Page 277 - women-in-love

startled faces, the women looked solemn, some of them had
been crying. The children enjoyed the excitement at first.
There was an intensity in the air, almost magical. Did all
enjoy it? Did all enjoy the thrill?
Gudrun had wild ideas of rushing to comfort Gerald. She
was thinking all the time of the perfect comforting, reas-
suring thing to say to him. She was shocked and frightened,
but she put that away, thinking of how she should deport
herself with Gerald: act her part. That was the real thrill:
how she should act her part.
Ursula was deeply and passionately in love with Birkin,
and she was capable of nothing. She was perfectly callous
about all the talk of the accident, but her estranged air
looked like trouble. She merely sat by herself, whenever
she could, and longed to see him again. She wanted him
to come to the house,—she would not have it otherwise, he
must come at once. She was waiting for him. She stayed in-
doors all day, waiting for him to knock at the door. Every
minute, she glanced automatically at the window. He would
be there.

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