Women in Love

'Curse you,' said the young man, standing by the table and looking down

at her with acrid malevolence.

'Stop that,' said Gerald, in quick, instinctive command.

The young man stood looking down at her with sardonic contempt, a

cowed, self-conscious look on his thick, pale face. The blood began to

flow from his hand.

'Oh, how horrible, take it away!' squealed Halliday, turning green and

averting his face.

'D'you feel ill?' asked the sardonic young man, in some concern. 'Do

you feel ill, Julius? Garn, it's nothing, man, don't give her the

pleasure of letting her think she's performed a feat--don't give her

the satisfaction, man--it's just what she wants.' 'Oh!' squealed Halliday.

'He's going to cat, Maxim,' said the Pussum warningly. The suave young

Russian rose and took Halliday by the arm, leading him away. Birkin,

white and diminished, looked on as if he were displeased. The wounded,

sardonic young man moved away, ignoring his bleeding hand in the most

conspicuous fashion.

'He's an awful coward, really,' said the Pussum to Gerald. 'He's got

such an influence over Julius.' 'Who is he?' asked Gerald.

'He's a Jew, really. I can't bear him.' 'Well, he's quite unimportant. But what's wrong with Halliday?' 'Julius's the most awful coward you've ever seen,' she cried. 'He

always faints if I lift a knife--he's tewwified of me.' 'H'm!' said Gerald.

'They're all afwaid of me,' she said. 'Only the Jew thinks he's going

to show his courage. But he's the biggest coward of them all, really,

because he's afwaid what people will think about him--and Julius

doesn't care about that.' 'They've a lot of valour between them,' said Gerald good-humouredly.

The Pussum looked at him with a slow, slow smile. She was very

handsome, flushed, and confident in dreadful knowledge. Two little

points of light glinted on Gerald's eyes.

'Why do they call you Pussum, because you're like a cat?' he asked her.

'I expect so,' she said.

The smile grew more intense on his face.

'You are, rather; or a young, female panther.' 'Oh God, Gerald!' said Birkin, in some disgust.

They both looked uneasily at Birkin.

'You're silent tonight, Wupert,' she said to him, with a slight

insolence, being safe with the other man.

Halliday was coming back, looking forlorn and sick.

'Pussum,' he said, 'I wish you wouldn't do these things--Oh!' He sank

in his chair with a groan.

'You'd better go home,' she said to him.

'I WILL go home,' he said. 'But won't you all come along. Won't you

come round to the flat?' he said to Gerald. 'I should be so glad if you

would. Do--that'll be splendid. I say?' He looked round for a waiter.

'Get me a taxi.' Then he groaned again. 'Oh I do feel--perfectly

ghastly! Pussum, you see what you do to me.' 'Then why are you such an idiot?' she said with sullen calm.