Page 233 - women-in-love

sir, ‘ere y’are sir,’ exactly like some foul carrion objects, per-
fectly obscene; and paterfamilias on board, laughing when
the boys went right down in that awful mud, occasional-
ly throwing them a ha’penny. And if you’d seen the intent
look on the faces of these boys, and the way they darted in
the filth when a coin was flung—really, no vulture or jackal
could dream of approaching them, for foulness. I NEVER
would go on a pleasure boat again—never.’
Gerald watched her all the time she spoke, his eyes glit-
tering with faint rousedness. It was not so much what she
said; it was she herself who roused him, roused him with a
small, vivid pricking.
‘Of course,’ he said, ‘every civilised body is bound to
have its vermin.’
‘Why?’ cried Ursula. ‘I don’t have vermin.’
‘And it’s not that—it’s the QUALITY of the whole thing—
paterfamilias laughing and thinking it sport, and throwing
the ha’pennies, and materfamilias spreading her fat little
knees and eating, continually eating—‘ replied Gudrun.
‘Yes,’ said Ursula. ‘It isn’t the boys so much who are ver-
min; it’s the people themselves, the whole body politic, as
you call it.’
Gerald laughed.
‘Never mind,’ he said. ‘You shan’t go on the launch.’
Gudrun flushed quickly at his rebuke.
There were a few moments of silence. Gerald, like a senti-
nel, was watching the people who were going on to the boat.
He was very good-looking and self-contained, but his air of
soldierly alertness was rather irritating.

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