Women in Love

'Ah, this is Miss Brangwen,' he said, suddenly rousing as she entered,

announced by the man-servant. 'Thomas, put Miss Brangwen a chair

here--that's right.' He looked at her soft, fresh face with pleasure.

It gave him the illusion of life. 'Now, you will have a glass of sherry

and a little piece of cake. Thomas--' 'No thank you,' said Gudrun. And as soon as she had said it, her heart

sank horribly. The sick man seemed to fall into a gap of death, at her

contradiction. She ought to play up to him, not to contravene him. In

an instant she was smiling her rather roguish smile.

'I don't like sherry very much,' she said. 'But I like almost anything

else.' The sick man caught at this straw instantly.

'Not sherry! No! Something else! What then? What is there, Thomas?' 'Port wine--curacao--' 'I would love some curacao--' said Gudrun, looking at the sick man

confidingly.

'You would. Well then Thomas, curacao--and a little cake, or a

biscuit?' 'A biscuit,' said Gudrun. She did not want anything, but she was wise.

'Yes.' He waited till she was settled with her little glass and her biscuit.

Then he was satisfied.

'You have heard the plan,' he said with some excitement, 'for a studio

for Winifred, over the stables?' 'No!' exclaimed Gudrun, in mock wonder.

'Oh!--I thought Winnie wrote it to you, in her letter!' 'Oh--yes--of course. But I thought perhaps it was only her own little

idea--' Gudrun smiled subtly, indulgently. The sick man smiled also,

elated.

'Oh no. It is a real project. There is a good room under the roof of

the stables--with sloping rafters. We had thought of converting it into

a studio.' 'How VERY nice that would be!' cried Gudrun, with excited warmth. The

thought of the rafters stirred her.

'You think it would? Well, it can be done.' 'But how perfectly splendid for Winifred! Of course, it is just what is

needed, if she is to work at all seriously. One must have one's

workshop, otherwise one never ceases to be an amateur.' 'Is that so? Yes. Of course, I should like you to share it with

Winifred.' 'Thank you SO much.' Gudrun knew all these things already, but she must look shy and very

grateful, as if overcome.

'Of course, what I should like best, would be if you could give up your

work at the Grammar School, and just avail yourself of the studio, and

work there--well, as much or as little as you liked--' He looked at Gudrun with dark, vacant eyes. She looked back at him as

if full of gratitude. These phrases of a dying man were so complete and

natural, coming like echoes through his dead mouth.