小说园

第24部分（第1页）

bemused。　She　did　not　understand。　She　only　thought　the　marriage

was　impeded　for　want　of　money　and　position。

There　was　a　horrible　silence　in　the　house。　Anna　kept　out　of

sight　as　much　as　possible。　She　could　be　for　hours　alone。

Will　Brangwen　came　back；　after　stupid　scenes　at　Nottingham。

He　too　was　pale　and　blank；　but　unchanging。　His　uncle　hated　him。

He　hated　this　youth；　who　was　so　inhuman　and　obstinate。

Nevertheless；　it　was　to　Will　Brangwen　that　the　uncle；　one

evening；　handed　over　the　shares　which　he　had　transferred　to　Anna

Lensky。　They　were　for　two　thousand　five　hundred　pounds。　Will

Brangwen　looked　at　his　uncle。　It　was　a　great　deal　of　the　Marsh

capital　here　given　away。　The　youth；　however；　was　only　colder　and

more　fixed。　He　was　abstract；　purely　a　fixed　will。　He　gave　the

shares　to　Anna。

After　which　she　cried　for　a　whole　day；　sobbing　her　eyes　out。

And　at　night；　when　she　had　heard　her　mother　go　to　bed；　she

slipped　down　and　hung　in　the　doorway。　Her　father　sat　in　his

heavy　silence；　like　a　monument。　He　turned　his　head　slowly。

〃Daddy；〃　she　cried　from　the　doorway；　and　she　ran　to　him

sobbing　as　if　her　heart　would　break。

〃Daddy……daddy……daddy。〃

She　crouched　on　the　hearthrug　with　her　arms　round　him　and　her

face　against　him。　His　body　was　so　big　and　fortable。　But

something　hurt　her　head　intolerably。　She　sobbed　almost　with

hysteria。

He　was　silent；　with　his　hand　on　her　shoulder。　His　heart　was

bleak。　He　was　not　her　father。　That　beloved　image　she　had　broken。

Who　was　he　then？　A　man　put　apart　with　those　whose　life　has　no

more　developments。　He　was　isolated　from　her。　There　was　a

generation　between　them；　he　was　old；　he　had　died　out　from　hot

life。　A　great　deal　of　ash　was　in　his　fire；　cold　ash。　He　felt　the

inevitable　coldness；　and　in　bitterness　forgot　the　fire。　He　sat

in　his　coldness　of　age　and　isolation。　He　had　his　own　wife。　And

he　blamed　himself；　he　sneered　at　himself；　for　this　clinging　to