小说园

第46部分（第1页）

refining。　She　caused　the　separateness　and　individuality　of　all

the　Marsh　inmates；　the　friability　of　the　household。

When　young　Tom　Brangwen　was　twenty…three　years　old　there　was

some　breach　between　him　and　his　chief　which　was　never　explained；

and　he　went　away　to　Italy；　then　to　America。　He　came　home　for　a

while；　then　went　to　Germany；　always　the　same　good…looking；

carefully…dressed；　attractive　young　man；　in　perfect　health；　yet

somehow　outside　of　everything。　In　his　dark　eyes　was　a　deep

misery　which　he　wore　with　the　same　ease　and　pleasantness　as　he

wore　his　close…sitting　clothes。

To　Ursula　he　was　a　romantic；　alluring　figure。　He　had　a　grace

of　bringing　beautiful　presents：　a　box　of　expensive　sweets；　such

as　Cossethay　had　never　seen；　or　he　gave　her　a　hair…brush　and　a

long　slim　mirror　of　mother…of…pearl；　all　pale　and　glimmering　and

exquisite；　or　he　sent　her　a　little　necklace　of　rough　stones；

amethyst　and　opal　and　brilliants　and　garnet。　He　spoke　other

languages　easily　and　fluently；　his　nature　was　curiously　gracious

and　insinuating。　With　all　that；　he　was　undefinably　an　outsider。

He　belonged　to　nowhere；　to　no　society。

Anna　Brangwen　had　left　her　intimacy　with　her　father

undeveloped　since　the　time　of　her　marriage。　At　her　marriage　it

had　been　abandoned。　He　and　she　had　drawn　a　reserve　between　them。

Anna　went　more　to　her　mother。

Then　suddenly　the　father　died。

It　happened　one　springtime　when　Ursula　was　about　eight　years

old；　he；　Tom　Brangwen；　drove　off　on　a　Saturday　morning　to　the

market　in　Nottingham；　saying　he　might　not　be　back　till　late；　as

there　was　a　special　show　and　then　a　meeting　he　had　to　attend。

His　family　understood　that　he　would　enjoy　himself。

The　season　had　been　rainy　and　dreary。　In　the　evening　it　was

pouring　with　rain。　Fred　Brangwen；　unsettled；　uneasy；　did　not　go

out；　as　was　his　wont。　He　smoked　and　read　and　fidgeted；　hearing

always　the　trickling　of　water　outside。　This　wet；　black　night

seemed　to　cut　him　off　and　make　him　unsettled；　aware　of　himself；