Women in Love

Nottingham, because his work lay chiefly in that town. But often he was in London, or in Oxford. He

wspaper, and evidently waiting for the train. Birkin stood some distance

here seemed to be a dual consciousness running in him. He was thinking vigorously of something he read in the newspaper, and at the same time his eye ran over the surfaces of the life round him, and he mi

enial look flash on to Gerald's face, at seei

rt, where ar

o are you,

es

t over Birkin's f

ogether if you

ally go first?

ld. `But third'll be all right. There's

he station clock, havin

ading in the pape

oked at h

scanned the columns down -- `and then there's this little -- I dunno what you'd call it, essay, almost -- appearing with the leaders, and saying there must arise a

it of newspaper cant,

n meant it, and quite g

Birkin, holding out

ittle table, by the window, in the restaurant car. Birkin glanced

s it,' he said, `as far

Do you think we really want

ugged his

stare straight at this life that we've brought upon ourselves, and reject it, absolutely smash up the old idols of ourselves, t

tched him

eak up this life, just st

completely, or shrivel inside it, as in a

e in Gerald's eyes, a look of

I suppose you mean, reform the w

n between the brows. He too was

ing better, we shall smash the old. Until then, any sort of proposal, or ma

of Gerald's eyes, and he said, l

think things

letel

e appear

what

e cover the earth with foulness; life is a blotch of labour, like insects scurrying in filth, so that your collier can have a pianoforte in his parlour, and you can h

time to re-adjust him

without houses -- retu

t to do -- and what they are capable of doing. If they wer

He was not going to t

all it, is a symbol for something very real, a real

taller on the strength of the pianoforte, and he is satisfied. He lives for the sake of that Brocken spectre, the reflection of himself in the human opinion. You do the same. If you are of high importance to humanity you

I am,' laug

g myself. "I eat, thou eatest, he eats, we eat, you eat, they eat" -- and what then?

erial things,' said Gerald. W

we're not just cattle that can graze

Birkin. `What

face went

work, to produce something, in so far as I am a purpos

all the plush furniture, and pianofortes, and the rabbits are all stewed and eaten, and we're all warm and our bellies are filled and we're l

and the mocking humour of the oth

`A good many people are still waiting

must chase the rabbit?' sai

like that,'

red callousness, even strange, glistening malice, in Geral

said, `I rath

,' said Gerald

nscrutably for

said at last. `Do you ever consciously detest me -- hate me wi

even a little disconcerted. He

,' he said. `But I'm not aware of it

e worse,' s

curious eyes. He could

worse, is it?

was a little irritable tension, a sharp knitting of the brows, keen and difficult. Gerald w

d straight and overpowering

e aim and object of your

uld not think what his friend was g

say off-hand,' he replied,

the end-all of life?' Birkin asked,

life?' sa

es

really puz

id Gerald. `It ha

our life be

myself -- and getting experi

s brows like shar

e single activity -- I should call love a single pure

ally loved anybod

no,' repl

lly?' sai

inally -- no,

' said

want to?'

nkling, almost sardonic look i

know,'

ant to love,

u d

t the final

' repeated Gerald. And

llow along the fields, lit up Birkin's face with a tense,

woman,' sa

d as if he were insiste

nothing but a woman, will ev

it -- the love between you

h a queer dangerous smile

feel it that

wherein does life

. As far as I can make out, it doesn't centre at all. I

as if he would

ls -- nothing there. It seems to me there remains only this perfect union

isn't the woman, there'

hat -- seeing

ld. And he turned to look out of the w

tiful and soldierly his face was, wit

avy odds against

woman, woman only, yes, I do,' said Gerald. `I don't

hed him alm

orn unbeliev

th his blue, manly, sharp-lighted eyes. Birkin's eyes were at the moment full of anger. But s

much, Gerald,' he sai

ld, uncovering his mouth in a

ot take much notice. He felt that he, himself, Gerald, had harder and more durable truths than any the other man knew. He felt himself older, more knowing. It was the quick-changing warmth and venality and

ng him seriously. And this made him go hard and cold. As the train ran on,

at is mankind but just one expression of the incomprehensible. And if mankind passes away, it will only mean that this particular expression is completed and done. That which is expressed, and that which is to be expressed, cannot be diminished. There it is, in the shining evening. Let m

rrupted him

you staying

n loo

part of the rent of a flat,

place more or less yo

t much. I'm tired of the peo

ind of

ut there are a few decent people, decent in some respects. They are really very thorough rejecters of the worl

y? -- painter

openly at outs with the conventions, and belongs to nowhere particularly. They are often yo

se?' sai

see his cur

another. For all their sho

how good-looking he was. Gerald was attractive, his blood seemed fluid and electric. His blue eyes burned w

h other -- I am in London for

or the music hall -- you'd better come round to the fl

to,' laughed Gerald. `Wha

t the Pompadour. It's a bad pl

it?' ask

dilly

l, shall I com

ns, it migh

n watched the country, and was filled with a sort of ho

the mass of mankind, amou

as murmuring to himself, like a man condemned to death. Gerald, who was ve

Birkin glanced at him,

ured end of evening sm

e something something

And Birkin, who, for some reason was

ing into London. I feel such a despair, so h

`And does the end of

his shoulders

it hangs imminent and doesn't fall. But

sed glad smile

And he watched the o

the carriage was on the alert, waiting to escape. At last they were under the huge arch of the

ent together

irkin, as they sat in a little, swiftly-running

aughed

l death,'