Page 245 - women-in-love

ity, in a man who talked as a rule so very seriously.
‘Why not like that?’ he mocked. And immediately he
dropped again into the incredibly rapid, slack-waggling
dance, watching her malevolently. And moving in the rapid,
stationary dance, he came a little nearer, and reached for-
ward with an incredibly mocking, satiric gleam on his face,
and would have kissed her again, had she not started back.
‘No, don’t!’ she cried, really afraid.
‘Cordelia after all,’ he said satirically. She was stung, as if
this were an insult. She knew he intended it as such, and it
bewildered her.
‘And you,’ she cried in retort, ‘why do you always take
your soul in your mouth, so frightfully full?’
‘So that I can spit it out the more readily,’ he said, pleased
by his own retort.
Gerald Crich, his face narrowing to an intent gleam, fol-
lowed up the hill with quick strides, straight after Gudrun.
The cattle stood with their noses together on the brow of a
slope, watching the scene below, the men in white hover-
ing about the white forms of the women, watching above
all Gudrun, who was advancing slowly towards them. She
stood a moment, glancing back at Gerald, and then at the
cattle.
Then in a sudden motion, she lifted her arms and rushed
sheer upon the long-horned bullocks, in shuddering ir-
regular runs, pausing for a second and looking at them,
then lifting her hands and running forward with a flash,
till they ceased pawing the ground, and gave way, snorting
with terror, lifting their heads from the ground and flinging

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