小说园

第80部分（第4页）

〃Well；　good　luck；〃　said　the　last　of　the　teachers；　as　she

shook　hands　at　the　end　of　the　road。　〃Well　expect　you　back　some

day。〃

He　spoke　in　irony。　She　laughed；　and　broke　away。　She　was　free。

As　she　sat　on　the　top　of　the　tram　in　the　sunlight；　she　looked

round　her　with　tremendous　delight。　She　had　left　something　which

had　meant　much　to　her。　She　would　not　go　to　school　any　more；　and

do　the　familiar　things。　Queer！　There　was　a　little　pang　amid　her

exultation；　of　fear；　not　of　regret。　Yet　how　she　exulted　this

morning！

She　was　tremulous　with　pride　and　joy。　She　loved　the　two

books。　They　were　tokens　to　her；　representing　the　fruit　and

trophies　of　her　two　years　which；　thank　God；　were　over。

〃To　Ursula　Brangwen；　with　best　wishes　for　her　future；　and　in

warm　memory　of　the　time　she　spent　in　St。　Philips　School；〃　was

written　in　the　headmasters　neat；　scrupulous　handwriting。　She

could　see　the　careful　hand　holding　the　pen；　the　thick　fingers

with　tufts　of　black　hair　on　the　back　of　each　one。

He　had　signed；　all　the　teachers　had　signed。　She　liked　having

all　their　signatures。　She　felt　she　loved　them　all。　They　were　her

fellow…workers。　She　carried　away　from　the　school　a　pride　she

could　never　lose。　She　had　her　place　as　rade　and　sharer　in　the

work　of　the　school；　her　fellow　teachers　had　signed　to　her；　as

one　of　them。　And　she　was　one　of　all　workers；　she　had　put　in　her

tiny　brick　to　the　fabric　man　was　building；　she　had　qualified

herself　as　co…builder。

Then　the　day　for　the　home　removal　came。　Ursula　rose　early；　to

pack　up　the　remaining　goods。　The　carts　arrived；　lent　by　her

uncle　at　the　Marsh；　in　the　lull　between　hay　and　corn　harvest。

The　goods　roped　in　the　cart；　Ursula　mounted　her　bicycle　and　sped

away　to　Beldover。

The　house　was　hers。　She　entered　its　clean…scrubbed　silence。

The　dining…room　had　been　covered　with　a　thick　rush　matting；　hard

and　of　the　beautiful；　luminous；　clean　colour　of　sun…dried　reeds。

The　walls　were　pale　grey；　the　doors　were　darker　grey。　Ursula