小说园

第70部分（第4页）

〃Oh；　hes　a　caution；　that　lad……but　not　bad；　you

know。〃

〃No；〃　Ursula　agreed；　weakly。

The　latch　of　the　door　clicked；　and　they　entered　the　big　room。

Ursula　glanced　down　the　place。　Its　rigid；　long　silence　was

official　and　chilling。　Half…way　down　was　a　glass　partition；　the

doors　of　which　were　open。　A　clock　ticked　re…echoing；　and　Miss

Harbys　voice　sounded　double　as　she　said：

〃This　is　the　big　room……Standard

Five…Six…and…Seven。……Heres　your

place……Five〃

She　stood　in　the　near　end　of　the　great　room。　There　was　a

small　high　teachers　desk　facing　a　squadron　of　long　benches；　two

high　windows　in　the　wall　opposite。

It　was　fascinating　and　horrible　to　Ursula。　The　curious；

unliving　light　in　the　room　changed　her　character。　She　thought　it

was　the　rainy　morning。　Then　she　looked　up　again；　because　of　the

horrid　feeling　of　being　shut　in　a　rigid；　inflexible　air；　away

from　all　feeling　of　the　ordinary　day；　and　she　noticed　that　the

windows　were　of　ribbed；　suffused　glass。

The　prison　was　round　her　now！　She　looked　at　the　walls；　colour

washed；　pale　green　and　chocolate；　at　the　large　windows　with

frowsy　geraniums　against　the　pale　glass；　at　the　long　rows　of

desks；　arranged　in　a　squadron；　and　dread　filled　her。　This　was　a

new　world；　a　new　life；　with　which　she　was　threatened。　But　still

excited；　she　climbed　into　her　chair　at　her　teachers　desk。　It

was　high；　and　her　feet　could　not　reach　the　ground；　but　must　rest

on　the　step。　Lifted　up　there；　off　the　ground；　she　was　in　office。

How　queer；　how　queer　it　all　was！　How　different　it　was　from　the

mist　of　rain　blowing　over　Cossethay。　As　she　thought　of　her　own

village；　a　spasm　of　yearning　crossed　her；　it　seemed　so　far　off；

so　lost　to　her。

She　was　here　in　this　hard；　stark　reality……reality。　It

was　queer　that　she　should　call　this　the　reality；　which　she　had

never　known　till　to…day；　and　which　now　so　filled　her　with　dread

and　dislike；　that　she　wished　she　might　go　away。　This　was　the