Women in Love

top of a slope just beyond the narrow little lake of Willey Water. Shortlands looked across a sloping meadow that might be a park, because of the large, solitary trees th

and picturesque, very peaceful, an

o rest. Gerald was host. He stood in the homely entrance hall, friendly and easy, attending to the

aracteristic, imperious voice of one Crich woman or another calling `Helen, come here a minute,' `Marjory, I want you -- here.' `Oh, I say, Mrs Witham --.' Ther

they could not really talk, because of the glassy ravel of women's excited, cold laughter and running voices. They waited, uneasy, suspended, ra

peering about with her strong, clear face. She was

, mother?'

. And she went straight towards Birkin,

r low voice, that seemed to take no count o

in his readily-changing voice,

e,' she said, in her low voice. H

r see why one should take account of people, just because they hap

people whom I find in the house. The children introduce them to me -- "Mother, this is Mr So-and-so." I am no

es, but he was afraid to look into her heavyseeing blue eyes. He noticed instead how her hair looped in slack, slovenly strands over her rather beautiful ears, which were not quite clean. Neither wa

woman were conferring together like traitors, like enemies within the camp of the other people. He rese

atter,' he said, rathe

th sudden, dark interrogation,

n, matter?' she

han he wanted to. `They jingle and giggle. It would be much better if the

im steadily w

imagine them,'

imagine, that's wh

with me to decide on their existence. I only know that I can't be expected to take count of them all. You can't

y,' he

hey?' she a

repeated. And there

another. And I really don't know John from James yet. They come up to me and call me mother. I know what they will say -- "how are you, mother?" I ought to say

suppose s

, forgetting perhaps that she was tal

d not guess what she was looking for, nor what

all there?' she a

startled, af

them, except Ge

t wanting of them all. You'd never thi

said B

t her eldest son, stared a

foundly cynical. Birkin felt afraid, as if he dared not realise. And

e a friend,' she said. `H

atching heavily. He could not understand them. `Am I my

brother in such wise. Gerald as a boy had accidentally killed his brother. What then? Why seek to draw a brand and a curse across the life that had caused the accident? A man can live by accident, and die by accident. Or can he not? Is every man's life subject to pure accident, is i

ny such thing as accident. It all h

his, one of the Crich da

n a minute, and it's a formal occasion, darling, isn't it?' She drew her arm through

y manservant, Crowther, appeared in the doorway exasperatedly. He looked with appeal at Gerald. The latter took up a large, curved conch shell, that lay on a shelf, and without reference to anybody, blew a sh

pay no attention to her duties. But his sister merely crowded to her seat. Theref

were being handed round. And out of this lull, a girl of thirteen or fourt

ather, when you make

to the company, `Father is ly

peeping round the immense wedding cake that towered up i

ired,' replied Winifred, the gi

, with her loosely-looped hair. She had Birkin for a neighbour. Sometimes she glanced fiercely down the

that you

' Birkin answe

him before?

rted, a little social smile came on her face, for a moment she looked the pleasant hostess. For a moment she bent graciously, as if everyone were welcome and delightf

me girl a little older than Wini

e mother automatically, for she was

d to the footman

d me,' she said calmly,

amiably. And she glanced challenge

ority, than liberty. Gerald had some command, by mere force of personality, not because of any granted positio

iscussion with the brid

triotism is a mistake. It is like one house of

ion for discussion. `You couldn't call a race a business concern, could you? -

and Hermione were always strangel

th nationality?' she asked musing

g for him to participate.

s the essential element in nationa

this statement to cool. Then she sai

instinct? Is it not rather an appeal to the proprietory instinct, t

elt that such a discussion was

now on the sc

ke a family. You must make provision. And to make provision you have got to

replied: `Yes, I think it is always wrong to provoke a spiri

on altogether?' said Gerald. `It is one of the ne

ntering response. `I think

was biting a piece of bread, pulling it from between her teeth with he

es,' she said, int

it,' he

mured, assured

e away his neighbour's living, so why should you allow

rmione before she broke into speech,

of possessions, is it? It is

y this implication o

om off his head, that hat becomes a symbol of that man's liberty.

was non

ginary instances is not supposed to be genuine, is it? A ma

e law prevents h

Ninety-nine men out of a h

er of opinion,

' laughed th

a greater loss to me, my hat, or my liberty as a free and indifferent man. If I am compelled to offer figh

ne, watching Birki

and snatch your hat off your he

woman turned slowly and as i

hat seemed to contain a chuckle. `No, I sho

u prevent it?

Hermione slowly. `Prob

her tone, a dangerous and con

s point. It is a question to him whether his

body,' s

ied Gerald. `But how are you go

erve me,' la

e you have to?'

onal crown-piece is an old hat, t

or racial hat be an ol

nd to be, I beli

o sure,' s

e, Rupert,' s

ht,' sai

old national hat,

cried Diana, his pert siste

rich. `Dry up now, Gerald. We're going to drink toasts. Let us drink t

bles broke at the rim, the man withdrew, and feeling a sudden thirst at the sight of the fresh wine,

e.' He looked round at the hired footman. And the hired footman came, with a silent step of cold servant-like disapprobation. Birkin decided that he de

le field or park. The view was pleasant; a highroad curving round the edge of a low lake, under the trees. In the spring air, the water gleamed and the opposite wood

ce. A cow was breathing

rshall, one of the brothers-in-law. `

said

in a queer high falsetto voice, that caused the othe

called to the bridegroom, to hi

took his cigar

id not want to say anything about the flight to the church door. `We got th

his?' ask

the race of the brid

in disapproval. `Wha

ality of the soul,' said Birkin, `a

of the soul on your wedding day! Hadn't y

he bridegroom, a clean-shaven n

d of married. The immortality of the soul!' repeat

fell qu

d, at once pricking up his ears at the

day, my boy,' said Marsha

k to somebody else,' cried Ge

hall, in a temper. `Too much blo

ngry eyes, that grew gradually calm and amiable as the st

suddenly to the bridegroom. `Laura won't have br

lf with that,'

of them,' laughe

ce then -- who bega

cab came up. She saw Lupton bolting towards her. And she fled. But wh

oing a thing, do it properly, and if you're

aphorism,'

agree?' a

ly it bores me rather, wh

ant all the aphorisms yo

the way, and you're al

rism. Then he made a little gestu

andard of behaviour at all, do you?

necessary for the common ruck. Anybody who is a

g himself?' said Gerald. `Is

church door. It was almost a masterpiece in good form. It's the hardest thing in the world to act spontaneo

o take you seriously,

e of the very few peopl

r expectations here, at any rate. You t

purely individual thing in themselves, which makes them act

ple who acted individually and spontaneously, as you call it. We sho

ke to be cutting everybo

follow?' asked

ng. This is a complete truth. It takes two people to make a murder: a murderer and a murderee. And a murderee is a m

a matter of fact, none of us wants our throat cut, and most o

aid Birkin, `and no wonder you are afrai

f?' said Gerald; `and I d

our gizzard slit, and imagine every man has

ake that out?

u,' said

concern, as if their going apart were a trivial occurrence. And they really kept it to the level of trivial occurrence. Yet the heart of each burned from the other. They burned with each other, inwardly. This they would never admit. They intended to keep their relationship a casual fr