小说园

第83部分（第6页）

young　men　whom　she　knew。　He　stood　as　if　he　wished　to　be　unseen。

He　was　very　well…dressed。　She　would　not　admit　to　herself　the

chill　like　a　sunshine　of　frost　that　came　over　her。　This　was　he；

the　key；　the　nucleus　to　the　new　world。

He　saw　her　ing　swiftly　across　the　hall；　a　slim　girl　in　a

white　flannel　blouse　and　dark　skirt；　with　some　of　the

abstraction　and　gleam　of　the　unknown　upon　her；　and　he　started；

excited。　He　was　very　nervous。　Other　students　were　loitering

about　the　hall。

She　laughed；　with　a　blind；　dazzled　face；　as　she　gave　him　her

hand。　He　too　could　not　perceive　her。

In　a　moment　she　was　gone；　to　get　her　outdoor　things。　Then

again；　as　when　she　had　been　at　school；　they　walked　out　into　the

town　to　tea。　And　they　went　to　the　same　tea…shop。

She　knew　a　great　difference　in　him。　The　kinship　was　there；

the　old　kinship；　but　he　had　belonged　to　a　different　world　from

hers。　It　was　as　if　they　had　cried　a　state　of　truce　between　him

and　her；　and　in　this　truce　they　had　met。　She　knew；　vaguely；　in

the　first　minute；　that　they　were　enemies　e　together　in　a

truce。　Every　movement　and　word　of　his　was　alien　to　her

being。

Yet　still　she　loved　the　fine　texture　of　his　face；　of　his

skin。　He　was　rather　browner；　physically　stronger。　He　was　a　man

now。　She　thought　his　manliness　made　the　strangeness　in　him。　When

he　was　only　a　youth；　fluid；　he　was　nearer　to　her。　She　thought　a

man　must　inevitably　set　into　this　strange　separateness；　cold

otherness　of　being。　He　talked；　but　not　to　her。　She　tried　to

speak　to　him；　but　she　could　not　reach　him。

He　seemed　so　balanced　and　sure；　he　made　such　a　confident

presence。　He　was　a　great　rider；　so　there　was　about　him　some　of　a

horsemans　sureness　and　habitual　definiteness　of　decision；　also

so