Women in Love

'Somewhere--anywhere. Let's wander off. That's the thing to do--let's

wander off.' 'Yes--' she said, thrilled at the thought of travel. But to her it was

only travel.

'To be free,' he said. 'To be free, in a free place, with a few other

people!' 'Yes,' she said wistfully. Those 'few other people' depressed her.

'It isn't really a locality, though,' he said. 'It's a perfected

relation between you and me, and others--the perfect relation--so that

we are free together.' 'It is, my love, isn't it,' she said. 'It's you and me. It's you and

me, isn't it?' She stretched out her arms to him. He went across and

stooped to kiss her face. Her arms closed round him again, her hands

spread upon his shoulders, moving slowly there, moving slowly on his

back, down his back slowly, with a strange recurrent, rhythmic motion,

yet moving slowly down, pressing mysteriously over his loins, over his

flanks. The sense of the awfulness of riches that could never be

impaired flooded her mind like a swoon, a death in most marvellous

possession, mystic-sure. She possessed him so utterly and intolerably,

that she herself lapsed out. And yet she was only sitting still in the

chair, with her hands pressed upon him, and lost.

Again he softly kissed her.

'We shall never go apart again,' he murmured quietly. And she did not

speak, but only pressed her hands firmer down upon the source of

darkness in him.

They decided, when they woke again from the pure swoon, to write their

resignations from the world of work there and then. She wanted this.

He rang the bell, and ordered note-paper without a printed address. The

waiter cleared the table.

'Now then,' he said, 'yours first. Put your home address, and the

date--then "Director of Education, Town Hall--Sir--" Now then!--I don't

know how one really stands--I suppose one could get out of it in less

than month--Anyhow "Sir--I beg to resign my post as classmistress in

the Willey Green Grammar School. I should be very grateful if you would

liberate me as soon as possible, without waiting for the expiration of

the month's notice." That'll do. Have you got it? Let me look. "Ursula

Brangwen." Good! Now I'll write mine. I ought to give them three

months, but I can plead health. I can arrange it all right.' He sat and wrote out his formal resignation.

'Now,' he said, when the envelopes were sealed and addressed, 'shall we

post them here, both together? I know Jackie will say, "Here's a

coincidence!" when he receives them in all their identity. Shall we let

him say it, or not?' 'I don't care,' she said.