Page 504 - women-in-love

A dangerous resolve formed in his heart, like a fixed
idea. There was Gudrun—she would be safe in her home.
But he could get at her—he would get at her. He would not
go back tonight till he had come to her, if it cost him his life.
He staked his all on this throw.
He set off walking straight across the fields towards Bel-
dover. It was so dark, nobody could ever see him. His feet
were wet and cold, heavy with clay. But he went on persis-
tently, like a wind, straight forward, as if to his fate. There
were great gaps in his consciousness. He was conscious that
he was at Winthorpe hamlet, but quite unconscious how he
had got there. And then, as in a dream, he was in the long
street of Beldover, with its street-lamps.
There was a noise of voices, and of a door shutting loud-
ly, and being barred, and of men talking in the night. The
‘Lord Nelson’ had just closed, and the drinkers were going
home. He had better ask one of these where she lived—for
he did not know the side streets at all.
‘Can you tell me where Somerset Drive is?’ he asked of
one of the uneven men.
‘Where what?’ replied the tipsy miner’s voice.
‘Somerset Drive.’
‘Somerset Drive!—I’ve heard o’ such a place, but I couldn’t
for my life say where it is. Who might you be wanting?’
‘Mr Brangwen—William Brangwen.’
‘William Brangwen—?—?’
‘Who teaches at the Grammar School, at Willey Green—
his daughter teaches there too.’
‘O-o-o-oh, Brangwen! NOW I’ve got you. Of COURSE,

504 Women in Love