Page 517 - women-in-love

‘Past five o’clock,’ she said.
But he only closed his arms round her again. Her heart
cried within her in torture. She disengaged herself firmly.
‘You really must go,’ she said.
‘Not for a minute,’ he said.
She lay still, nestling against him, but unyielding.
‘Not for a minute,’ he repeated, clasping her closer.
‘Yes,’ she said, unyielding, ‘I’m afraid if you stay any lon-
ger.’
There was a certain coldness in her voice that made him
release her, and she broke away, rose and lit the candle. That
then was the end.
He got up. He was warm and full of life and desire. Yet he
felt a little bit ashamed, humiliated, putting on his clothes
before her, in the candle-light. For he felt revealed, exposed
to her, at a time when she was in some way against him.
It was all very difficult to understand. He dressed himself
quickly, without collar or tie. Still he felt full and complete,
perfected. She thought it humiliating to see a man dressing:
the ridiculous shirt, the ridiculous trousers and braces. But
again an idea saved her.
‘It is like a workman getting up to go to work,’ thought
Gudrun. ‘And I am like a workman’s wife.’ But an ache like
nausea was upon her: a nausea of him.
He pushed his collar and tie into his overcoat pocket.
Then he sat down and pulled on his boots. They were sod-
den, as were his socks and trouser-bottoms. But he himself
was quick and warm.
‘Perhaps you ought to have put your boots on down-

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