小说园

第65部分（第4页）

big；　red…brick　house。　It　looked　from　the　front　upon　the　edge　of

the　place；　a　meaningless　squalor　of　ash…pits　and　closets　and

irregular　rows　of　the　backs　of　houses；　each　with　its　small

activity　made　sordid　by　barren　cohesion　with　the　rest　of　the

small　activities。　Farther　off　was　the　great　colliery　that　went

night　and　day。　And　all　around　was　the　country；　green　with　two

winding　streams；　ragged　with　gorse；　and　heath；　the　darker　woods

in　the　distance。

The　whole　place　was　just　unreal；　just　unreal。　Even　now；　when

he　had　been　there　for　two　years；　Tom　Brangwen　did　not　believe　in

the　actuality　of　the　place。　It　was　like　some　gruesome　dream；

some　ugly；　dead；　amorphous　mood　bee　concrete。

Ursula　and　Winifred　were　met　by　the　motor…car　at　the　raw

little　station；　and　drove　through　what　seemed　to　them　like　the

horrible　raw　beginnings　of　something。　The　place　was　a　moment　of

chaos　perpetuated；　persisting；　chaos　fixed　and　rigid。　Ursula　was

fascinated　by　the　many　men　who　were　there……groups　of　men

standing　in　the　streets；　four　or　five　men　walking　in　a　gang

together；　their　dogs　running　behind　or　before。　They　were　all

decently　dressed；　and　most　of　them　rather　gaunt。　The　terrible

gaunt　repose　of　their　bearing　fascinated　her。　Like　creatures

with　no　more　hope；　but　which　still　live　and　have　passionate

being；　within　some　utterly　unliving　shell；　they　passed

meaninglessly　along；　with　strange；　isolated　dignity。　It　was　as

if　a　hard；　horny　shell　enclosed　them　all。

Shocked　and　startled；　Ursula　was　carried　to　her　Uncle　Toms

house。　He　was　not　yet　at　home。　His　house　was　simply；　but　well

furnished。　He　had　taken　out　a　dividing　wall；　and　made　the　whole

front　of　the　house　into　a　large　library；　with　one　end　devoted　to

his　science。　It　was　a　handsome　room；　appointed　as　a　laboratory

and　reading　room；　but　giving　the　same　sense　of　hard；　mechanical

activity；　activity　mechanical　yet　inchoate；　and　looking　out　on

the　hideous　abstraction　of　the　town；　and　at　the　green　meadows

and　rough　country　beyond；　and　at　the　great；　mathematical