Women in Love

'I was going on,' said Ursula. 'Mr Birkin wanted me to see the rooms.

Isn't it delightful to live here? It is perfect.' 'Yes,' said Hermione, abstractedly. Then she turned right away from

Ursula, ceased to know her existence.

'How do you feel, Rupert?' she sang in a new, affectionate tone, to

Birkin.

'Very well,' he replied.

'Were you quite comfortable?' The curious, sinister, rapt look was on

Hermione's face, she shrugged her bosom in a convulsed movement, and

seemed like one half in a trance.

'Quite comfortable,' he replied.

There was a long pause, whilst Hermione looked at him for a long time,

from under her heavy, drugged eyelids.

'And you think you'll be happy here?' she said at last.

'I'm sure I shall.' 'I'm sure I shall do anything for him as I can,' said the labourer's

wife. 'And I'm sure our master will; so I HOPE he'll find himself

comfortable.' Hermione turned and looked at her slowly.

'Thank you so much,' she said, and then she turned completely away

again. She recovered her position, and lifting her face towards him,

and addressing him exclusively, she said: 'Have you measured the rooms?' 'No,' he said, 'I've been mending the punt.' 'Shall we do it now?' she said slowly, balanced and dispassionate.

'Have you got a tape measure, Mrs Salmon?' he said, turning to the

woman.

'Yes sir, I think I can find one,' replied the woman, bustling

immediately to a basket. 'This is the only one I've got, if it will

do.' Hermione took it, though it was offered to him.

'Thank you so much,' she said. 'It will do very nicely. Thank you so

much.' Then she turned to Birkin, saying with a little gay movement:

'Shall we do it now, Rupert?' 'What about the others, they'll be bored,' he said reluctantly.

'Do you mind?' said Hermione, turning to Ursula and Gerald vaguely.

'Not in the least,' they replied.

'Which room shall we do first?' she said, turning again to Birkin, with

the same gaiety, now she was going to DO something with him.

'We'll take them as they come,' he said.

'Should I be getting your teas ready, while you do that?' said the

labourer's wife, also gay because SHE had something to do.

'Would you?' said Hermione, turning to her with the curious motion of

intimacy that seemed to envelop the woman, draw her almost to

Hermione's breast, and which left the others standing apart. 'I should

be so glad. Where shall we have it?' 'Where would you like it? Shall it be in here, or out on the grass?' 'Where shall we have tea?' sang Hermione to the company at large.