Page 541 - women-in-love

CHAPTER XXVII

FLITTING

That evening Ursula returned home very bright-eyed
and wondrous—which irritated her people. Her father came
home at suppertime, tired after the evening class, and the
long journey home. Gudrun was reading, the mother sat in
silence.
Suddenly Ursula said to the company at large, in a bright
voice, ‘Rupert and I are going to be married tomorrow.’
Her father turned round, stiffly.
‘You what?’ he said.
‘Tomorrow!’ echoed Gudrun.
‘Indeed!’ said the mother.
But Ursula only smiled wonderfully, and did not reply.
‘Married tomorrow!’ cried her father harshly. ‘What are
you talking about.’
‘Yes,’ said Ursula. ‘Why not?’ Those two words, from her,
always drove him mad. ‘Everything is all right—we shall go
to the registrar’s office-’
There was a second’s hush in the room, after Ursula’s
blithe vagueness.
‘REALLY, Ursula!’ said Gudrun.
‘Might we ask why there has been all this secrecy?’ de-
manded the mother, rather superbly.

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