小说园

第6部分（第2页）

She　was　from　far　away；　a　presence；　so　close　to　his　soul。　She　was

not　really　there；　sitting　in　Cossethay　church　beside　her　little

girl。　She　was　not　living　the　apparent　life　of　her　days。　She

belonged　to　somewhere　else。　He　felt　it　poignantly；　as　something

real　and　natural。　But　a　pang　of　fear　for　his　own　concrete　life；

that　was　only　Cossethay；　hurt　him；　and　gave　him　misgiving。

Her　thick　dark　brows　almost　met　above　her　irregular　nose；　she

had　a　wide；　rather　thick　mouth。　But　her　face　was　lifted　to

another　world　of　life：　not　to　heaven　or　death：　but　to　some　place

where　she　still　lived；　in　spite　of　her　bodys　absence。

The　child　beside　her　watched　everything　with　wide；　black

eyes。　She　had　an　odd　little　defiant　look；　her　little　red　mouth

was　pinched　shut。　She　seemed　to　be　jealously　guarding　something；

to　be　always　on　the　alert　for　defence。　She　met　Brangwens　near；

vacant；　intimate　gaze；　and　a　palpitating　hostility；　almost　like

a　flame　of　pain；　came　into　the　wide；　over…conscious　dark

eyes。

The　old　clergyman　droned　on；　Cossethay　sat　unmoved　as　usual。

And　there　was　the　foreign　woman　with　a　foreign　air　about　her；

inviolate；　and　the　strange　child；　also　foreign；　jealously

guarding　something。

When　the　service　was　over；　he　walked　in　the　way　of　another

existence　out　of　the　church。　As　he　went　down　the　church…path

with　his　sister；　behind　the　woman　and　child；　the　little　girl

suddenly　broke　from　her　mothers　hand；　and　slipped　back　with

quick；　almost　invisible　movement；　and　was　picking　at　something

almost　under　Brangwens　feet。　Her　tiny　fingers　were　fine　and

quick；　but　they　missed　the　red　button。

〃Have　you　found　something？〃　said　Brangwen　to　her。

And　he　also　stooped　for　the　button。　But　she　had　got　it；　and

she　stood　back　with　it　pressed　against　her　little　coat；　her

black　eyes　flaring　at　him；　as　if　to　forbid　him　to　notice　her。

Then；　having　silenced　him；　she　turned　with　a　swift

〃Mother；〃　and　was　gone　down　the　path。

The　mother　had　stood　watching　impassive；　looking　not　at　the

child；　but　at　Brangwen。　He　became　aware　of　the　woman　looking　at

him；　standing　there　isolated　yet　for　him　dominant　in　her　foreign