小说园

第74部分（第6页）

counted。　Still　they　were　missing。　And　pencils　and　india…rubbers

disappeared。　She　kept　the　class　staying　behind；　till　the　things

were　found。　But　as　soon　as　Mr。　Harby　had　gone　out　of　the　room；

the　boys　began　to　jump　about　and　shout；　and　at　last　they　bolted

in　a　body　from　the　school。

This　was　drawing　near　a　crisis。　She　could　not　tell　Mr。　Harby

because；　while　he　would　punish　the　class；　he　would　make　her　the

cause　of　the　punishment；　and　her　class　would　pay　her　back　with

disobedience　and　derision。　Already　there　was　a　deadly　hostility

grown　up　between　her　and　the　children。　After　keeping　in　the

class；　at　evening；　to　finish　some　work；　she　would　find　boys

dodging　behind　her；　calling　after　her：　〃Brangwen；

Brangwen……Proud…acre。〃

When　she　went　into　Ilkeston　of　a　Saturday　morning　with

Gudrun；　she　heard　again　the　voices　yelling　after　her：

〃Brangwen；　Brangwen。〃

She　pretended　to　take　no　notice；　but　she　coloured　with　shame

at　being　held　up　to　derision　in　the　public　street。　She；　Ursula

Brangwen　of　Cossethay；　could　not　escape　from　the　Standard　Five

teacher　which　she　was。　In　vain　she　went　out　to　buy　ribbon　for

her　hat。　They　called　after　her；　the　boys　she　tried　to　teach。

And　one　evening；　as　she　went　from　the　edge　of　the　town　into

the　country；　stones　came　flying　at　her。　Then　the　passion　of

shame　and　anger　surpassed　her。　She　walked　on　unheeding；　beside

herself。　Because　of　the　darkness　she　could　not　see　who　were

those　that　threw。　But　she　did　not　want　to　know。

Only　in　her　soul　a　change　took　place。　Never　more；　and　never

more　would　she　give　herself　as　individual　to　her　class。　Never

would　she；　Ursula　Brangwen；　the　girl　she　was；　the　person　she

was；　e　into　contact　with　those　boys。　She　would　be　Standard

Five　teacher；