'Not always,' he said coldly.
'But don't you think that's very wicked?'
'Wicked?'
'Yes. I think it's CRIMINAL to have so little connection with your own
body that you don't even know when you are ill.'
He looked at her darkly.
'Yes,' he said.
'Why don't you stay in bed when you are seedy? You look perfectly
ghastly.'
'Offensively so?' he asked ironically.
'Yes, quite offensive. Quite repelling.'
'Ah!! Well that's unfortunate.'
'And it's raining, and it's a horrible night. Really, you shouldn't be
forgiven for treating your body like it--you OUGHT to suffer, a man who
takes as little notice of his body as that.'
'--takes as little notice of his body as that,' he echoed mechanically.
This cut her short, and there was silence.
The others came in from church, and the two had the girls to face, then
the mother and Gudrun, and then the father and the boy.
'Good-evening,' said Brangwen, faintly surprised. 'Came to see me, did
you?'
'No,' said Birkin, 'not about anything, in particular, that is.
Pages:
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408