Women in Love

'And I,' said Birkin, his face playful but yet determined, 'I want a

binding contract, and am not keen on love, particularly free love.' They were both amused. WHY this public avowal? Gerald seemed suspended

a moment, in amusement.

'Love isn't good enough for you?' he called.

'No!' shouted Birkin.

'Ha, well that's being over-refined,' said Gerald, and the car ran

through the mud.

'What's the matter, really?' said Gerald, turning to Gudrun.

This was an assumption of a sort of intimacy that irritated Gudrun

almost like an affront. It seemed to her that Gerald was deliberately

insulting her, and infringing on the decent privacy of them all.

'What is it?' she said, in her high, repellent voice. 'Don't ask me!--I

know nothing about ULTIMATE marriage, I assure you: or even

penultimate.' 'Only the ordinary unwarrantable brand!' replied Gerald. 'Just so--same

here. I am no expert on marriage, and degrees of ultimateness. It seems

to be a bee that buzzes loudly in Rupert's bonnet.' 'Exactly! But that is his trouble, exactly! Instead of wanting a woman

for herself, he wants his IDEAS fulfilled. Which, when it comes to

actual practice, is not good enough.' 'Oh no. Best go slap for what's womanly in woman, like a bull at a

gate.' Then he seemed to glimmer in himself. 'You think love is the

ticket, do you?' he asked.

'Certainly, while it lasts--you only can't insist on permanency,' came

Gudrun's voice, strident above the noise.

'Marriage or no marriage, ultimate or penultimate or just so-so?--take

the love as you find it.' 'As you please, or as you don't please,' she echoed. 'Marriage is a

social arrangement, I take it, and has nothing to do with the question

of love.' His eyes were flickering on her all the time. She felt as is he were

kissing her freely and malevolently. It made the colour burn in her

cheeks, but her heart was quite firm and unfailing.

'You think Rupert is off his head a bit?' Gerald asked.

Her eyes flashed with acknowledgment.

'As regards a woman, yes,' she said, 'I do. There IS such a thing as

two people being in love for the whole of their lives--perhaps. But

marriage is neither here nor there, even then. If they are in love,

well and good. If not--why break eggs about it!' 'Yes,' said Gerald. 'That's how it strikes me. But what about Rupert?' 'I can't make out--neither can he nor anybody. He seems to think that

if you marry you can get through marriage into a third heaven, or

something--all very vague.' 'Very! And who wants a third heaven? As a matter of fact, Rupert has a

great yearning to be SAFE--to tie himself to the mast.' 'Yes. It seems to me he's mistaken there too,' said Gudrun. 'I'm sure a

mistress is more likely to be faithful than a wife--just because she is

her OWN mistress. No--he says he believes that a man and wife can go

further than any other two beings--but WHERE, is not explained. They

can know each other, heavenly and hellish, but particularly hellish, so

perfectly that they go beyond heaven and hell--into--there it all

breaks down--into nowhere.' 'Into Paradise, he says,' laughed Gerald.