小说园

第15部分（第5页）

much　life　before　he　found　her　as　she　was；　the　woman　who　could

take　him　and　give　him　fulfilment。　She　had　taken　him　and　given

him　fulfilment。　She　still　could　do　so；　in　her　own　times　and

ways。　But　he　must　control　himself；　measure　himself　to　her。

He　wanted　to　give　her　all　his　love；　all　his　passion；　all　his

essential　energy。　But　it　could　not　be。　He　must　find　other　things

than　her；　other　centres　of　living。　She　sat　close　and　impregnable

with　the　child。　And　he　was　jealous　of　the　child。

But　he　loved　her；　and　time　came　to　give　some　sort　of　course

to　his　troublesome　current　of　life；　so　that　it　did　not　foam　and

flood　and　make　misery。　He　formed　another　centre　of　love　in　her

child；　Anna。　Gradually　a　part　of　his　stream　of　life　was　diverted

to　the　child；　relieving　the　main　flood　to　his　wife。　Also　he

sought　the　pany　of　men；　he　drank　heavily　now　and　again。

The　child　ceased　to　have　so　much　anxiety　for　her　mother　after

the　baby　came。　Seeing　the　mother　with　the　baby　boy；　delighted

and　serene　and　secure；　Anna　was　at　first　puzzled；　then　gradually

she　became　indignant；　and　at　last　her　little　life　settled　on　its

own　swivel；　she　was　no　more　strained　and　distorted　to　support

her　mother。　She　became　more　childish；　not　so　abnormal；　not

charged　with　cares　she　could　not　understand。　The　charge　of　the

mother；　the　satisfying　of　the　mother；　had　devolved　elsewhere

than　on　her。　Gradually　the　child　was　freed。　She　became　an

independent；　forgetful　little　soul；　loving　from　her　own

centre。

Of　her　own　choice；　she　then　loved　Brangwen　most；　or　most

obviously。　For　these　two　made　a　little　life　together；　they　had　a

joint　activity。　It　amused　him；　at　evening；　to　teach　her　to

count；　or　to　say　her　letters。　He　remembered　for　her　all　the

little　nursery　rhymes　and　childish　songs　that　lay　forgotten　at

the　bottom　of　his　brain。

At　first　she　thought　them　rubbish。　But　he　laughed；　and　she

laughed。　They　became　to　her　a　huge　joke。　Old　King　Cole　she

thought　was　Brangwen。　Mother　Hubbard　was　Tilly；　her　mother　was

the　old　woman　who　lived　in　a　shoe。　It　was　a　huge；　it　was　a