第64部分(第4/7 頁)

ain　came　down　on　their　flushed；　hot　limbs；

startling；　delicious。　A　sudden；　ice…cold　shower　burst　in　a　great

weight　upon　them。　They　stood　up　to　it　with　pleasure。　Ursula

received　the　stream　of　it　upon　her　breasts　and　her　limbs。　It

made　her　cold；　and　a　deep；　bottomless　silence　welled　up　in　her；

as　if　bottomless　darkness　were　returning　upon　her。

So　the　heat　vanished　away；　she　was　chilled；　as　if　from　a

waking　up。　She　ran　indoors；　a　chill；　non…existent　thing；　wanting

to　get　away。　She　wanted　the　light；　the　presence　of　other　people；

the　external　connection　with　the　many。　Above　all　she　wanted　to

lose　herself　among　natural　surroundings。

She　took　her　leave　of　her　mistress　and　returned　home。　She　was

glad　to　be　on　the　station　with　a　crowd　of　Saturday…night　people；

glad　to　sit　in　the　lighted；　crowded　railway　carriage。　Only　she

did　not　want　to　meet　anybody　she　knew。　She　did　not　want　to　talk。

She　was　alone；　immune。

All　this　stir　and　seethe　of　lights　and　people　was　but　the

rim；　the　shores　of　a　great　inner　darkness　and　void。　She　wanted

very　much　to　be　on　the　seething；　partially　illuminated　shore；

for　within　her　was　the　void　reality　of　dark　space。

For　a　time　Miss　Inger；　her　mistress；　was　gone；　she　was　only　a

dark　void；　and　Ursula　was　free　as　a　shade　walking　in　an

underworld　of　extinction；　of　oblivion。　Ursula　was　glad；　with　a

kind　of　motionless；　lifeless　gladness；　that　her　mistress　was

extinct；　gone　out　of　her。

In　the　morning；　however；　the　love　was　there　again；　burning；

burning。　She　remembered　yesterday；　and　she　wanted　more；　always

more。　She　wanted　to　be　with　her　mistress。　All　separation　from

her