'I shall be so disappointed.'
'You know I don't want you to give me things,' he repeated helplessly.
'I don't want to give you THINGS,' she said teasingly. 'But will you
have this?'
'All right,' he said, defeated, and she triumphed.
They went upstairs. There were two bedrooms to correspond with the
rooms downstairs. One of them was half furnished, and Birkin had
evidently slept there. Hermione went round the room carefully, taking
in every detail, as if absorbing the evidence of his presence, in all
the inanimate things. She felt the bed and examined the coverings.
'Are you SURE you were quite comfortable?' she said, pressing the
pillow.
'Perfectly,' he replied coldly.
'And were you warm? There is no down quilt. I am sure you need one. You
mustn't have a great pressure of clothes.'
'I've got one,' he said. 'It is coming down.'
They measured the rooms, and lingered over every consideration. Ursula
stood at the window and watched the woman carrying the tea up the bank
to the pond.
Pages:
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288