小说园

第90部分（第4页）

Skrebensky　was　put　on　one　corridor；　Ursula　on　the　other。　They

felt　very　lost；　in　the　crowd。

Being　lovers；　however；　they　were　allowed　to　be　out　alone

together　as　much　as　they　liked。　Yet　she　felt　very　strange；　in

this　crowd　of　strange　people；　uneasy；　as　if　she　had　no　privacy。

She　was　not　used　to　these　homogeneous　crowds。　She　was

afraid。

She　felt　different　from　the　rest　of　them；　with　their　hard；

easy；　shallow　intimacy；　that　seemed　to　cost　them　so　little。　She

felt　she　was　not　pronounced　enough。　It　was　a　kind　of

hold…your…own　unconventional　atmosphere。

She　did　not　like　it。　In　crowds；　in　assemblies　of　people；　she

liked　formality。　She　felt　she　did　not　produce　the　right　effect。

She　was　not　effective：　she　was　not　beautiful：　she　was　nothing。

Even　before　Skrebensky　she　felt　unimportant；　almost　inferior。　He

could　take　his　part　very　well　with　the　rest。

He　and　she　went　out　into　the　night。　There　was　a　moon　behind

clouds；　shedding　a　diffused　light；　gleaming　now　and　again　in

bits　of　smoky　mother…of…pearl。　So　they　walked　together　on　the

wet；　ribbed　sands　near　the　sea；　hearing　the　run　of　the　long；

heavy　waves；　that　made　a　ghostly　whiteness　and　a　whisper。

He　was　sure　of　himself。　As　she　walked；　the　soft　silk　of　her

dress……she　wore　a　blue　shantung；　full…skirted……blew

away　from　the　sea　and　flapped　and　clung　to　her　legs。　She　wished

it　would　not。　Everything　seemed　to　give　her　away；　and　she　could

not　rouse　herself　to　deny；　she　was　so　confused。

He　would　lead　her　away　to　a　pocket　in　the　sand…hills；　secret

amid　the　grey　thorn…bushes　and　the　grey；　glassy　grass。　He　held

her　close　against　him；　felt　all　her　firm；　unutterably　desirable

mould　of　body　through　the　fine　fibre　of　the　silk　that　fell　about

her　limbs。　The　silk；　slipping　fierily　on　the　hidden；　yet

revealed　roundness　and　firmness　of　her　body；　her　loins；　seemed

to　run　in　him　like　fire；　make　his　brain　burn　like　brimstone。　She

liked　it；　the　electric　fire　of　the　silk　under　his　hands　upon　her