小说园

第30部分（第1页）

wanted　to　destroy　it　in　him。

This　snowy　morning；　he　sat　with　a　dark…bright　face　beside

her；　not　aware　of　her；　and　somehow；　she　felt　he　was　conveying　to

strange；　secret　places　the　love　that　sprang　in　him　for　her。　He

sat　with　a　dark…rapt；　half…delighted　face；　looking　at　a　little

stained　window。　She　saw　the　ruby…coloured　glass；　with　the　shadow

heaped　along　the　bottom　from　the　snow　outside；　and　the　familiar

yellow　figure　of　the　lamb　holding　the　banner；　a　little　darkened

now；　but　in　the　murky　interior　strangely　luminous；　pregnant。

She　had　always　liked　the　little　red　and　yellow　window。　The

lamb；　looking　very　silly　and　self…conscious；　was　holding　up　a

forepaw；　in　the　cleft　of　which　was　dangerously　perched　a　little

flag　with　a　red　cross。　Very　pale　yellow；　the　lamb；　with　greenish

shadows。　Since　she　was　a　child　she　had　liked　this　creature；　with

the　same　feeling　she　felt　for　the　little　woolly　lambs　on　green

legs　that　children　carried　home　from　the　fair　every　year。　She

had　always　liked　these　toys；　and　she　had　the　same　amused；

childish　liking　for　this　church　lamb。　Yet　she　had　always　been

uneasy　about　it。　She　was　never　sure　that　this　lamb　with　a　flag

did　not　want　to　be　more　than　it　appeared。　So　she　half　mistrusted

it；　there　was　a　mixture　of　dislike　in　her　attitude　to　it。

Now；　by　a　curious　gathering；　knitting　of　his　eyes；　the

faintest　tension　of　ecstasy　on　his　face；　he　gave　her　the

unfortable　feeling　that　he　was　in　correspondence　with　the

creature；　the　lamb　in　the　window。　A　cold　wonder　came　over

her……her　soul　was　perplexed。　There　he　sat；　motionless；

timeless；　with　the　faint；　bright　tension　on　his　face。　What　was

he　doing？　What　connection　was　there　between　him　and　the　lamb　in

the　glass？

Suddenly　it　gleamed　to　her　dominant；　this　lamb　with　the　flag。

Suddenly　she　had　a　powerful　mystic　experience；　the　power　of　the

tradition　seized　on　her；　she　was　transported　to　another　world。

And　she　hated　it；　resisted　it。

Instantly；　it　was　only　a　silly　lamb　in　the　glass　again。　And

dark；　violent　hatred　of　her　husband　swept　up　in　her。　What　was　he

doing；　sitting　there　gleaming；　carried　away；　soulful？