第66部分(第2/7 頁)

t　is　left　of　that……it　doesn't　matter　altogether。

The　pit　takes　all　that　really　matters。〃

〃It　is　the　same　everywhere；〃　burst　out　Winifred。　〃It　is　the

office；　or　the　shop；　or　the　business　that　gets　the　man；　the

woman　gets　the　bit　the　shop　can't　digest。　What　is　he　at　home；　a

man？　He　is　a　meaningless　lump……a　standing　machine；　a

machine　out　of　work。〃

〃They　know　they　are　sold；〃　said　Tom　Brangwen。　〃That's　where

it　is。　They　know　they　are　sold　to　their　job。　If　a　woman　talks

her　throat　out；　what　difference　can　it　make？　The　man's　sold　to

his　job。　So　the　women　don't　bother。　They　take　what　they　can

catch……and　vogue　la　galere。〃

〃Aren't　they　very　strict　here？〃　asked　Miss　Inger。

〃Oh；　no。　Mrs。　Smith　has　two　sisters　who　have　just　changed

husbands。　They're　not　very　particular……neither　are　they

very　interested。　They　go　dragging　along　what　is　left　from　the

pits。　They're　not　interested　enough　to　be　very　immoral……it

all　amounts　to　the　same　thing；　moral　or　immoral……just　a

question　of　pit…wages。　The　most　moral　duke　in　England　makes　two

hundred　thousand　a　year　out　of　these　pits。　He　keeps　the　morality

end　up。〃

Ursula　sat　black…souled　and　very　bitter；　hearing　the　two　of

them　talk。　There　seemed　something　ghoulish　even　in　their　very

deploring　of　the　state　of　things。　They　seemed　to　take　a　ghoulish

satisfaction　in　it。　The　pit　was　the　great　mistress。　Ursula

looked　out　of　the　window　and　saw　the　proud；　demonlike　colliery

with　her　wheels　twinkling　in　the　heavens；　the　formless；　squalid

mass　of　the　town　lying　aside。　It　was　the　squalid　heap　of

side…shows。　The　pit　was　the　main　show；　the　raison　d'etre

of　all。