小说园

第20部分（第1页）

Alfred　Brangwen；　in　Nottingham；　saying　that　her　son　William　was

ing　to　Ilkeston　to　take　a　place　as　junior　draughtsman；

scarcely　more　than　apprentice；　in　a　lace　factory。　He　was　twenty

years　old；　and　would　the　Marsh　Brangwens　be　friendly　with

him。

Tom　Brangwen　at　once　wrote　offering　the　young　man　a　home　at

the　Marsh。　This　was　not　accepted；　but　the　Nottingham　Brangwens

expressed　gratitude。

There　had　never　been　much　love　lost　between　the　Nottingham

Brangwens　and　the　Marsh。　Indeed；　Mrs。　Alfred；　having　inherited

three　thousand　pounds；　and　having　occasion　to　be　dissatisfied

with　her　husband；　held　aloof　from　all　the　Brangwens　whatsoever。

She　affected；　however；　some　esteem　of　Mrs。　Tom；　as　she　called

the　Polish　woman；　saying　that　at　any　rate　she　was　a　lady。

Anna　Brangwen　was　faintly　excited　at　the　news　of　her　Cousin

Wills　ing　to　Ilkeston。　She　knew　plenty　of　young　men；　but

they　had　never　bee　real　to　her。　She　had　seen　in　this　young

gallant　a　nose　she　liked；　in　that　a　pleasant　moustache；　in　the

other　a　nice　way　of　wearing　clothes；　in　one　a　ridiculous　fringe

of　hair；　in　another　a　ical　way　of　talking。　They　were　objects

of　amusement　and　faint　wonder　to　her；　rather　than　real　beings；

the　young　men。

The　only　man　she　knew　was　her　father；　and；　as　he　was

something　large；　looming；　a　kind　of　Godhead；　he　embraced　all

manhood　for　her；　and　other　men　were　just　incidental。

She　remembered　her　cousin　Will。　He　had　town　clothes　and　was

thin；　with　a　very　curious　head；　black　as　jet；　with　hair　like

sleek；　thin　fur。　It　was　a　curious　head：　it　reminded　her　she　knew

not　of　what：　of　some　animal；　some　mysterious　animal　that　lived

in　the　darkness　under　the　leaves　and　never　came　out；　but　which

lived　vividly；　swift　and　intense。　She　always　thought　of　him　with

that　black；　keen；　blind　head。　And　she　considered　him　odd。

He　appeared　at　the　Marsh　one　Sunday　morning：　a　rather　long；

thin　youth　with　a　bright　face　and　a　curious　self…possession

among　his　shyness；　a　native　unawareness　of　what　other　people