Page 253 - women-in-love

great blue moon of light that hung from Ursula’s hand, cast-
ing a strange gleam on her face. It flickered, and Birkin went
bending over the well of light. His face shone out like an
apparition, so unconscious, and again, something demoni-
acal. Ursula was dim and veiled, looming over him.
‘That is all right,’ said his voice softly.
She held up the lantern. It had a flight of storks stream-
ing through a turquoise sky of light, over a dark earth.
‘This is beautiful,’ she said.
‘Lovely,’ echoed Gudrun, who wanted to hold one also,
and lift it up full of beauty.
‘Light one for me,’ she said. Gerald stood by her, incapac-
itated. Birkin lit the lantern she held up. Her heart beat with
anxiety, to see how beautiful it would be. It was primrose
yellow, with tall straight flowers growing darkly from their
dark leaves, lifting their heads into the primrose day, while
butterflies hovered about them, in the pure clear light.
Gudrun gave a little cry of excitement, as if pierced with
delight.
‘Isn’t it beautiful, oh, isn’t it beautiful!’
Her soul was really pierced with beauty, she was translat-
ed beyond herself. Gerald leaned near to her, into her zone
of light, as if to see. He came close to her, and stood touch-
ing her, looking with her at the primrose-shining globe.
And she turned her face to his, that was faintly bright in the
light of the lantern, and they stood together in one lumi-
nous union, close together and ringed round with light, all
the rest excluded.
Birkin looked away, and went to light Ursula’s second

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