feeling

in　her。　There　were　those　of　his　associates　who　would　discuss　the

ideas　with　her；　though　he　did　not　wish　to　do　so　himself。　She

adventured　into　the　minds　of　other　men。　His；　then；　was　not　the

only　male　mind！　She　did　not　exist；　then；　just　as　his　attribute！

She　began　to　perceive　the　attention　of　other　men。　An　excitement

came　over　her。　She　remembered　now　the　men　who　had　paid　her

court；　when　she