小说园

第41部分（第1页）

with　him；　to　give　herself　to　his　black；　sensual　power；　that　was

hidden　all　the　daytime。　And　the　curious　rolling　of　the　eyes；　as

if　she　were　lapsing　in　a　trance　away　from　her　ordinary

consciousness　became　habitual　with　her；　when　something

threatened　and　opposed　her　in　life；　the　conscious　life。

So　they　remained　as　separate　in　the　light；　and　in　the　thick

darkness；　married。　He　supported　her　daytime　authority；　kept　it

inviolable　at　last。　And　she；　in　all　the　darkness；　belonged　to

him；　to　his　close；　insinuating；　hypnotic　familiarity。

All　his　daytime　activity；　all　his　public　life；　was　a　kind　of

sleep。　She　wanted　to　be　free；　to　belong　to　the　day。　And　he　ran

avoiding　the　day　in　work。　After　tea；　he　went　to　the　shed　to　his

carpentry　or　his　woodcarving。　He　was　restoring　the　patched；

degraded　pulpit　to　its　original　form。

But　he　loved　to　have　the　child　near　him；　playing　by　his　feet。

She　was　a　piece　of　light　that　really　belonged　to　him；　that

played　within　his　darkness。　He　left　the　shed　door　on　the　latch。

And　when；　with　his　second　sense　of　another　presence；　he　knew　she

was　ing；　he　was　satisfied；　he　was　at　rest。　When　he　was　alone

with　her；　he　did　not　want　to　take　notice；　to　talk。　He　wanted　to

live　unthinking；　with　her　presence　flickering　upon　him。

He　always　went　in　silence。　The　child　would　push　open　the　shed

door；　and　see　him　working　by　lamplight；　his　sleeves　rolled　back。

His　clothes　hung　about　him；　carelessly；　like　mere　wrapping。

Inside；　his　body　was　concentrated　with　a　flexible；　charged　power

all　of　its　own；　isolated。　From　when　she　was　a　tiny　child　Ursula

could　remember　his　forearm；　with　its　fine　black　hairs　and　its

electric　flexibility；　working　at　the　bench　through　swift；

unnoticeable　movements；　always　ambushed　in　a　sort　of

silence。

She　hung　a　moment　in　the　door　of　the　shed；　waiting　for　him　to

notice　her。　He　turned；　his　black；　curved　eyebrows　arching

slightly。

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