小说园

第80部分（第6页）

made　a　home　in　the　hearts　of　the　children；　who　clustered　round

feeling　strange　in　the　new　place。

Everything　was　at　sixes　and　sevens。　But　a　fire　was　made　in

the　kitchen；　the　hearth…rug　put　down；　the　kettle　set　on　the　hob；

and　Mrs。　Brangwen　began　towards　sunset　to　prepare　the　first

meal。　Ursula　and　Gudrun　were　slaving　in　the　bedrooms；　candles

were　rushing　about。　Then　from　the　kitchen　came　the　smell　of　ham

and　eggs　and　coffee；　and　in　the　gaslight；　the　scrambled　meal

began。　The　family　seemed　to　huddle　together　like　a　little　camp

in　a　strange　place。　Ursula　felt　a　load　of　responsibility　upon

her；　caring　for　the　half…little　ones。　The　smallest　kept　near　the

mother。

It　was　dark；　and　the　children　went　sleepy　but　excited　to　bed。

It　was　a　long　time　before　the　sound　of　voices　died　out。　There

was　a　tremendous　sense　of　adventure。

In　the　morning　everybody　was　awake　soon　after　dawn；　the

children　crying：

〃When　I　wakened　up　I　didnt　know　where　I　was。〃

There　were　the　strange　sounds　of　the　town；　and　the　repeated

chiming　of　the　big　church　bells；　so　much　harsher　and　more

insistent　than　the　little　bells　of　Cossethay。　They　looked

through　the　windows　past　the　other　new　red　houses　to　the　wooded

hill　across　the　valley。　They　had　all　a　delightful　sense　of　space

and　liberation；　space　and　light　and　air。

But　gradually　all　set　to　work。　They　were　a　careless；　untidy

family。　Yet　when　once　they　set　about　to　get　the　house　in　order；

the　thing　went　with　felicity　and　quickness。　By　evening　the　place

was　roughly　established。

They　would　not　have　a　servant　to　live　in　the　house；　only　a

woman　who　could　go　home　at　night。　And　they　would　not　even　have