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‘We’re in a pretty fix if we can’t,’ said Gudrun. Her ex-
treme ironic loathing and apprehension was very trying to
Ursula.
‘We needn’t stay,’ she said.
‘I certainly shan’t stay five minutes among that little lot,’
said Gudrun. They advanced nearer, till they saw policemen
at the gates.
‘Policemen to keep you in, too!’ said Gudrun. ‘My word,
this is a beautiful affair.’
‘We’d better look after father and mother,’ said Ursula
anxiously.
‘Mother’s PERFECTLY capable of getting through this
little celebration,’ said Gudrun with some contempt.
But Ursula knew that her father felt uncouth and angry
and unhappy, so she was far from her ease. They waited out-
side the gate till their parents came up. The tall, thin man
in his crumpled clothes was unnerved and irritable as a boy,
finding himself on the brink of this social function. He did
not feel a gentleman, he did not feel anything except pure
exasperation.
Ursula took her place at his side, they gave their tickets to
the policeman, and passed in on to the grass, four abreast;
the tall, hot, ruddy-dark man with his narrow boyish brow
drawn with irritation, the fresh-faced, easy woman, per-
fectly collected though her hair was slipping on one side,
then Gudrun, her eyes round and dark and staring, her full
soft face impassive, almost sulky, so that she seemed to be
backing away in antagonism even whilst she was advanc-
ing; and then Ursula, with the odd, brilliant, dazzled look

228 Women in Love