小说园

第79部分（第3页）

never；　could　never　understand　that　they　should　grow　up

different。　They　had　held　〃Urtler　Brangwen〃　one　of　themselves；

and　had　given　her　her　place　in　her　native　village；　as　in　a

family。　And　the　bond　was　strong。　But　now；　when　she　was　growing

to　something　beyond　what　Cossethay　would　allow　or　understand；

the　bond　between　her　and　her　old　associates　was　being　a

bondage。

〃Ello；　Ursler；　ow　are　yer　goin　on？〃　they　said　when　they

met　her。　And　it　demanded　of　her　in　the　old　voice　the　old

response。　And　something　in　her　must　respond　and　belong　to　people

who　knew　her。　But　something　else　denied　bitterly。　What　was　true

of　her　ten　years　ago　was　not　true　now。　And　something　else　which

she　was；　and　must　be；　they　could　neither　see　nor　allow。　They

felt　it　there　nevertheless；　something　beyond　them；　and　they　were

injured。　They　said　she　was　proud　and　conceited；　that　she　was　too

big　for　her　shoes　nowadays。　They　said；　she　neednt　pretend；

because　they　knew　what　she　was。　They　had　known　her　since　she　was

born。　They　quoted　this　and　that　about　her。　And　she　was　ashamed

because　she　did　feel　different　from　the　people　she　had　lived

amongst。　It　hurt　her　that　she　could　not　be　at　her　ease　with　them

any　more。　And　yet……and　yet……ones　kite　will　rise　on

the　wind　as　far　as　ever　one　has　string　to　let　it　go。　It　tugs　and

tugs　and　will　go；　and　one　is　glad　the　further　it　goes；　even　it

everybody　else　is　nasty　about　it。　So　Cossethay　hampered　her；　and

she　wanted　to　go　away；　to　be　free　to　fly　her　kite　as　high　as　she

liked。　She　wanted　to　go　away；　to　be　free　to　stand　straight　up　to

her　own　height。

So　that　when　she　knew　that　her　father　had　the　new　post；　and

that　the　family　would　move；　she　felt　like　skipping　on　the　face

of　the　earth；　and　making　psalms　of　joy。　The　old；　bound　shell　of

Cossethay　was　to　be　cast　off；　and　she　was　to　dance　away　into　the

blue　air。　She　wanted　to　dance　and　sing。

She　made　dreams　of　the　new　place　she　would　live　in；　where

stately　cultured　people　of　high　feeling　would　be　friends　with

her；　and　she　would　live　with　the　noble　in　the　land；　moving　to　a

large　freedom　of　feeling。　She　dreamed　of　a　rich；　proud；　simple

girl…friend；　who　had　never　known　Mr。　Harby　and　his　like；　nor

ever　had　a　note　in　her　voice　of　bondaged　contempt　and　fear；　as

Maggie　had。

And　she　gave　herself　to　all　that　she　loved　in　Cossethay；