小说园

第37部分（第4页）

diffuse　heat；　than　his　blind；　hot　youth？

She　seemed　to　be　breathing　high；　sharp　air；　as　if　she　had

just　e　out　of　a　hot　room。　These　strange　Skrebenskys　made　her

aware　of　another；　freer　element；　in　which　each　person　was

detached　and　isolated。　Was　not　this　her　natural　element？　Was　not

the　close　Brangwen　life　stifling　her？

Meanwhile　the　little　baroness；　with　always　a　subtle　light

stirring　of　her　full；　lustrous；　hazel　eyes；　was　playing　with

Will　Brangwen。　He　was　not　quick　enough　to　see　all　her　movements。

Yet　he　watched　her　steadily；　with　unchanging；　lit…up　eyes。　She

was　a　strange　creature　to　him。　But　she　had　no　power　over　him。

She　flushed；　and　was　irritated。　Yet　she　glanced　again　and　again

at　his　dark；　living　face；　curiously；　as　if　she　despised　him。　She

despised　his　uncritical；　unironical　nature；　it　had　nothing　for

her。　Yet　it　angered　her　as　if　she　were　jealous。　He　watched　her

with　deferential　interest　as　he　would　watch　a　stoat　playing。　But

he　himself　was　not　implicated。　He　was　different　in　kind。　She　was

all　lambent；　biting　flames；　he　was　a　red　fire　glowing　steadily。

She　could　get　nothing　out　of　him。　So　she　made　him　flush　darkly

by　assuming　a　biting；　subtle　class…superiority。　He　flushed；　but

still　he　did　not　object。　He　was　too　different。

Her　little　boy　came　in　with　the　nurse。　He　was　a　quick；　slight

child；　with　fine　perceptiveness；　and　a　cool　transitoriness　in

his　interest。　At　once　he　treated　Will　Brangwen　as　an　outsider。

He　stayed　by　Anna　for　a　moment；　acknowledged　her；　then　was　gone

again；　quick；　observant；　restless；　with　a　glance　of　interest　at

everything。

The　father　adored　him；　and　spoke　to　him　in　Polish。　It　was

queer；　the　stiff；　aristocratic　manner　of　the　father　with　the

child；　the　distance　in　the　relationship；　the　classic　fatherhood

on　the　one　hand；　the　filial　subordination　on　the　other。　They

played　together；　in　their　different　degrees　very　separate；　two

different　beings；　differing　as　it　were　in　rank　rather　than　in

relationship。　And　the　baroness　smiled；　smiled；　smiled；　always

smiled；　showing　her　rather　protruding　teeth；　having　always　a

mysterious　attraction　and　charm。

Anna　realized　how　different　her　own　life　might　have　been；　how

different　her　own　living。　Her　soul　stirred；　she　became　as

another　person。　Her　intimacy　with　her　husband　passed　away；　the

curious　enveloping　Brangwen　intimacy；　so　warm；　so　close；　so