Page 141 - women-in-love

‘No. I don’t want to,’ said Ursula.
‘Nor I,’ said Gudrun.
‘What about my suit?’ asked Gerald.
‘I don’t know,’ laughed Hermione, with an odd, amused
intonation. ‘Will a handkerchief do—a large handker-
chief?’
‘That will do,’ said Gerald.
‘Come along then,’ sang Hermione.
The first to run across the lawn was the little Italian,
small and like a cat, her white legs twinkling as she went,
ducking slightly her head, that was tied in a gold silk ker-
chief. She tripped through the gate and down the grass,
and stood, like a tiny figure of ivory and bronze, at the wa-
ter’s edge, having dropped off her towelling, watching the
swans, which came up in surprise. Then out ran Miss Brad-
ley, like a large, soft plum in her dark-blue suit. Then Gerald
came, a scarlet silk kerchief round his loins, his towels over
his arms. He seemed to flaunt himself a little in the sun,
lingering and laughing, strolling easily, looking white but
natural in his nakedness. Then came Sir Joshua, in an over-
coat, and lastly Hermione, striding with stiff grace from out
of a great mantle of purple silk, her head tied up in purple
and gold. Handsome was her stiff, long body, her straight-
stepping white legs, there was a static magnificence about
her as she let the cloak float loosely away from her striding.
She crossed the lawn like some strange memory, and passed
slowly and statelily towards the water.
There were three ponds, in terraces descending the val-
ley, large and smooth and beautiful, lying in the sun. The

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