小说园

第66部分（第1页）

in　the　house；　and　died　very　gradually。　I　asked　her　if　his　death

wasnt　a　great　trouble　to　her。　Well；　she　said；　he　was　very

fretful　towards　the　last；　never　satisfied；　never　easy；　always

fret…fretting；　an　never　knowing　what　would　satisfy　him。　So　in

one　way　it　was　a　relief　when　it　was　over……for　him　and　for

everybody。　They　had　only　been　married　two　years；　and　she　has

one　boy。　I　asked　her　if　she　hadnt　been　very　happy。　Oh；　yes；

sir；　we　was　very　fortable　at　first；　till　he　took

bad……oh；　we　was　very　fortable……oh；　yes……but；

you　see；　you　get　used　to　it。　Ive　had　my　father　and　two　brothers

go　off　just　the　same。　You　get　used　to　it。〃

〃Its　a　horrible　thing　to　get　used　to；〃　said　Winifred　Inger；

with　a　shudder。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　still　smiling。　〃But　thats　how　they　are。

Shell　be　getting　married　again　directly。　One　man　or

another……it　does　not　matter　very　much。　Theyre　all

colliers。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Ursula。　〃Theyre　all　colliers？〃

〃It　is　with　the　women　as　with　us；〃　he　replied。　〃Her　husband

was　John　Smith；　loader。　We　reckoned　him　as　a　loader；　he　reckoned

himself　as　a　loader；　and　so　she　knew　he　represented　his　job。

Marriage　and　home　is　a　little　side…show。

〃The　women　know　it　right　enough；　and　take　it　for　what　its

worth。　One　man　or　another；　it　doesnt　matter　all　the　world。　The

pit　matters。　Round　the　pit　there　will　always　be　the　sideshows；

plenty　of　em。〃

He　looked　round　at　the　red　chaos；　the　rigid；　amorphous

confusion　of　Wiggiston。

〃Every　man　his　own　little　side…show；　his　home；　but　the　pit

owns　every　man。　The　women　have　what　is　left。　Whats　left　of　this

man；　or　what　is　left　of　that……it　doesnt　matter　altogether。

The　pit　takes　all　that　really　matters。〃

〃It　is　the　same　everywhere；〃　burst　out　Winifred。　〃It　is　the

office；　or　the　shop；　or　the　business　that　gets　the　man；　the

woman　gets　the　bit　the　shop　cant　digest。　What　is　he　at　home；　a

man？　He　is　a　meaningless　lump……a　standing　machine；　a