小说园

第49部分（第1页）

He　died　and　went　his　way；　but　not　before　there　was　another

child。　And　this　little　Ursula　was　his　grandchild。　She　was　glad

of　it。　For　she　still　honoured　him；　though　he　had　been

mistaken。

She；　Lydia　Brangwen；　was　sorry　for　him　now。　He　was

dead……he　had　scarcely　lived。　He　had　never　known　her。　He　had

lain　with　her；　but　he　had　never　known　her。　He　had　never　received

what　she　could　give　him。　He　had　gone　away　from　her　empty。　So；　he

had　never　lived。　So；　he　had　died　and　passed　away。　Yet　there　had

been　strength　and　power　in　him。

She　could　scarcely　forgive　him　that　he　had　never　lived。　If　it

were　not　for　Anna；　and　for　this　little　Ursula；　who　had　his

brows；　there　would　be　no　more　left　of　him　than　of　a　broken

vessel　thrown　away；　and　just　remembered。

Tom　Brangwen　had　served　her。　He　had　e　to　her；　and　taken

from　her。　He　had　died　and　gone　his　way　into　death。　But　he　had

made　himself　immortal　in　his　knowledge　with　her。　So　she　had　her

place　here；　in　life；　and　in　immortality。　For　he　had　taken　his

knowledge　of　her　into　death；　so　that　she　had　her　place　in　death。

〃In　my　fathers　house　are　many　mansions。〃

She　loved　both　her　husbands。　To　one　she　had　been　a　naked

little　girl…bride；　running　to　serve　him。　The　other　she　loved　out

of　fulfilment；　because　he　was　good　and　had　given　her　being；

because　he　had　served　her　honourably；　and　bee　her　man；　one

with　her。

She　was　established　in　this　stretch　of　life；　she　had　e　to

herself。　During　her　first　marriage；　she　had　not　existed；　except

through　him；　he　was　the　substance　and　she　the　shadow　running　at

his　feet。　She　was　very　glad　she　had　e　to　her　own　self。　She

was　grateful　to　Brangwen。　She　reached　out　to　him　in　gratitude；

into　death。

In　her　heart　she　felt　a　vague　tenderness　and　pity　for　her

first　husband；　who　had　been　her　lord。　He　was　so　wrong　when　he

died。　She　could　not　bear　it；　that　he　had　never　lived；　never

really　bee　himself。　And　he　had　been　her　lord！　Strange；　it　all