' He walked on in silence. It
seemed like bragging, but like a man in extremity bragging truthfully.
'Of course,' he resumed, 'I wouldn't NOT have had it! It's a complete
experience. And she's a wonderful woman. But--how I hate her somewhere!
It's curious--'
Birkin looked at him, at his strange, scarcely conscious face. Gerald
seemed blank before his own words.
'But you've had enough now?' said Birkin. 'You have had your
experience. Why work on an old wound?'
'Oh,' said Gerald, 'I don't know. It's not finished--'
And the two walked on.
'I've loved you, as well as Gudrun, don't forget,' said Birkin
bitterly. Gerald looked at him strangely, abstractedly.
'Have you?' he said, with icy scepticism. 'Or do you think you have?'
He was hardly responsible for what he said.
The sledge came. Gudrun dismounted and they all made their farewell.
They wanted to go apart, all of them. Birkin took his place, and the
sledge drove away leaving Gudrun and Gerald standing on the snow,
waving.
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