Page 238 - women-in-love

They looked round. Nobody could notice them, or could
come up in time to see them. In less than a minute Ursula
had thrown off her clothes and had slipped naked into the
water, and was swimming out. Quickly, Gudrun joined her.
They swam silently and blissfully for a few minutes, circling
round their little stream-mouth. Then they slipped ashore
and ran into the grove again, like nymphs.
‘How lovely it is to be free,’ said Ursula, running swiftly
here and there between the tree trunks, quite naked, her
hair blowing loose. The grove was of beech-trees, big and
splendid, a steel-grey scaffolding of trunks and boughs, with
level sprays of strong green here and there, whilst through
the northern side the distance glimmered open as through
a window.
When they had run and danced themselves dry, the girls
quickly dressed and sat down to the fragrant tea. They sat
on the northern side of the grove, in the yellow sunshine
facing the slope of the grassy hill, alone in a little wild world
of their own. The tea was hot and aromatic, there were de-
licious little sandwiches of cucumber and of caviare, and
winy cakes.
‘Are you happy, Prune?’ cried Ursula in delight, looking
at her sister.
‘Ursula, I’m perfectly happy,’ replied Gudrun gravely,
looking at the westering sun.
‘So am I.’
When they were together, doing the things they enjoyed,
the two sisters were quite complete in a perfect world of their
own. And this was one of the perfect moments of freedom

238 Women in Love