小说园

第19部分（第5页）

She　tried　to　discuss　people；　she　wanted　to　know　what　was　meant。

But　her　father　became　uneasy。　He　did　not　want　to　have　things

dragged　into　consciousness。　Only　out　of　consideration　for　her　he

listened。　And　there　was　a　kind　of　bristling　rousedness　in　the

room。　The　cat　got　up　and　stretching　itself；　went　uneasily　to　the

door。　Mrs。　Brangwen　was　silent；　she　seemed　ominous。　Anna　could

not　go　on　with　her　fault…finding；　her　criticism；　her　expression

of　dissatisfactions。　She　felt　even　her　father　against　her。　He

had　a　strong；　dark　bond　with　her　mother；　a　potent　intimacy　that

existed　inarticulate　and　wild；　following　its　own　course；　and

savage　if　interrupted；　uncovered。

Nevertheless　Brangwen　was　uneasy　about　the　girl；　the　whole

house　continued　to　be　disturbed。　She　had　a　pathetic；　baffled

appeal。　She　was　hostile　to　her　parents；　even　whilst　she　lived

entirely　with　them；　within　their　spell。

Many　ways　she　tried；　of　escape。　She　became　an　assiduous

church…goer。　But　the　language　meant　nothing　to　her：　it

seemed　false。　She　hated　to　hear　things　expressed；　put　into

words。　Whilst　the　religious　feelings　were　inside　her　they　were

passionately　moving。　In　the　mouth　of　the　clergyman；　they　were

false；　indecent。　She　tried　to　read。　But　again　the　tedium　and　the

sense　of　the　falsity　of　the　spoken　word　put　her　off。　She　went　to

stay　with　girl　friends。　At　first　she　thought　it　splendid。　But

then　the　inner　boredom　came　on；　it　seemed　to　her　all

nothingness。　And　she　felt　always　belittled；　as　if　never；　never

could　she　stretch　her　length　and　stride　her　stride。

Her　mind　reverted　often　to　the　torture　cell　of　a　certain

Bishop　of　France；　in　which　the　victim　could　neither　stand　nor

lie　stretched　out；　never。　Not　that　she　thought　of　herself　in　any

connection　with　this。　But　often　there　came　into　her　mind　the

wonder；　how　the　cell　was　built；　and　she　could　feel　the　horror　of

the　crampedness；　as　something　very　real。

She　was；　however；　only　eighteen　when　a　letter　came　from　Mrs。

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

ing　to　Ilkeston　to　take　a　place　as　junior　draughtsman；

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