小说园

第18部分（第2页）

at　once；　or　at　length。

Annas　soul　was　put　at　peace　between　them。　She　looked　from

one　to　the　other；　and　she　saw　them　established　to　her　safety；

and　she　was　free。　She　played　between　the　pillar　of　fire　and　the

pillar　of　cloud　in　confidence；　having　the　assurance　on　her　right

hand　and　the　assurance　on　her　left。　She　was　no　longer　called

upon　to　uphold　with　her　childish　might　the　broken　end　of　the

arch。　Her　father　and　her　mother　now　met　to　the　span　of　the

heavens；　and　she；　the　child；　was　free　to　play　in　the　space

beneath；　between。

CHAPTER　IV

GIRLHOOD　OF　ANNE　BRANGWEN

When　Anna　was　nine　years　old；　Brangwen　sent　her　to　the　dames

school　in　Cossethay。　There　she　went；　flipping　and　dancing　in　her

inconsequential　fashion；　doing　very　much　as　she　liked；

disconcerting　old　Miss　Coates　by　her　indifference　to

respectability　and　by　her　lack　of　reverence。　Anna　only　laughed

at　Miss　Coates；　liked　her；　and　patronized　her　in　superb；

childish　fashion。

The　girl　was　at　once　shy　and　wild。　She　had　a　curious　contempt

for　ordinary　people；　a　benevolent　superiority。　She　was　very　shy；

and　tortured　with　misery　when　people　did　not　like　her。　On　the

other　hand；　she　cared　very　little　for　anybody　save　her　mother；

whom　she　still　rather　resentfully　worshipped；　and　her　father；

whom　she　loved　and　patronized；　but　upon　whom　she　depended。　These

two；　her　mother　and　father；　held　her　still　in　fee。　But　she　was

free　of　other　people；　towards　whom；　on　the　whole；　she　took　the

benevolent　attitude。　She　deeply　hated　ugliness　or　intrusion　or

arrogance；　however。　As　a　child；　she　was　as　proud　and　shadowy　as

a　tiger；　and　as　aloof。　She　could　confer　favours；　but；　save　from

her　mother　and　father；　she　could　receive　none。　She　hated　people

who　came　too　near　to　her。　Like　a　wild　thing；　she　wanted　her

distance。　She　mistrusted　intimacy。

In　Cossethay　and　Ilkeston　she　was　always　an　alien。　She　had

plenty　of　acquaintances；　but　no　friends。　Very　few　people　whom

she　met　were　significant　to　her。　They　seemed　part　of　a　herd；

undistinguished。　She　did　not　take　people　very　seriously。

She　had　two　brothers；　Tom；　dark…haired；　small；　volatile；　whom

she　was　intimately　related　to　but　whom　she　never　mingled　with；

and　Fred；　fair　and　responsive；　whom　she　adored　but　did　not